Kagoshima

Kagoshima is the southern most city on the island of Kyushu and April took us there because Mac wanted to see an active volcano.  Kagoshima has one of the most active volcanoes in the world just 8 km. off its coast.  Sakurajima use to sit on an island in Kagoshima Bay, but the eruption in 1914 caused the island to be joined to the peninsula. It has eruptions every 4-24 hours.  We took the bullet train down to Kagoshima and there  April had  arranged for us to take a ferry out to the volcano and sail along the coast.  It was quite cloudy over the volcano and we ended up getting better pictures when we returned to shore and the clouds cleared.

Seen out in the bay

Sakurajima

After returning on the ferry April located the tourist bus, free, to take us on a tour of the city and then to Senganen Park, a beautiful Japanese landscape garden.  The narration on the bus was in Japanese and English and it was a hop on hop off bus.

When we arrived at the garden the staff was so friendly and helpful, giving me a fan to use during our visit.  I have to stop for a minute and talk about the weather during our trip.  It was hot and humid.  Now coming from Georgia you would think we were prepared for this, but we weren't.  Many a day had to be cut short because I just couldn't deal with the heat and humidity, 32º ( about 90º) and 98% humidity nearly all the time we were there.

We loved the garden, fed the Koi and walked until it just got too hot.  

We finished the day at a restaurant where the tables were on the floor and the seating was sunken.  It was an everything grilled on a stick place and we trusted April to order for us.  The meat was served on a bed of cabbage and everything was delicious!!

We really liked Kagoshima.  It sits on a bay with hills up above and as we rode around I commented that it reminded me very much of San Francisco.