Thursday, March 30, 2023
Today, we docked in the cruise port of Hososhima, part of the larger port city of Hyuga. After getting our laminated bus tickets in the Nautica Lounge, we disembarked from the ship and boarded Bus 1 with Mirasume as our guide. We rode inland via a picturesque road and could spot native blooming cherry trees among the forested hillsides as well as large plantations of Japanese “cedar” (Cryptomeria). As we approached more mountainous terrain, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant in the Takachiho Auto Park. Inside, Jane and I were seated at a table with two vegetarian travelers. The tables had small gas burners in the center. We were served plates of salad fixings and were roasting our vegetables (onions worked best) while the carnivores grilled their meat. Then came another course of soup, a bowl of rice, and a huge platter of tempura. After this filling lunch and a cup of coffee, Jane and I had time to explore this small RV park. There were sites for eight campers with water and electricity but not individual sewage connections. Besides the wonderful restaurant, campers had lots of sophisticated vending machines, a laundry, a store, and beautiful mountains nearby.
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| Hyosuke, Our Dock Greeter in Hososhima |
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| Takachiho Auto Camp Resturant |
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| Happy Diners |
After lunch, Bus 1 deposited us in a parking lot to start our hike through the Takachiho Gorge. The first segment of the trail took us down a long series of steps to the edge of the gorge carved out by the Gokase River. From there we hiked along the gorge rim except for one section where, due to typhoon damage, we were forced to depart from the trail and walk along a curvy narrow paved road. The Takachiho Gorge is composed of basalt formed and subsequently eroded, by four eruptions of Mount Aso, 270, 140, 120 and 90 thousand years ago. The trail eventually led us to a park area with a pond and a viewpoint of the gorge and river. In the downstream direction, we beheld a beautiful view of the 17-meter high Manai Waterfall cascading into the river at the bottom of the v-shaped gorge. Rental-boaters were rowing around the waterfall’s base. The gorge wall plainly revealed the joint between the two most recent volcanic depositions, the upper level with a curvy swirling pattern and the lower with vertical eroded streaks. We then continued hiking to a small area with touristy shops where we boarded the bus for our next stop.
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| Along the Takachiho Gorge Trail |
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| Onokoro Pond |
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| Gokase River |
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| Manai Waterfall |
After a short drive, we disembarked at the Takachiho Shrine, the most important Shinto shrine in the area. Before entering the main shrine area, Jane and some of our other bus-mates practiced the purification process of scooping water with a ladle, sequentially washing each hand, taking a drink (or pretending to), and washing the ladle for the next visitor. I demurred, figuring it’d take a more severe process to purify me. The shrine has a history stretching back some 1900 years and was a peaceful setting shaded by huge “cedar” trees, some of them many hundreds of years old. After leisurely browsing around the serene shrine, we re-boarded Bus 1 and enjoyed to scenic drive back to the ship. Reflecting on the day, Jane and I agreed that getting out to see nature was a pleasant divergence from our previous land excisions.
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| Purification before entering Takachiho Shrine |
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| Takachiho Shrine |
Back aboard the Nautica, Jane was feeling ill and decided to lay down awhile. So, I attended tea time enjoying the string quartet in Horizons alone, and then went to the library to blog. We were treated to a nice firework display as we departed Hososhima around 8pm, Tonight was Indian night in the buffet restaurant (the Terrace Cafe). We requested the remainder of our white bottle of wine to enjoy with this change of cuisine.
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| Farewell Fireworks in Hososhima |