Friday, 9/18: Today I woke up at 05:00, did my mediation, read some articles, and then took a shower around 06:00. I packed the remainder of my things and double checked that I hadn’t left anything behind. I was going to leave at 07:30 but I decided to leave at 07:00. Good thing I did because – with the heavy rain – it took almost 2hrs to reach Miyazaki. Once again I took the wrong exit but I was able to make it to the gas station and then to the rental car company to return the van. Shortly after I was shuttled to the main terminal where I checked in, walked around, and eventually got something to eat. At about 11:00 I went through the security checkpoint and saw that some of the flights were delayed. I tried to see if I could get on the 12:10 flight and the person helping me said something to her co-worker which made her laugh. I assume it wasn’t anything nice about me. I looked up airport hotels just in case and it looks like they have places so I’m less concerned but I do worry about the timing. The first flight was delayed 20 minutes and the flight after that was delayed 30 minutes so I’ll have to deal with whatever happens and go from there
When we were about to board our flight the sign said the flight was on time but we didn’t start boarding till almost 13:55. Luckily we took off around 14:15 and arrived at 16:00. Internally I was freaking out and I needed to tell myself multiple times that “everything would be ok” and whatever happens or doesn’t happen I’ll work through. I had done enough research to understand that JAL departs and arrives at Terminal 1, that JAL Cargo was in the West Cargo area and that I needed to catch bus 15 which was ¥100 one way to get there. What I was struggling with is how to get from JAL Cargo to Terminal 3 where American Airlines and the international terminal was. When I got to JAL Cargo I was able to get my bag and I tried to call the taxi company but they wouldn’t come for me. The rep was nice enough to help me but she couldn’t get anyone to come as well. So what I did was walk all the way back to where bus 15 let me off, took that to terminal 2, and took the free bus from terminal 2, to terminal 1, and then finally to terminal 3. It was a mission and a half and I was spent by the time I got to the international terminal. This is the research I had done prior
After going to the third floor, checking my boards in, went through security, and then grabbed some food. I had a pizza and also a hot dog as I probably won’t eat on the flight. I went to gate 139, got a pocari sweat, and a coke and relaxed for a bit. When they called group 7 I boarded a bus and was taken to the plane to begin boarding. Luckily my seat was changed from 28C to 14C. I was able to board and put my bag in the overhead compartment without much issue and when my seat mates finally sat down we began our flight to LAX. Overall it was an uneventful flight. I didn’t sleep much and Willard picked me up from PickUpRide. I met the Yanker family (not sure if I’m spelling that correctly) as I had gone to high school with their son and daughter. That pretty much concludes my trip and I’m grateful for those who helped me along the way and to have had another grand experience in the world!
Thursday, 9/17: It rained quite a bit last night and I was a little worried that would continue into today. Luckily it wasn’t that bad. I left around 06:30 and started my way to JAL Cargo. There was some issue charging my credit card as they needed a pin which I told him that I’ve never had. After running the transaction again it went through and was a little more expensive than last time. Almost by ¥9000 bringing today’s total to ¥19,440
Since I finished pretty quickly I looked for things to do and went to the Miyazaki Science Center
宮崎科学技術館 to kill some time. Here are some pictures I took while there
I had close to 50 minutes before Ogura Honten
おぐら 本店 opened so I looked up how close I was, decided to pay and leave the parking lot which surprisingly was ¥1000, and went to find another parking lot closer to the restaurant. I’m glad I moved and went in search of the restaurant because there was already a line forming and that was 20 minutes prior to their opening. It was a little hard to find because it was down a small alley way that looked like this
And this is what the meal looked like. Today I went for chicken nanban which this spot is famous for using the sauce that they have. Take a look
I wouldn’t say it was the best thing I ever ate but it was good. Made me wonder how good the original was in comparison but that was too far away. After that I went to check out one surfing destination that was crap and drove back in fairly heavy rain. I took a 10 minute nap, watched some Netflix, and then went out on search for dinner. Funny enough I had McDonald’s. I had a Big Mac, Double Cheeseburger, Fries, and Drink which actually wasn’t bad
That was about it for the day and I’ll get ready to go home tomorrow which I’m excited about and a bit nervous to get my boards from JAL Cargo to Terminal 3 which I’m a little worried about. Good thing is that I have 4hrs which I’m hoping is enough time
