Nagano, March 2019

What could be better than looking at some cold snow pix, while enduring the hot summer in Fukuoka?

Jaap, Karen Noriko and I stayed 3 nights in Nagano for some snow skiing and sightseeing. Our first night in the hotspring hotel down town was very wintery

The snow of that night presented us with perfect conditions the next day

On the way up to the skifields we stopped to look at a bunch of monkeys crossing our path.

Japanese Macaque, ニホンザル

There were birds as well: Willow Tits, コガラ

On top the view was magnificent!

Here we are at Japan's highest skislope. Do we remember how to ski?

Back at the hotspring resort in Nakano for some Japanese food and baths

On the last day we visited the natural hotspring that is popular with the local monkey population, known as the 'Snow Monkeys'

Flying back to Fukuoka, another glimpse of Mt Fuji

Trip to the south of Kyushu

Our yearly spin to Ibusuki turned out a little different. Jaap didn't run, he got the shits on Friday. Nice, when you are camping in a car! ;) Luckily he got well soon and it didn't stop me from having a go at the Boobies (see previous post) Very Exciting! I understand now why some photographers like raptors. The speed, the action, the wings - superb.

In the park in Ibusuki I looked up my old friends: Olive-backed Pipit, ビンズイ

Daurian Redstart, ジョウビタキ

Pale Thrush, シロハラ

We cheered the runners and wandered around town

Maybe I should start a blog about interesting toilet buildings (and bus stops) one day

Black-tailed Gull, ウミネコ

Mt Kaimondake in the evening

All sorts of sweethearts in the parks

After the marathon (and the party) we took the 8:00 am ferry to Minami Osumi and drove to Cape Sata. This is where we saw our first monkeys playing on the road. (see previous post again)

The "other part" of Kagoshima, seen from the ferry

Little Egret, コサギ and Pacific Reef Egret, クロサギ

A familiar sight of birds taking hold of their favorite possies in a fishing harbor

???

We made our way north, where the monkeys got cheekier and the rain got worse and drove as far as Miyazaki pref. where we stayed at a harbor near Aburatsu, Nichinan for the night. 

 This Common Buzzard, ノスリseemed to be looking out for those naughty monkeys that were helping themselves to all kinds of greens at a farmer's field.

In that harbor we gazed at the size of the fishing vessels and their near perfect conditions

unloading

The price? $1000 each probably

mouth watering あじ！

A bit of color in an otherwise grey environment

drying radishes, 大根

A quick stop on the way back to Fukuoka: Mandarin Ducks, オシドリ

at a park near Kitago