We left Arita at 3 p.m. I figured leaving around then would get us there by evening, but I got that wrong. Past Fukuoka there was a traffic jam that dragged on for about 70 km. It would’ve been a lot easier to just rest near Arita for a day and set off the next morning. That’s what I plan to do next time, but anyway, after about five hours of driving we pulled into a rest area called Mekari, around the 50 km mark, to eat and take a break.
The Kanmon Bridge at night
This is the bridge linking Shimonoseki and Mojiko. It isn’t all that big, so I guess that’s why it isn’t called an “Ohashi” (great bridge).
Shimonoseki seen from a distance
It’s even better than the view I had from Shimonoseki itself. The more things go off plan, the better the odds of some fun you never saw coming, I suppose. We got to enjoy this gorgeous night view right at dusk, the prettiest time of day, and it felt like the five hours of slog had paid off.
A Hakata tonkotsu ramen counter inside the rest area
It looked like the real deal, so I ordered some.
And this is a Hakata sweet-potato treat I bought as a souvenir
It was perfectly edible. When you think of all the terrible souvenir snacks out there, you’d have to call this one honest.
Tonkotsu ramen
Finally making up for the Hakata ramen I missed out on last night.
The noodles, too,
are in very good shape.
A Sasebo burger stand
This place made them much better than the one earlier in the day. Properly made, I should say. I’d already had ramen so I couldn’t eat any more, but I’ll try one next time.
A Kanmon tempura (fried fish cake) stand
Apparently it’s a Shimonoseki specialty, but I didn’t try it.
This is roughly what the rest area looks like.
There was an observation deck upstairs, too.
Fireworks, shot from the observation deck
My first fireworks of the year. They were fun. I wish I could have watched longer, but we still had a long way to go.