Wednesday, 9/16: I can’t believe that I only have one more full day left and if course a long traveling day on Friday. I got up early, did my meditation, had a banana and coffee, and headed out the door around 06:00? I can’t exactly remember but I think I got to Koigaura by about 06:15 or so. There was this one stupid guy that had just gone on a wave and so I could see him going for the next wave but I went anyway and he called me off the wave. I told him that he had just gone and he said that “it didn’t matter.” I could see that reasoning with someone like this would be impossible so I just paddled deeper and never saw him the rest of the session. Today I got to practice on my backhand slash and trying to approach the wave more vertically so I could throw the board around. I was somewhat successful but not too my satisfaction. I could feel that I was off and want to be more consistent with this. Overall it was a fun session and after I was done I made the trek to the Obi Castle Ruins
飫肥城跡. These are a few pictures I took while there
After leaving the castle ruins I was very excited to go to Shigenoi 釜あげうどん 重乃井 where they serve something called kamaage udon. It is a dipping udon and it was served with chirashi sushi (because I ordered it). I wish I got some better shots but this is what it looked like
I was over the moon excited to try this and it didn’t disappoint! After having lunch I began my trek back and surfed Koigaura which wasn’t so great but I wanted to get one last session in. After I finished I went to A Coop Nango Aコープ 南郷店, got a coffee for the morning along with a pound cake, coke (which I haven’t had in a while), pocari sweat (which I’m really starting to like), curry rice, and some fried cheese balls. This is what dinner looked like
And that was about the rest of the night. I planned for the next day, started doing laundry, and it started to rain really hard. I began to worry a bit about what tomorrow morning’s journey will be like but I won’t project too much and hope for the best!
Tuesday, 9/15: Today I was feeling a bit tired, almost sick, so I decided to sleep in a bit and woke up around 06:20. I did my mediation, ate my fried rice and banana, and packed my bags and left for Koigaura. It was decent today with sets ranging (I would say) in the 2-4′ range with occasional 5′ rolling through. I suited up, surfed, and actually took some pictures afterwards. This is a pano of the break
After surfing I needed to burn some time so I went back to the room, picked up my shoes, and went to Udo Shrine 鵜戸神宮. Since the road was closed we had to go up the street, I thought he did to park, and then walk back down to the gate. What he was telling me is to park and then walk up to the shrine but it would have made more sense to drive all the way up the hill as there was a brisk walk and it was pretty humid. Once I arrived at the top it looked like a bunch of school kids were there. Because I hadn’t ever been to a shrine like this I had no idea what to do. I had read the signs and decided to follow what some of the other people did. For instance I saw one man bow as he was leaving the area and I saw one person bow as they were entering so I took a queue from both of them. Here are a couple of pictures that I took
I forgot to take a picture of this but there were four different fountains that had water coming out of them. I didn’t know it at the time but this is what I found “At a Japanese shrine, the running water at the entrance—found in a pavilion called a temizuya—is used for a ritual purification act called [temizu] या [chōzu] to wash away worldly impurities and negative energy before approaching the [kami] (spirits or gods).” Lol I was more worried about paying the ¥100 which I did. After the shrine I didn’t realize I had spent so much time there. It was around 11:40 and the place I wanted to eat which was Suginoko was closing at 13:30. I was hoping that I would get there in time but when I arrived the parking was terrible and it took me some time to find a place. Luckily they let me in and this is what the meal looked like
After I finished eating I gassed up (did it all by myself), began the long trek home which included 2x ETC toll roads which I was able to navigate without any issue (I have PTSD from Spain’s toll roads), and went to surf Koigaura which was pretty fun. I surfed for about 1.5hrs then I went back to A Coop Nango Aコープ 南郷店 and got dinner which was curry rice, I didn’t realize this but I got 3 small pizzas (ate two), along with a mochi donut for dessert. This is what it looked like
Monday, 9/14: Today I felt a little sluggish. *Surprise* I had a hard time sleeping on the futon – partly because it wasn’t as padded as I usually like – and also because it was fairly hot and there were a lot of bugs. Because of all this I got up a little later than usual which was around 05:20, did my mediation, and I headed out shortly after the sun rose. I began by going to the local break which was named Ishinami and it looked ok, but I couldn’t figure out how to get down to the water. This is a picture I took of the sunrise and I loved the quality of the light!
