It isn’t that far, but the traffic was terrible and it was a real slog. Anyway, after all sorts of twists and turns – and thanks to the bold decision to drastically cut down our list of stops – we made it in time.
Near the summit
Up at the top it was this crowded. From around here the sky got dark… and it started raining too 🙁 You can’t really see it in the photo, but everyone was coughing from the sulfur smell.
Looks like it’s still under construction
Some of the paths were closed off, but since this area is famous as a school-trip destination, I’m guessing everything will be open once tourist season comes around.
The crater
A mysterious emerald color. Who knew the entrance to hell could be this beautiful. The view, so different from my vague expectations that it felt like it could suck your soul in, really surprised me. I just came to look at a volcano, and this was an unexpected bonus. To be honest, if I’d read a guidebook properly even once before coming, I probably wouldn’t have been this surprised… But then again, setting off with nothing but a map and a GPS-equipped iPhone, no guidebook, is part of the fun of traveling..
The view on the way down
The clouds cut off the view 🙁 The small round-looking spot is the parking lot building. You can hike up from there, but I drove up… If it hadn’t been cloudy, and if we hadn’t lost so much time getting here because of all the cars, hiking would have been nice too.
The bleak volcanic landscape on the way down
We should have gone earlier… but then again, we couldn’t skip Kumamoto Castle either… All I can do is blame bad luck with the weather..