October 12-13, 2008: Trip to Beppu

This is our first road trip destination in our tiny little car. It was only a two hour drive to Beppu. After passing through gorgeous tree-covered mountains and valleys, it was hard not to spot this city set right on the coast.

Look at this crazy hot rod we spotted on our way there...I barely got a picture!

You can be certain you’re in Beppu when you’re immediately hit with the fresh smell of sulfur (yummm…eggs!) and the view of steam clouds around the city (pipes and storm drains release the steam). The hot springs are one major attraction the city is known for. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beppu, http://wikitravel.org/en/Beppu )

First, something to eat! We got there just in time for lunch, so we stopped in a restaurant called “Joyful.” It had edible American dishes for me and more traditional Japanese cuisine for daredevil Brandon. He opted for a shrimp/pork thing with rice and soup, while I went for the ham and cheese pizza. Dessert was delicious! However, like some sundaes over here, this one had corn flakes in it. I don’t know why, but it sure adds a nice crunch!

Next on our agenda was a trip to the famous Ten Jigokus (Hells), and we were able to see 8 of the 10. This attraction was simply a trail of natural hot springs and each one was a different color.

One was blue, another was red, and another was a white color….just look:

Talk about a lot of steam! That's allll from this natural hot spring!!

No, Brandon isn't constipated, he's just trying to show you how he can let off a little steam! Then, you can see me gracefully blowing a little smoke myself!

One of the Ten "Jigokus" had a small Zoo attached to it. There was one elephant, some flamingos, a few monkeys, a llama and a hippo. We felt pretty bad for the animals; they looked miserable in their cages. However, we proceeded to take pictures, like any other tourist and we caught some priceless moments.

Another "Jigoku"was infested with crocodiles and alligators. Creeeeppppy!! Not really, they hardly moved, so it was pretty uneventful.

The scenery and atmosphere was really unique and we were constantly just standing there in awe (despite the constant smell of sulfur...sadly, we kind of got used to it).

I had researched a little before we left, so I had found a cheap place to stay for the night. It’s called “Spa Hostel Khaosan Beppu” and it was just right!

Ironically, our friend ,Snow, lived at this hostel for two months and she got to know the guys who ran it pretty well (so, of course, we had to get a picture with one of them!)

It was clean, we had a private room and we really didn’t mind the bunk beds! Haha…a nice touch, I think!

This is cute little Brandon getting tucked in before bed. We each had our own bunk (it would've been an uncomfortable and tight squeeze, if we shared).

We checked in at the hostel before dinner, More Japanese skills would’ve been appreciated once we got to a restaurant called “Hit Parade.” When we walked up to the hostess, she shook her head and rambled off a bunch of Japanese. We had no clue what she said, but after sitting in the lobby long enough, we gave up on hope that there would be a table for us. It was one of the most frustrating moments for us. We just assumed the place was packed and you had to make a reservation earlier in the evening. We ended up finding another restaurant, not as crowded.

The night was still young, so we wanted to hit up a private “onsen” (there were a couple in town that were open late). It’s a Japanese word and basically means a hot tub/hot springs…usually they are considered public bathing areas. They’re supposed to be relaxing and everyone’s naked. Since I’m not keen on the idea, we found a private one and since we were in a town famous for natural hot springs, we found one that was like a natural outside hot tub. (If you want to brush up on more information and the history behind them, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onsen)

The highlight from our next day was the “sand bath” at Takegawara Spa. It’s one of Beppu’s most famous and oldest (opened in the late 1800’s) onsens. Brandon and I were both buried with hot, black sand and we had to lay there for about 10 minutes. It wasn’t really relaxing, so I’m hoping the treatment did something for my skin!

All in all, this was a truly wonderful trip. I can’t imagine a better inaugural road trip with our little “booger” of a car. The weather was amazing, the view was spectacular, and the company was pretty good too! It’s a nice experience to visit the off-the-beaten-path tourist spots in this country. We certainly appreciate the uniqueness of Beppu and similar places. These places seem to have their own personalities that can’t be found in the sprawling cities such as Tokyo and Osaka. We can’t wait for our next adventure!

PARADISE!!