I continued on my journey and stopped at a place called Oura Point (Oola in Surfline). It had this ramp way you drove down, a breakwall that you had to go over, traverse the rock reef, and paddle out to the lineup which wasn’t all that great. I decided to continue driving and found another spot by accident called Futo Beach. While it didn’t look that great there was only one guy in the water and he got out shortly after I paddled out so I had it all to myself. This is what it looked like
I was really on a mission today and decided that my next stop would be Aoshima. When I arrived I couldn’t find the parking lot, found the designated parking lot but there were no spaces, drove around and came back to that same parking lot (as I had seen a guy at Lawson’s and figured he left) and was able to take his spot. It was a zoo of people so I decided to leave but this is what it looked like
Since I had driven pretty much back to Miyazaki I went to look for something to eat and decided to go to Joyfull Miyazaki Restaurant ジョイフル宮崎店. What I’m realizing is that most restaurants open at 11:00, close at 14:00-15:00, sometimes re-open at 17:00 or 18:00 and stay open for a while. These times don’t work for me and I’ve had to alter the time that I eat or find places that are open earlier. Joyfull fit that bill along with being easily accessible by car and they had a lot of parking. This is what the restaurant looked like and what I got
After eating I used the restroom, paid, and began my journey home. Since I hadn’t seen Uchiuma I wanted to go there and I think that I found it. I had taken two pictures but I didn’t like either and it wasn’t that spectacular anyway. What was interesting is that at a lower tide the rock reef was more exposed which was cool! I had one more place on my list which actually should have been the first place I visited. I drove to Koigaura and it was good so I suited up and got in immediately without taking a picture which I’ll have to do tomorrow. It was probably 2-3′ with some decent corners going both left and right. I surfed for a bit then went to A Coop Nango
Aコープ 南郷店 to get dinner, a snack, and some drinks. This is what I had for dinner
Oh and here are a few pictures of the place in staying which is really traditional and cool!
I’ll take and post pictures of the outside tomorrow
Sunday, 9/13: I woke up at 05:00, mediated, read some articles, and at 06:30 I was served breakfast which was a sunny side up egg, rice with salmon, 2 small sausages, shishito peppers, salad, and the slices of apple/pear for dessert. This is what breakfast looked like
I brushed my teeth after the meal, packed my bag, and got dressed. I went to thank the guest house owner Kyoko but she must have been busy so I left around 07:30
I drove down the street to a self-serve gas station and the interface was not as intuitive as I would have thought. The gas station attendant had to help me and I topped off the tank and took the van back to Nissan which was pretty painless. They didn’t even check the vehicle for damage and I was swiftly taken to the terminal where I checked in. This has never been quick and apparently they were looking for a 13 digit code. I checked my email and there was nothing so they were able to look me up by my reservation. I wish this process was easier but it’s not. I also checked in my bag which I’m a bit nervous about since it was checked all the way through to Miyazaki
I had hoped that there would be better food options at the airport but there weren’t so I ended up having coffee and walking around a bit. My flight from Kochi > Fukuoka was pretty easy and the layover was long at Fukuoka. Again I thought there would be decent food options and maybe I’m just getting sick of the same old thing. I didn’t feel like ramen, and I didn’t feel like curry, and there might have been a hot dog that I was interested in but the ordering seemed fast paced and that wasn’t for me. I decided to forgo eating with the thought I could do so later. Well between picking up my boards from JAL Cargo and getting the rental car that took up almost all my time. I was going to eat in the city but they said it would take 40 minutes and that was way too long. I was concerned about getting to the residence before it got too dark but even that didn’t work out. I arrived a little past dark, was able to find the place without much issue, and had to text and call the owner and eventually had to walk to her house to get her attention (lived next door) so that she could let me in and show me around. The tour was somewhat helpful but my ability to retain information was nil from all the traveling and exhaustion. I mostly just prepped for the next day and attempted to go to sleep
Saturday, 9/12: I slept terribly last night, woke up at 05:00 and set my alarm for 05:30 and woke up at around 05:20 or so, read a little, and prepped myself for the long journey ahead. I had checked out the day before and all that needed to be done was to pack the remainder of my things and get on the road. I used the onsen one last time and got on the road around 06:30 or so
