Hells

Jigoku, a boiling spring (known as a hell), in Beppu just west of Oita is one of the many hells here. There are also onsens (hot spring baths). A group of us went to a mud onsen which left your skin smelling of sulphur and skin feeling soft. The hot water courses through beppu streets and drains and this town is 'steamy' as a result. A fantastic place. Quaint shops, Japanese architecture, beautiful mountains and the flat sea.

In one section, the road had been in the way of a landslide and left a deep donga. We used the resources available to get our bike across to the other side. The road thereafter was littered with rocks and logs....

The bike trip through from Oita to Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu island

The road to the top of the pass separating Oita Prefecture from Miyazaki Prefecture is normally a gentle drive in a car but we ascended the mountain after typhoon number 4 had damaged these slopes.

In Takachiho, our destination after 80km of cycling, we managed to see Yukagura dancing. This is a traditional form of story telling. Entertaining and humourous it is carried out by men using masks, a drum and flute for music and a narrator between stories.