Second day in Oita: Mud Bath and Cherry Blossom

First whole day in Beppu and it was time to explore!

I knew I wanted to visit the sand bath and the mud bath. The sand bath was close to the guest house so I went there after breakfast.

Takegawara Spa

I payed a thousand yen (ca. 60 NOK) for entrance to the sand bath and onsen (hot spring). I recieved a yukata robe and changed into it. Then, most importantly, I took a couple of photos before lying down in the sand and having one of the ladies shuffle the warm sand on top of me.

It was heavy. And a little claustrophobical. And after a little while my bare arms started to itch under the weight of the sand.

After 10 minutes I was let free. You're only supposed to lie there for ten minutes. I peeked amidst lying there, finding my inner peace and all, and thought to myself that it looked like a grave yard with the people lying next to each other, a mountain of sand covering us, only to have our heads popping out.

After brushing off most of the sand I got in the shower and removed the rest, before soaking in the hot spring inside the girls' changing room.

It was worth it for the experience, but not exactly mind blowing.

After the sand bath I was ready to explore Beppu's "hells" (jigoku); 9 spectacular hot springs for viewing. I got a "Hell-pass" and got on the bus to get around to the different hells.

Umi Jigoku - "Sea Hell"
The hot spring's so hot
that they boil eggs in it
and sell it to the
tourists

I know Japanese people don't know English
but can't they call a friend, or something?

If they look a bit yellow it is not because I suck at editing,
it's because they are Asian

Hello, Kuzco

I was so happy when I found a small blossoming cherry blossom tree near one of the hot springs. Normally the trees won't blossom until spring, but around the hot springs I guess the climate is so warm that they blossom earlier.

Yay, I got to see you even though I'm going home this month

Mud hot spring

Looks tempting to jump in
But then you'd litteraly be boiled alive

Tomato soup!

In between "hells" I went to an outdoor mud bath, and it was pretty neat. The water in the hot spring reached to my hips and it was grey from the mud and you'd pick up hot mud from the ground while you were in the water and smear it on you.

I reeked of sulfur for three days afterwards.

Guess what, I wasn't the only one there!

In the evening when Kei had finished work he picked me up and we went to his house. Which was a long drive. Probably one and a half hour from Beppu.

I thought I live in a Godforsaken place, Kei lives in a Godforsaken place. They don't even have street lights. We drove for 40 minutes in pitch dark without meeting any traffic.

Suddenly a cab-like car passed us and I said "A taxi, here?", but Kei assured me that it wasn't a cab, but in fact a service company providing a driver when you've been to an izakaya (Japanese drinking astablishment) and are too drunk to drive home. Even though people know they are going to get drunk they still drive there, since it's so deserted and the distances are so far, and no other form om transportation is available. Still they have to get home somehow and if they get caught by the police DUI-ing, they get there lisence taken away and then they're really screwed. No way to get around. So they dig into their pockets and pay this company to come and drive their car home.

Interesting.

We stopped for ramen

When we arrived, even though it was pretty late, I was greeted by Kei's family. We chitchated for a while and I gave them my omiyage from Norway before I went to bed, in Kei's 12-year-old sister's room. Aww, I felt like a kid again.

Apartheid in Japan and Going to Beppu - Japan's Onsen Capital

A couple of years ago I lived in Bangkok and studied Thai. Since I already could speak the language fairly well when I first arrived, the school decided to put me in the class with the students who had already been studying for a while.

At school I got to know this kind of quirky, but very social and outgoing, Japanese guy. He had arrived at the same time as me and didn't know any Thai at all. During the year I lived in Thailand I observed Kei's Thai learning process, from not knowing anything at all, to be mastering the language impressively well.

He became one of my best friends in Thailand. We'd study and travel together. I continued to be amazed by his ability to be making friends wherever he went, and he soon picked up a lot of Thai that we wouldn't learn in school, and that would help him connect with the locals better. Most of his fellow students would have a hard time learning the language, despite living in Thailand, since the only time they would practice was in the class room. Much like how I feel in Japan now, but that's another story.