I stopped by the 7-11 near Tontaromae, grabbed two rice/umeboshi balls along with a coffee and ate before heading back out. I checked Tontaromae one last time and nothing was going on so I began the long journey to kochi. Unfortunately the gps had me going on the 493 which I dreaded but I only encountered 3 people that were actually on the road and three others that were on the side of the road – so all in all not bad. When I made it to JAL Cargo I had some hope that I might be able to send my boards without issue but after 2.5, almost 3hrs, it was determined that I needed to ship my boards and we got it all done. I really appreciated the staff but damn it has been tough trying to get my boards to where I’ll be. I’ve already been looking at Miyazaki > Tokyo Haneda and that is going to be fun! I will land at Terminal 1, need to go to West Cargo where JAL Cargo is located, pick up my boards, and try and get a jumbo taxi to take me to terminal 3 to check in. Luckily the layover is 4hrs which I’m hoping is enough time to “get it done.” Just as I was leaving the JAL rep came and have me “a present” of stickers and JAL swag. I had almost bought him a drink prior but wasn’t sure if he would be ok with it and didn’t want to cause any problems
I drove to Kochi Castle where I initially had some problems finding parking but was able to find the proper lot and park. Here are some of the pictures that I took off the castle and grounds
Since I had purchased a combination ticket I was able to go to the museum and I took one picture there as well
After doing the castle and the museum I needed to grab lunch. It seemed like a lot of places were closing at 14:00 and it was around 13:25 or so. I found an Indonesian restaurant so I went and had Nasi Goreng of all things! The place I went to was called Dewata Bali Cafe and the guys there were really nice
There was one other place that I wanted to visit and it was The Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden 高知県立牧野植物園. Surprisingly this place was hard to find and I had to use my phone vs the cars gps to get me there. The drive wasn’t bad but it was very humid and I was sweating profusely. These are the highlights from that excursion
I was pretty beat by this time so I went in search for Guest House Suisen. When translating the name it didn’t translate cleanly but I did notice the number was the same so I knocked on the door and was greeted by a nice lady who confirmed this was the place. After I checked in we had a nice google translate conversation and I got kinda scolded for not speaking Japanese and not being married…lol. I told her that my niece gives me grief about it. I had stopped at a Lawson’s on my way and finished my drinks and snacks that the guest house lady gave me. I wasn’t sure if I’d go to dinner but decided to do so. I had looked up Ganesha 7 ガネーシャ７ and decided to go have Indian food 😂. This is what I had
After that I went back to the guest house, was informed that I was in the wrong room and moved upstairs, went to take a shower, brushed my teeth and prepped for bed
Friday, 9/11: Today I woke up, went to Kaifu Rivermouth (nothing was happening) and then drove to Uchizuma (nothing was happening there either) and went to Lawson’s to get more coffee and a pastry. I think I figured out the problem and in doing some research I found out that the ¥2000 note is rare and that is why I’m having problems. The clerk kept trying to talk to me in Japanese but was not processing the fact that he gave me incorrect change, didn’t charge me for the items I had on the counter, and had initially given me ¥1000 back and was looking at me. It was one of the most confusing interactions that I’ve had and now I understand why the other restaurant owner was having issues. After that encounter I went back to my hotel room, had my coffee and croissant, and tried to understand the logistics of Tokyo Haneda airport and if I have to use JAL Cargo there as well which may be somewhat challenging
A little after 09:30 I was getting bored so I got in the car and went to Tontaromae and there was a little something, but not enough to surf. I went to Shinkosan Joman Temple 真光山 城満寺, actually found it this time, and walked around a bit. There didn’t seem to be a soul in sight. This is what it looked like
After that I went in search of a new restaurant by the name of vonq_nasora that has curry dishes. From what I saw on Google maps the food looked beautiful! I had a chicken and pork curry
I checked my possible dinner place and went back to the hotel to rest and pay my bill. The guy at the front desk seemed relieved to be rid of me. I started to pack my boards and all my gear and will work through my checklist later on tonight to make sure I have everything!
