The 500 ...

My second day in Kumamoto. The weather is quite windy and a bit rainy. I wanted to go to the mountains today, a bit far from the city center but possible.

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Few research and I found that by tram and bus I could go to visit a temple in a cave, it's a 1h30 journey. After a nice coffee at the 7 eleven in front of the bus stop, luckily the number 6 arrived. While riding to the hill, I realized that the driver wasn't speaking English and all the announcements were in Japenese! Only 3 peoples in the bus. I asked the man in front of me, he told me that he was a swordsmith working in the mountain and he kindly asked the driver to let me know when I should stop.

It was very windy up there, I really like to watch the wind bending the trees tops.

While walking to the Temple in the mountain through a narrow road, I realize that bamboos surrounded me. A beautiful bamboos forest playing with the wind and making an incredible sound. On my left a river cascading. After about 1 miles I arrived in a small village, quite traditional and very quiet! Alone on the road I continued straight up. I finally arrived in front of two old statues, far away I could see an entrance looking like a gate.

That was there. Thought the window I saw an old man smoking a cigarette. 

I walked in... They were there waiting still, sitting on the slop of the mountain, the 500 boudha disciples. Cover by moss, eyes closed meditating.

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I walked a bit and sat to watch them, listening to the sound of the wind in the tree, some small birds are singing, sometime I can feel few drops of rain blow by the win ending there journey on my skin. 

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they all have a differents expressions and postures, they all feel in peace and one with the nature, they are one with the slop of the mountain. They are the mountain.

The color of the moss is incredibly green. 

After a while I realize that no one was there, I could stay as long as I want here, just hearing, watching, breathing.  

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The sky is white, the wind is bigger. Its raining, a small rain. 

I'm spending a lot of time taking, pictures and videos since I start my trip. This is cool but looking life through a camera is not really the best. Its good to keep record of memories but before that you need to live your memory. Now, I'm not leaving a place without staying at least 30min looking around, enjoying the pace and the quietness. And I really feel the difference.

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That's really incredible to be alone in this place.  

The 500 are still peaceful and still, whatever rain, win, moss, snow or sun, they are the mountain. 

There is some place on Earth that give you inner peace only by being there and looking around, that is what nature and stillness can give you. It was hard not to stay, after almost 3hours I decided to leave and go back to the real world.

Walking back to the bus stop it start to rain quite intensively. I found my way back but no sign of bus stop in the other direction, I decided to wait at the same bus stop.  Under the rain like totoro I was waiting for the bus. A car came and a lady told me in Japenese that I should wait on the other side of the small road and the next bus to kamamoto was in 30min. The choice not to have internet all the time didn't make it easier but I like it better like that. Instead of browsing and browsing while waiting I'm watching the bending trees.

When I jumped in the bus , the same old lady was sitting at the same room in the bus. Like the 500 she was still and peaceful watching the landscape through the bus windows.

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I watched it as well in silence ans could see the rice field and the mountains.

On my way to Kumamoto...

Back from the feeric Yakushima Island to Kagoshima starting my train journey in Japan from south to north, Kagoshima-Sapporo with multiple stops and detours on my way.

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I have two months and an half to get there and so many places to see.

My first stop will be in Kumamoto, very close to some volcano mountains and lakes, I have booked a cheep but nice capsule hotel there. 

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Yesterday when I woke up in Yakushima for my usual breakfast before going for a hike, I was planning to go to a beautiful beach, Nagata. But that didn't go as plan. The weather wasn't that good I thought. Seing other peoples leaving quite in an hurry, I asked. An other typhoon was aiming to Japan and the slow ferry was close. My host adviced me to take the fast ferry today which was still able to sail and booked a room for me! (Otherwise I could get stuck on the island during the typhoon) In less than an hour I was in the bus to the port and could see huges waves hitting the shores and the wind bending smalls trees.

when I arrived at the ferry terminal there were a massive queue of people trying to exchange there ticket to leave early. Luckily I had a reservation number thanks to my host and I could get in the ferry, I was the last one getting on board!!!

The ferry Journey was quite jumpy!!! But after two hours I made it to Kagoshima!  I had no idea what direction to go : Miyazaki or Kumamoto, finally I made my mind and activated my 21 days JR pass to start my train journey.

I think it should be good enough to go to Mt Fuji with it before heading to Tokyo with of course multiples stop in between.

Im planning maybe 7 stops before being there, Which mean 2 or 3 days stop max. But it's still quite blurry where to go next and I like that. 

The first afternoon in Kumamoto I've decided to visit a garden, weather was alright, I thought, but not awesome. 

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I had to go on a ride on the tram and end up on the other side of the city. When I entered the garden I saw this magnificent pond reflecting perfectly the clouds in the sky. That was stunning, this light when it's oscillates in between blue sky and rainy mood. Really dramatico-romantic.

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I stayed maybe 3 hours there walking around in this zen garden. The shapes of the trees and the perfect green of the grass, the city in the background!

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Don't miss this garden if you're going to Kumamoto! 

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