Kagoshima | Hello from the Five Star Vagabond

Secret cities worth visiting

January 29, 2018 by David Herd

Interesting travel suggestions

Secret cities worth visiting

Secret cities worth visiting, well actually they are not all cities & not all secret, but they are all worth visiting. These are places mostly off the beaten track, places that many people may not have heard of.

Above is The lovely French village of Breil-sur-Roya which is particularly known for trout fishing. The Roya river runs through town and is open to trout anglers from March to September. Located in the mountains near the Italian border just north of the French Riviera.

Breil-sur-Roya

French and Italian rail lines run through Breil so it is very easy to travel anywhere. There is a great market every Friday at Ventimiglia on the border 30 minutes drive or 20 minutes by train from Breil.

Talking about Italy

In the Middle Ages and Renaissance era, San Gimignano was a stopping point for Catholic pilgrims on their way to Rome and the Vatican, as it sits on the medieval Via Francigena. The city’s development was also improved by the trade of agricultural products from the fertile neighbouring hills, in particular saffron, used in both cooking and dyeing cloth and Vernaccia wine, said to inspire popes and poets.

Secret cities worth visiting include San Gimignano

San Gimignano is famous for its Medieval village architecture, unique in the preservation of about a dozen of its tower houses, which, with its hilltop setting and encircling walls form “an unforgettable skyline”

Have you ever heard of Florianopolis?

Most people outside of South America have not heard of this fabulous city which currently has an estimated population of 420,000 people. The Greater Florianopolis Metro area is home to about 1 million people. Florianopolis is a wonderful Brazilian city which should go on the bucket list for anyone intending to visit this wonderful country.

Friendly people who love to party.

January 11, 2009. Newsweek placed Florianópolis in the “Ten most dynamic cities of the world” list in 2006. Veja magazine, a Brazilian publication, named the city as “the best place to live in Brazil.

Kagoshima Japan

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan Sakurajima had been peaceful since 2013 until July 2016, then suddenly plumes of smoke, cracks of lighting and a flow of lava came bellowing out of Japan’s Mount Sakruajima in July 2016. Located in a scenic bay on the southern island of Kyushu, this 1,117 meter high volcano has been a sleeping giant for the past three years prior to this fiery spectacle. The incident took place at 12:02 am on Tuesday at the mountain’s Showa crater, which resulted in a 5,000 meter high column of ash – but officials say no fatalities have been reported. Credit to STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Read about it here.

Fabulous food

One of the many reasons I visit Japan often is the fabulous food. A village near the railway station is called Kagomma Furusato Yataimura. There are about 25 small restaurants that seat only 8 or 10 people.

Forster Tuncurry east coast Australia

A population of over 18,000 people it is a holiday destination for many Sydney people who are only a 4 hour drive away.

A great area for fishing & boating.

At the Northern tip of the Great Lakes, these twin towns are where Wallis Lake meets the ocean. The twin townships are surrounded by National Parks and feature majestic headlands and long secluded beaches. Boating, fishing, diving, paddling, cruises, whale watching and coastal walks combine with galleries, unique shopping and award-winning restaurants to create an experience rich coastal destination.

Mae Pim Gulf of Thailand

Thailand Beach Resort Mae Pim on the gulf of Thailand is only ninety minutes by car east of Pattaya, and 2 hours south of Bangkok. Beautiful white sand and clean water, and so quiet and peaceful.

Secret cities worth visiting

Lots of great Thai food & seafood in Mae Pim.

Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina

It’s known for the iconic Stari Most (Old Bridge), a reconstructed medieval arched bridge. The nearby alleys are full of shops and market stalls, and the Old Bridge Museum explores the bridge’s long history. More on THIS LINK.

Cevapcici, the best I have ever had.

Cevapi, or Cevapcici, are homemade sausages traditional of the Balkans area.

Thanks for checking out my Secret cities worth visiting photo blog, drop me a line if you need any information.

A-One hotel on Beach Road

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.

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Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

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Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

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Pattaya live webcam

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Check out these great photo blogs.

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Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains

December 11, 2016 by David Herd

Shinkansen-Japan's-high-speed-bullet-trains-Japan

Explore Japan in comfort

Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains

Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains are the perfect way to see this wonderful country. Rather than arrive at an airport 2 hours before your flight simply travel to the centre of one city to centre of the next.

Tokyo was the start of my trip

My good friend Kayo came to Tokyo Station to help me sort of all the tickets for my trip to six cities I had never seen before.

Currently a Japanese rail pass can only be purchased outside the country however from March 8th 2017 selected Japanese stations will sell them at a more expensive price.

Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains

As of January 2017 $100 usd = 11,695 Yen.

Tokyo to Kanazawa 4 hours

One thing to keep in mind, I stay in budget hotels which are usually near the station. In many cities you can’t check in until 3 or 4 pm. Often I would just leave my luggage and head off to the nearest attraction.

My hotel was great value in a perfect location with free WiFi, book through THIS LINK for an excellent discount.