I watched Netflix for a bit and then went to dinner close to 17:00. I went to Kitchen Diamond and had a spicy ramen which was just ok. This is what it looked like
I almost thought about getting another set of noodles but decided against it. I went back to the hotel, packed my boards and put them in the car, and mostly packed my bag with a few items that need to be packed in the morning after my morning soak and before heading to kochi to speak with JAL Cargo and to get everything set up
Thursday, 9/10: I went to sleep just passed 22:00 and woke up around 04:00 so that was the best sleep I’ve gotten thus far. I didn’t feel particularly motivated to surf and looking at the report it didn’t look great. I started at Kaifu Rivermouth and nothing was happening, I was on the way to Takegashima (nothing was happening) and stopped at Tontaromae (the tide was too high). I had stopped by 7-11 and got a chocolate eclair and coffee with banana (weird combination but it wasn’t half bad) and then went back to the room to relax
I waited until 09:00 then did laundry on the second floor. It was kind of stressful because you needed to put ¥300 into the washing machine, press a button to rinse the drum within 10 seconds of putting your money in, and then the lid lock button goes off and you need to put your laundry in. I had to make sure to read everything as the last part wasn’t clear if the rinse cycle would stop and then it would tell me to proceed to load my clothes which it didn’t. I just saw the water running when I opened the lid so I threw my clothes on and hooked for the best. Around 31 minutes later the washing cycle was done and I had cleaned the washer (inside and outside) and put ¥200 in for 60 minutes total. After the drying cycle finished I removed the laundry, put it in a basket, and the went upstairs to fold my clothes and to pack the rest away. Overall it was fairly painless
That took me till almost 11:00 and then decided that I would go back to Aunt Dinah’s. Today I had set A which consisted of chicken karaage, fries, hamburger steak, and rice with a small salad. I also got a post meal coffee which was a pour over
On my way there I saw a bunch of people surfing at Tontaromae and didn’t want to go there since it was so crowded so I tried Tainohama which was around 47-48 minutes away. There was nothing happening there so I went back to Tontaromae and much to my dismay the tide was to high and there was no surf. I decided to go back to town, check La Perla which was open, and got a small snack which consisted of 4 small sandwiches, a hot dog with chili on a bun (almost like a chili dog), and a custard bread thing. This is what it all looked like
After eating I just chilled and thought about going to dinner but called it a night
Wednesday, 9/9: I haven’t been sleeping well and woke up before 5. I did my daily meditation, read a bit, looked outside and it was raining pretty good and there were flashes on lightning. I waited a bit and the rain calmed down so I went to check the Kaifu Rivermouth and much to my surprise the Rivermouth had widened!
It was really windy, stormy, and I didn’t think it would be good anywhere but I decided to go to Ikuma which was terrible
I had some thoughts of going to surf Yasuda but with the rain, wind, and unpredictable weather I decided it might be best to take a lay day and just relax. I drove back into town and stopped at Lawson’s to get the katsu sandwich/egg and sausage sandwich combo along with a coffee and went back to the hotel and ate breakfast
After that I just relaxed in the room and watched tv before going to lunch. So I think I found a winner and a place that has lunchtime hours which not all places have. I went to Aunt Dinah and had the BBQ Pork 300g (served with rice) as this was their specialty. It was really good but I couldn’t substitute fried rice for regular rice which was a little upsetting. This is what it looked like
I also had a lemon drink that came with a sweetener to adjust to taste. This is what it looked like
When I was just about finished eating I could hear the thunder a couple of times and took that as my cue to leave. I paid at the front counter, thanked the owner and server and told her it was “Oishikatta”, and was on my way. I stopped at the Cosmo on the other side of the road and filled up but the strangest thing happened. The gas meter slowly climbed up after I left which I’m not sure if that happened last time? In any event one side of the road was closed and there was an accident on my way to the diner which still hadn’t been resolved. I decided to try and go to one of the local temples but I couldn’t find my way there and it was raining pretty hard so I decided to go back to the hotel and soak in the onsen which was nice and relaxing
I took a 10 minute nap, looked at a couple of things, watched some shows, and then attempted to go to Sangosho (was not open and required a reservation), went back to Kitchen Diamond (and found out that they are closed – seems like till Thursday but the sign was not that clear), and then ended up going a little out of town to Tonfan. The people there were not too inviting and I had Hanchan Ramen which was a medium bowl of fried rice along with salt ramen which people said to get. I also ordered gyozo but what I didn’t realize is that it would come inside the ramen which was not expected. This is what I got
And this is what the place looked like from outside
After dinner I went back to the hotel to rest and to think about if I’m going to surf tomorrow which will have to be later in the afternoon (possibly due to the wind) so I might grab a bite to eat around 11:00 and surf around 13:00
Tuesday, 9/8: I slept until 03:00 which was a personal best so far! I think I might have fallen asleep after using the restroom and I got up at 05:00. I mediated, read a little bit, and then prepped for my road trip today
I started off by going to Kaifu Rivermouth but nothing was happening so I started my way south and stopped at Tontaromae since it was on the way, think I found Takegashima (although I could have been off on that), and when looking I decided that I wanted to surf Kira which was on the other side of the peninsula. I stopped a couple of times to check out the waves and didn’t find anything great so I continued my journey to Kira
When I pulled up it didn’t look spectacular but it was small and clean. I decided that this is where I would surf so I walked down and had the first session all to myself which I loved!
