Gym's Ramblings: Spring 2024 - In Search of Cherry Blossoms: Beppu

Beppu

Staying completely within the calm waters of Japan's Inland Sea, the Riviera sailed south, to visit Kyushu

Island, one last time. The ship tied up to the dock in Beppu, a city of about 100,000 people, on the north shore of the island. Most people here work in some aspect of the tourism industry. Many tourists are drawn here because of the hot springs. There are at least 8 hot springs in Beppu and each one has a public bath and a ryokan. A ryokan is a traditional-style inn. When you drive through town you can see the steam rising from each of these hot springs.

Gym and his lovely sidekick did not come here for a bath. No, they joined a group to go inland to a place called Usuki, about an hour's drive away. It turned out to be a lovely place, with some very worthwhile sights and the surprise first viewing of the much anticipated cherry tree, in full blossom.

Sakura

The first stop was at a quaint roadside cafe beside some picturesque Japanese farmland. But there was more to it than just a cafe, for a few yen you could gain access to a pathway that started at a mountain stream and then climbed up a steep hill via several sets of evenly-spaced stairs. The grounds were meticulously swept and this hillside was a typically well-maintained Japanese outdoor space. At about 10-20 meters above the stream there was the first of several structures built against the rock faces of steep cliffsides. Here the path levelled out and you entered a building. Then, you could see the large grouping of buddhas carved into the rock face. This was the first of four structures on cliff faces that formed a semicircular grotto, with the pathway connecting each building. Each set of buddhas was stunning and in the middle of the grotto stood a singular, massive cherry tree, in full bloom. From several viewpoints you could also shift your gaze to the lovely little stream and the idyllic farmland beyond the stream, in the valley bottom. Visiting the Usuki Rock Buddhas, is highly recommended by Gym.

Next, Gym et al drove into the town of Usuki. Here everyone visited the interior of a Samurai's home, set up in the traditional manner. Of course shoes must be removed before stepping upon the first tatami mat. The rooms were starkly underfurnished to the westerner's eye and the paper walls meant those Samuri children needed to keep the volume down on their stereo systems. Those tatami mat floors are really nice to walk on and Gym learned that they are replaced every few years or so, to keep the floorspace fresh and tidy looking.

Down the street from the samurai's house was the high ground upon which Usuki Castle once stood. The keep is long gone now but there were a few battlements left and the big front gate was still there. Gym and his fetching bride decided to climb up and go through the gate to see what was up there on that plateau. They also knew that they needed to augment their step counts to reach the daily minimum. Once on top, they hiked around a large open area and past some street food stalls that were set up there. Gym was very tempted but remembered, that he was living on a cruise ship, so he walked on by..

That night the ship set out into the Pacific. The next day everyone enjoyed a sea day, as the Captain made his way north around Shikoku.