So when it became clear that I was going to return to Norway to study Japanese at the university, and eventually study in Japan, I knew I had to meet up with Kei, in his home country, if I had the chance.

Goodbye Tokyo
and the God damn bus stop sign that was
hiding from me in the
asphalt jungle

Kei lives in Kyushu, the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of it's four main islands, in a small town called Ogata (population: 6277) in Oita prefecture.

I really would have loved to ride an airplane all the way from Tokyo, but my rapidly decreasing budget made me go with the most economically method.

On December 26th, the first day of the winter holiday, after riding the train from Togane to Tokyo, I climbed on a night bus heading for Hakata in Fukuoka.

*Insert 14 hours of joy*

Of course I'd been assigned the seat at the way back (karma). At first I thought "Okay, I can do this" and made my little nest. But then when we first got on the road I could feel the car sickness sneak up on me, no matter how persistently I stared out of the window next to me, or pulled every muscle in my neck trying to catch a glimpse of the road through the front window a kilometer in front of me.

I could feel every turn and bump. "Fourteen hours of this?", I thought - I'm going to die.

No, I didn't think about bringing car sickness medicine, since I usually don't have too big a problem with it - considering I never willingly sit in the way back. And how was I supposed to know about the apartheid that rule the Japanese bus transport system?

At our first stop a couple of hours later - mind you, no toilet on the bus - I crawled up to the bus driver and explained my situation, assuring him that if nothing happened I would puke all the way to Hakata.

Half plea, half threat.

The driver looked very uncomfortable.

I knew that all the seats were occupied, but then he also explained to me that the front half of the bus was for men only and the back was for women. I looked around and realised that he was right.

Then, to myself, I got a bit angry and forgot about the vomit at the back of my throat for a moment.

In Japan seemingly women are fragile small creatures often victim to chikan - perverts groping them, often on jam-packed trains and buses.

So, on a 14-hour long busride, if a man and a woman were to sit next to each other, the temptation would be too strong - hence the segregation.

In order for the women to feel safe, of course.

Hello?

What a way to solve a problem in society, Japan.

I can't imagine the Norwegian government caving in like that when some muslim immigrants put up a fight, not wanting young boys and girls taking swim lessons together in school, just because they are taught a view of women that is screwed up.

I don't want to feel safe because I am separated from what might harm me. I want to feel safe because people are thaught that certain things are unacceptable and that there are consequences for your actions.

Anyway.

In the end the driver decided to let his two assistants in the seats behind him switch seats with me and the girl sitting next to me. So suddenly I was in the way front. I felt like such a primadonna. Yet there wasn't any space to stretch me legs, and there wasn't any overcompartment space for my backpack, so I had to balance it on my lap the intire way. So I still got my torture. No car sickness, though. High five!

When I finally got to Hakata at 11 am on Sunday morning my body felt like it belonged to a 90-year old. But the thought of the hot springs awaiting in Beppu helped me keep my spirits up as I got on the bus taking me from Hakata to Oita.

From one of the pee stops at the crack of dawn

When I finally arrived in Oita after more than 20 hours on the road I was met by Kei at the bus stop. Together we drove the 20-minute ride to Beppu. Kei was working the next day, so I was going to stay at Khaosan Beppu Guest House for the night and spend the next day exploring by myself.

The view from Beppu Tower

Hello, bed.
I know we've just met, but after spending a godawful long time on a cramped bus..
I love you

Look, they love the Thai king in Japan too

After getting settled in at the guest house I made Kei take me to a faraway hidden hot spring. I wanted to take photos of naked Japanese butts, and I sure did.

Bumpy road in the middle of nowhere

Hello naked Japanese lady,
thank you for letting me
act like an overeager tourist
with a fancy camera

They sure weren't shy
Kei looks a little sceptical

After I'd finished paparazziing the naked Japanese people I was starting to feel pretty famished, considering that I was pretty fresh of the boat (BUS!) and that I didn't dare drink or eat anything during the entire busride, since there wasn't any toilet onboard.

So Kei took me to a Udon-shop. And I have to tell you, I've spent many blog posts complaining about bland Japanese food, but this trip to Oita has made me change my mind. It has re-confirmed my former belief that anything can be good if served right.