The second session I went down the way and joined the crowd and man was it good there! I was already beat but had to get a couple more waves in
After finishing up I went on the hunt for food and man it’s difficult that’s for sure. If it’s not around lunch or dinner time forget it. I drove to a Burger place (closed), plate lunch place (closed temporarily), I blew by another place that I wanted to go to but they looked closed so I started my way back to the hotel. There was literally a torrential downpour where it was raining so hard I could barely see so I was driving very slowly. I almost pulled off the road it was so crazy
When I got back to the Kaifu area I looked for my wallet, started to panic because I couldn’t find it, and then realized I hadn’t had it with me the whole time (or at least hoped that was the case). I went back to the hotel and found my wallet in the safe which I was grateful for! I then went back to Momoya and had horse mackerel which I had planned on having. Even with Google translate I was having problems connecting with the owner – most likely because his sight wasn’t that great and he couldn’t understand the technology. Even when I paid I think he gave me change because I presented ¥2000 and he started to say something that I couldn’t understand so I tried to translate which didn’t work so I presented the ¥5000 bill and I think he gave me change instead of taking the money for the meal and giving me the rest which should have been the proper thing to do. Anyway this is what the meal looked like
And I wanted to take a picture of the inside of the restaurant because it was kinda funky but I didn’t want to upset anybody so I didn’t. This is what the outside liked like
At the end of the day I was a little bored so I was going to have some ramen at Kitchen Diamond. Just my luck they were closed so I went to the local supermarket Pia Kaifu and looked around. I ended up getting a coffee for tomorrow, a water, and a little dessert that was made from sponge cake and had some sugar crystals on top. It was good and probably all that I need to carry me to tomorrow. I just kind of chilled and watched some tv before bed and looked at what I could do in the next couple of days
Monday, 9/7: I slept slightly better last night. Got up maybe 2x but was up before my alarm at 05:00. To be fair I think that I went to sleep around 19:00-19:30 – or possibly later. So no surprise that I woke up before my alarm. I really tried to stay up as long as possible but it’s been hard to adjust. At about 05:30-05:45 it was getting bright enough so I started to pack my bag and headed out the door. I had one place in mind and it was Kaifu Rivermouth and while it wasn’t the cleanest it was a lot of fun! Take a look at the warning sign
The beautiful part is that I surfed all by myself. There were a couple of people who came to check out the break, but no one got in. The wave was hard to navigate because I was either too close to the shoulder and it wasn’t pushing hard enough or I was too deep and getting pitched. When I did get a wave it propelled me so fast down the line that I didn’t have any time to slow it down to see if I could do a backhand slash. It was about 2-4′ with an occasional 5-6′ set, very stormy, inconsistent, and not that clean – but I was the only one out which was fantastic!
