We really enjoyed the variety of places we travelled to last spring. Here are a few highlights!
Kagoshima
We took a public ferry to the always-active volcano called Sakurajima and walked along a trail of beautiful vistas. There was even a foot bath spot where you could soak your feet in warm spring-fed water. We enjoyed the relaxed day and walked around the volcano. Since it was a sunny day we were able to see the crater from several places.
Okinawa
The Hawaii of Japan does not disappoint! We visited two places- Naha and Ishigaki. We enjoyed the summer-like weather. We walked to the main shopping area in Naha from the ship. From Ishigaki, we took a ferry to the smaller island of Taketomi. We walked through the village and across the island to the beautiful beach. The protective entry statues called shishas kept us from harm everywhere we went. People were welcoming and helpful everywhere.
Osaka
We successfully navigated the subway system and enjoyed people-watching in modern downtown of Osaka. It is a vibrant city. We were docked beside a giant ferris wheel. Since it was sunny, we captured some nice aerial shots. The suspension bridges were everywhere!
Kyoto
We visited some shrines, a temple and a castle in the ancient city of Kyoto by tour bus. We sampled a traditional Japanese set for lunch. We were completely soaked as it rained all day! Our guide had a great sense of humour and was very knowledgeable. They were happy to have tourists back in Japan and we were treated well! We booked our tour through Holland America to ensure that we would have a English speaking guide and also learn as much of the history of the city as we could in our short visit.
We are so fortunate that we had the flexible schedules to say yes to our friends’ invitation to join them on this trip. I think we will be back to this beautiful country.