Udon is a type of thick wheat-flour noodle, and I've been dreading it ever since I came to Japan, because the looks of it makes me think of parasites and tape worm. At the school cafeteria it swims around in a disgusting broth without any vegetables and looks very unappetizing.

But now I can say that I've had a dish that made me apprecciate udon-noodles. Yum!

Mount Fuji & Fujikyu Highland

Shinjuku

After going to Disneyland on Friday, Wictoria, Kim and I agreed on Disneyland being a nice and cutsy place - yet for kids. Still we had an unfulfilled need for extreme thrills and decided to go to Fujikyu Highland.

Fujikyu Highland is a themepark in Fujiyoshida,which is at the base of Mount Fuji, Japan's highest mountain.

Shinjuku

On Sunday we headed for Tokyo and Shinjuku for the 1 hour and 50 minute busride to Fujikawaguchiko, where we'd be spending the night at K's House Mt. Fuji, a backpackers hostel.

We paid 2700 Yen (170 NOK) each for a bunk bed in a dorm room with six beds - yet we had the whole room to ourselves. Everything was super neat and clean, and we had access to a shower, laundry, internet, kitchen, TV room, etc.

Japanese style communal lounge

Communal living and dining room

The weather was crap as it was raining, and it was already pretty late when we arrived. So we chilled out, had a very unhealthy meal at a restaurant and went for a bath in an onsen (hot spring) at Onsenji Yumedono Ryokan, right around the corner from the hostel.

It was nice. And hot. And we were naked. And there is no pictures.

Kine on a well-known sugar rush, due to the Fanta that matches her top

We found this stack of cards in the communal area at the hostel.
It's from a Norwegian gym

Wictoria drawing

Wictoria and her good friend Pocky

Bright and early Monday morning we took the train one stop to Fujikyu Highland.

Fujiyama, once the world's tallest rollercoaster. Sweet!

Photo: Kim Daniel Engebretsen

Looking a bit pale and shell-shocked, you say?
Yah, that was pretty much our look for the day

Eejanaika

When we first arrived Eejanaika wasn't running, because it was raining slightly. But we persiviered and sat down to wait for it to start running.

In this way we really beat the crowd when it suddenly started to run and we ran for the entrance and managed to be passengers at one of the first rides of the day. When we went back out a 3-hour-line had already formed.

Ejanaika was the second "4th Dimension rollercoaster" ever built when it opened in 2006. As a "4th dimension" roller coaster its seats can rotate 360 degrees forward or backward in a controlled spin, thus allowing Eejanaika to invert 14 different times, even though the actual track inverts only three times.

Wictoria and Kim.
Please notice Wictoria is still clutching her God damn kanji flashcards, as always

Then we headed for Dodonpa, a rollercoaster where you reach a speed of 172 km in 1.8 seconds. When it opened in 2001, it was then the world's fastest roller coaster. As of 2007 it is the 3rd fastest in the world but still has the highest acceleration at launch time.

We waited for nearly two and a half hours in line

And it was totally worth it

Dodonpa

The Haunted Hospital

In order to actually get all the way home to Togane we had to take the bus at 5 p.m.

So to my sorrow and disappointment, we didn't have time for The Haunted Hospital - the world's largest haunted attraction. The attraction takes 60 minutes to walk through.

Wictoria had been there last year and she said it was horrifyingly scary, full of live actors inside, wanting to scare the bejesus outta ya.

It looked so creepy as I stood outside. My father lives and works in a small place in Norway called Dikemark, which used to be a secluded area with mental hospitals. Now most of them are shut down, and still I remember passing them when he used to take me and my sister for a walk in the area when we were kids. And the haunted hospital looks so much like them.

Even tough it would have been cool, I think it might be a good thing I didn't go in there. I have a lively imagination and wouldn't be able to sleep at night. To this day I haven't watched a scary movie ever since I saw the The Grudge five years ago.

The area seen from the ferris wheel

Mount Fuji behind the clouds.
Even people who 'live there' haven't seen it properly because of the clouds