When I finished surfing I went to my favorite konbini Lawson’s and got a rice ball with umeboshi and two sandos filled with katsu and the other had sausage and egg (could have done without the sausage) but all the same it was a good meal. This is what it looked like
After the meal I went to the onsen and then decided (because the weather would be halfway decent today) that I would make my way to Tokushima Prefecture and get some Ramen and do some sightseeing. I packed an umbrella (just in case), brought some extra cash, looked up how to ask for a full tank of gas along with asking for the receipt, and I went on my way
I stopped at a Cosmo gas station which was full service. I didn’t do it the best but I was able to ask for Re-gyu-ra (regular) Mantan and the attendant had to tell me to open the fuel door which I was a little embarrassed about. She also asked for my kah-do (or credit card) which I was able to understand. The whole process was fairly painless and I got out there only paying ¥15 and with a receipt! I was on my way to Tokushima and when I arrived I parked at Shinmachichika Parking Lot 新町地下駐車場 which I had mapped out. I was a little worried because I had to reverse into my space but I took it slow and eventually I made it! Darn it I should have taken a picture…I was so proud 😂. I had to use Google translate to understand what the signs and machines were telling me and when I tried to leave the parking garage I went the wrong way. I was trying to go up the exit the cars would take and not the pedestrian exit. One of the attendants had to show me the way (arigato)!
I was going to go to the Awa Odori Kaikan 阿波おどり会館, but I decided to look up Inotani Ramen. Much to my dismay and poor planning I found out they were closed today…In my defense going to Tokushima was a decision made by the weather as it seemed like it would rain more in the coming days which I wanted to avoid as much as possible. Instead I went to the second best ramen place in Tokushima called Ramen Todai Omichi Honten. Here is a picture of the outside
I had a Ramen with flavored egg which is pretty standard and I got a small bowl of rice on the side which was included. The ramen was far more fatty and salty than I could have ever imagined. They say the broth is brown and it’s more than likely due to the soy sauce mixed with the tonkotsu broth
When I finished eating I went to Awa Odori Kaikan 阿波おどり会館 and purchased tickets for the museum along with the show at 14:00. Since it was close to 12 I went to the museum and looked around a bit. This is what I saw
There were some fun interactive activities that they had like watching the dance and trying to emulate it. They also had some ddr style games where you try and press buttons when the item is encapsulated by the circle or play the drum according to the beat which was way harder for me. Since there was some time I went and grabbed an ice coffee with almond milk which was ok. I waited for a bit and then went back for the Awa Odori dance. Here are the pictures from that
After the dance I got back in my car and headed back as I was starting to feel tired. I stopped by houraido and got quite a few things
I was able to eat almost everything minus the chocolate croissant and one curry pan. I then went back to the onsen, soaked for a bit, and then came back to the room to blog and plan tomorrow. At least I’m going to sleep past 19:30 for sure!
Sunday, 9/6: today was another day I couldn’t sleep in. I got up later today and just stayed in bed for a while. At about 5:30 or so there was enough light so I packed my things and left. I wanted an easier entry so I started by going to Ozuna and took a picture
I then made my way to Uchizuma Beach which was an adventure. There were some signs but I went in a circle and noticed there was a small sign with an arrow pointing to the left. After I made my circle I was able to find the break. I thought it was going to be dark green and 3-4′ but I was definitely wrong. I caught a couple of waves and decided to get out. This is what it looked like
After that I wanted something more substantial so I went to Tontaromae Beach. But before then I forgot to mention that I went to my first konbini Lawson! Take a look
It was maybe 4-6′ with occasional 7′ and there was a lot of water moving. I was able to get out fairly easily but I got punished on a couple of waves. This is what it looked like
After that I was fried and needed something to eat. I tried going to Le Perle (which looked closed) because it said it was open but it looked like it might be permanently closed. All the other places didn’t open till 11 so I went back to Kaifu Rivermouth and watched a couple of guys surf till about 10:40. I then started going to Momoya but they didn’t open at 11 and I gave them 5 extra minutes just for good measure. They didn’t open so I looked up other places and decided to give Nonami a try and I wasn’t disappointed. It is an okonomiyaki place and I had a kimchi modanyaki & kashiwa-yaki. Take a look!