How about the edible gold leaf?

Kanazawa’s history with gold leaf began 400 years ago. Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo) used to make gold leaf, Kanazawa now is the only remaining production hub of the coveted craft.

Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains Kanazawa to Hiroshima 5 hours

Hiroshima was an emotional experience that I’ll never forget. Seventy one years ago at 8.15 am on August 6th 1945 U.S. pilots dropped an atomic bomb which instantly killed 140,000 people.

As if that was not shocking enough 3 days later they killed 70,000 in Nagasaki.

For a super room rate in a great location with free WiFi just book through THIS LINK.

Cenotaph & park

A memorial is held here every year on August 6th.

Hiroshima to Kumamoto 2 hours 40 minutes

I was on my my to Kagoshima so I thought I would stop for one night to see the damage done to the castle by the recent earthquake.

My budget hotel was in an excellent location, good rooms with free WiFi, for a great rate just book using THIS LINK.

Three years to repair wall

The city hopes to repair the main keep within three years, while the rest of the grounds are expected to require about 20 years to be fully repaired.

Kumamoto to Kagoshima 2 hours

Well worth a visit, the city lies opposite an active volcano.

Wonderful smiling faces

Some things in Japan you can be sure of, happy smiling faces, they love to be in a photograph, & people are just so nice & polite.

My hotel was only 10 minutes walk to lots of restaurants & the ferry terminal, a great location with free Wi Fi and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Kagoshima to Nagasaki 2 hours

I had heard a lot aout Nagasaki so I was eagerly looking forward to visiting this seaside city, in particular the atom bomb site & Battleship Island.

My favourite Nagasaki sign

It’s on billboards, the side of trains & trams, wonderful Japanese humour. 🙂

My hotel was only a three minute walk to the station. Rated highly by AGODA, book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate with free WiFi.

Nagasaki to Fukuoka 2.5 hours

The final leg of my Shinkansen rail trip through Japan.

I would certainly recommend the hotel Ascent, for a very good discount just book through THIS LINK.

Craving a change of cuisine

As much as I love Japanese food after 2 weeks I was craving a change. The fabulous pizza is a speciality at Gorm’s, part of a Danish restaurant chain, opened 2014 in Nagasaki & shortly after in Fukuoka.

Fukuoka was anther surprise packet, lots of things to see and do. Think about flying into Tokyo & out of Fukuoka as I did, travel by bullet train in between these 2 cities.

On the way to Osaka in October 2015 with my friend Hamish

Hamish of course is world famous for the number of selfies he takes. 🙁 Look closely and you can see me in the background. 🙂

Thanks for visiting my Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains photo blog.

Please check out some of the most popular below, and thank you for visiting.

Pattaya Hilton

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposite the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

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Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

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Pattaya live webcam

Check out these great photo blogs.

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Sydney Harbour

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Pattaya live webcam

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Kagoshima restaurant village

November 6, 2016 by David Herd

Kagomma Furusato Yataimura

Kagoshima restaurant village

Kagoshima restaurant village near the railway station is called Kagomma Furusato Yataimura. There are about 25 small restaurants that seat only 8 or 10 people.

Kagoshima restaurant village

Many of the places are so tiny it’s hard to get a seat. 🙂

Some have seats outside as well

Big & small, it doesn’t matter, the atmosphere is fantastic.

Big crowd for a Sunday

I’m guessing this place is crowded every night.

Yakitori washed down with hot sake.

One of my favourite Japanese dishes.

Such a busy place

The action never stops here. There really isn’t any English spoken however you can get by just pointing at the menu. 🙂

This nice guy spoke a little English

Not only that he was in Thailand on holiday the previous week. He took great delight in telling me how much he enjoyed Soi 4 & Nana Plaza. 🙂

Lots of narrow little alleys

This village reminded me so much of “Piss Alley” in Shinjuku in Tokyo.

Wonderful smiling faces

Some things in Japan you can be sure of, happy smiling faces, they love to be in a photograph, & people are just so nice & polite.

Hot sake coming up sir. 🙂

I realised after my first two glasses of sake the waitress was adding about 30% hot water, I thought they were tasting a little weak. Perhaps she did me a favour. 🙂

Great location & excellent hotel

My hotel was only 10 minutes walk to lots of restaurants & the ferry terminal, a great location and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

A very busy village

I didn’t see any other foreigners here, I was the only one.

Kagoshima restaurant village

Here is a wonderful documentary

The village is quite close to the railway station which is adjacent to the Ferris wheel.

Keeping the rain out

Rain is absolutely no problem here.

Happy customers

You gotta love the Japanese people, as soon as they see a camera they want to be in the photo. 🙂

Here is a map of the village

That’s all folks

Thank you for visiting my Kagoshima restaurant village photo blog. Just a reminder my hotel was in a great location, you will get a discounted room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Here is another photo blog for Kagoshima.