After eating I went to the supermarket to get some drinks and I almost bought a snack but thought better of it. I then went back to the room to chill for a bit and think about what I’ll do for tomorrow. I quickly got bored of that and decided to go to the onsen which i did last night as well. I had to look up etiquette because I wasn’t sure what to do. And that includes sitting down and bathing yourself before entering the waters, making sure all the soapy water is rinsed away, and making sure the cloth you bathed yourself with does not touch the onsen waters. I don’t think I was supposed to take a picture but I figured no one was in there and it looks very unique
Saturday, 9/5: today is my birthday and I would have forgotten if it weren’t for Justin. I didn’t sleep that well last night, woke up around 12:30-12:45 and tried to rest until about 3-4am. I finally got up at 4 because I wasn’t tired and I couldn’t fall back asleep. When I checked my car rental I realized that the pickup point was kochi station and not the airport which was completely my mistake. I thought about possible solutions and ended up emailing the company. I waited for a bit then went to check my boards in. What I encountered was a representative telling me my board length was too long and my only option was to ship my boards. Since I had never done that before I wasn’t sure what to do. I was told to “walk down the street” and she pointed left but I asked for a map which got me mostly there. I arrived at gate b, looked at the signs, and called security which was somewhat helpful as I was told to go to gate a but then the guard came through gate b and told me to go through gate b. I had seen the office from the street so I wasn’t terribly worried but I was starting to worry about time. When I finished paying for the shipping I went back to my room, quickly washed my face, packed my things, and went downstairs to the security checkpoint. I was relieved that I got the board situation settled but that was way more stressful than it needed to be and I guess that’s a lesson learned about my second and third destinations. I do have to say that the boss of the worker that I interacted with spent a lot of time to help me and I’m grateful!
Overall the flight was good and uneventful. I slept for part of the flight but it was a noisy plane and I expect the flights to fukuoka and miyazaki to be similar. Once I arrived there was this really nice lady at baggage claim that helped me out. She took me to the Ana Cargo and also called Nissan and helped me with that which was a blessing. I really lucked out today!
Once I got in the car and started driving I realized that I was on the wrong side of the road and pulled off for a second to get my bearings. It was tough – especially with the turn signal as it was located on the right and not the left which was odd. I went on this windy road (493) and there was one spot where I needed to back up because a large truck was coming my way which was unpleasant. I really expected there to be more cars but it wasn’t half had
When I arrived at Yu Yu Nasu around 2h11min later I was beat. I checked into my room, put my things down, and then went in search for Kaifu Rivermouth. I didn’t even use the GPS and found it fairly easily. The only bummer is I can’t walk there from the hotel. From what I saw the place has potential but it was breaking right on the sand
I went back to the hotel and I shoulda stopped in town to get some drinks/snacks. But I didn’t. I got a water and a pocari sweat and took two Advil because I had a raging headache. In the interim I checked on the fukuoka/miyazaki flights and as I feared I am not guaranteed that they could take my boards in the plane even though their website says they could. It’s so misleading and honestly frustrating. I’m pretty sure I’ll use JAL Cargo but I’m going to try and avoid it to Tokyo Haneda because I’m concerned about traversing such a large airport (in comparison to the airports I’ve been at)
I’m still going to have to decide if I leave where I’m at a day early so I can ship the boards without issue. I’m not sure yet. I waited a bit longer to research other companies then went to eat dinner. I had chicken nanban which was fried chicken with sauce that seemed to be a combination of tartar mixed with egg. It actually wasn’t too bad
I then went back to the room, went for my very first onsen which was interesting, and then went back to my room to prep for tomorrow. Think I’m gonna go to sleep because I’m tired
Thursday, 9/3 & Friday, 9/4: I was picked up from home at 08:00, was taken to the airport by Ibrahim whom I have never gotten a ride from before, and arrived at the airport more than 3hrs before my flight. I say down to relax a bit, texted Carolyn and later spoke with her, and then walked around for a bit and eventually had a burrito before sitting back down before the flight. It was mostly uneventful and I caught my flight to Tokyo Haneda
We arrived a little early but having to clear customs, pickup my surfboards, check back in, and take a bus to terminal 2 had me a little worried. I guess for better or worse our flight was 10 minutes late so there was no concern that the flight would be missed
I boarded the flight to Osaka and actually slept a little which I sorely needed. When we landed I went to baggage claim, connected to Wi-Fi and checked where my hotel was, grabbed my surfboard bag, and found my hotel in the main terminal. I stayed at Osaka AirTerminal Hotel, checked into my hotel, put my things down, and then grabbed a bite to eat at Diamond Curry & Spaghetti. I was so hungry from not resting e on the plane that I could hardly think straight. I had curry cutlet rice and added shrimp but I really could have had a double portion of rice
I then went up to the room, was going to take a bath but the water filled up too slowly so I took a shower instead. I began winding down and probably went to sleep around 7-7:30pm