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Dotonbori in Osaka

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Shinkansen bullet train

Fukuoka – Hiroshima – Sapporo – Sendai

Tokyo – Kagoshima – Kanazawa – Nagoya

Nagasaki – Yokohama – Kyoto – Kamakura

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Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

November 6, 2016 by David Herd

Ferry across Kinko Bay to Sakurajima

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan

Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan Sakurajima had been peaceful since 2013 until July 2016, then suddenly plumes of smoke, cracks of lighting and a flow of lava came bellowing out of Japan’s Mount Sakruajima in July 2016. Located in a scenic bay on the southern island of Kyushu, this 1,117 meter high volcano has been a sleeping giant for the past three years prior to this fiery spectacle. The incident took place at 12:02 am on Tuesday at the mountain’s Showa crater, which resulted in a 5,000 meter high column of ash – but officials say no fatalities have been reported. Credit to STACY LIBERATORE FOR DAILYMAIL.COM Read about it here.

Experts have voiced concerns about the volcanic activity on the Pacific Island, primarily that it could be completely wiped by one massive eruption in the next century – killing all of its some 127 million inhabitants.

Leaving the terminal

Plenty to see on the short voyage across Kinko Bay.

On deck with the breeze in your face (or the phone)

Best spot for a photo opportunity.

Here I am heading for the island.

Hope to see at least a few puffs of smoke. 🙂

We arrive at Sakurajima

It’s a very short ferry ride, about 4 km at a cost of 170 Yen.

It is also a car ferry

About 5,000 people live on the island.

Tour bus around the island

For a 90 minute trip the cost was 500 Yen or about $6 AUD. You can get on & off the bus at different points of interest.

SAKEBI-NO-ZO (Shouting Statue) Park

Apparently a rock musician held a concert in 2004 in front of 75,000 screaming fans. To commemorate the concert, he built a statue of himself, this statue shouts at Sakurajima.

Up close to the volcano

We enjoy a 15 minute stop at the lookout to take some photos.

Sakurajima active volcano Kagoshima lava spread

Many types of fruit & vegetables florish due to the volcanic ash. The Sakurajima radish is a representative traditional vegetable of Kagoshima Prefecture, normally weighing about 10kg but one may also see radish that weigh as much as 20 – 30 kg. This is the world’s heaviest radish (weighing 31.1kg) and is registered in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Sakurajima Radish is cherished by people across Japan as a uniquely original product of Kagoshima. It stays consistent when boiled and has a flavor that absorbs well, along with a fine flesh that looks as white as snow. Sakurajima Radish can be used in a wide variety of ways, such as boiled or pickled to name but a few.

Here is a wonderful documentary

Eruption in 2012

This spot is only 5 minutes walk from my hotel & another 5 minutes to thee ferry terminal. A great location and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Thanks for visiting my Active Volcano Kagoshima Japan photo blog.

Please check out some of the most popular photo blogs below.

Pattaya Hilton

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposte the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate.

Soi Cowboy Nana Plaza Patpong

Please check out these fabulous posts

Gold Coast Pattaya Cinque Terre

Rio de Janeiro Singapore Eastern Europe

Bangkok Bars Tokyo Cape Town Safari

Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you book

through these links below. Book now & pay later.

Free Cancellation.

Bangkok Hotels Pattaya Hotels

Brazil Hotels

That’s all folks

Pattaya live webcam

Rio beach babes

Florianopolis Brazil

Bangkok river ferry

Fabulous HCMC

Amazing World Food

Lyme Regis Jurassic coast

Hiroshima Japan

Sydney Harbour

Lake Como Lake Garda Italy

Pattaya live webcam

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 1 photo.

Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay

October 22, 2016 by David Herd

Looks like Sydney Opera House

Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay

Kagoshima Aquarium Kinko Bay has a similar look to the Sydney Opera House. Not nearly as spectacular of course but certainly well worth a visit.

Whale shark

The whale shark is the largest of the fish species. The biggest confirmed individual had a length of 12.65 meters and a weight of around 21.5 ton.

Here is a video of the Whale Shark & others.

Huge whale shark at Kagoshima aquarium in Japan.

Watch this video on YouTube

I’t’s so peaceful & relaxing watching these amazing fish swim lazily in circles around the huge pool.

Another big guy

I can’t remember how many years it has been since I was at an aquarium, it was a total pleasure visiting the aquarium at Kagoshima. Entry was 1500 Yen or $14 USD.

Another huge tank with a great variety of fish

The women in the photo gives you an idea of the size of the tank & the fish.

Jelly fish

Jellyfish are the most efficient swimmers in the oceans. They use less energy to cover a given distance than any other ocean creature. Follow THIS LINK for some great information.

Big body, small head.

The huge variety of marine life is quite amazing.

Hiding among the reeds

This little guy was only about 6 inches long.

Here are some starfish in the background

The starfish is not a fish. It’s an echinoderm, closely related to sea urchins and sand dollars.

There are some 2,000 species of sea star living in all the world’s oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold seafloor. The five-arm varieties are the most common, hence their name, but species with 10, 20, and even 40 arms exist.

They have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colors that camouflage them or scare off potential attackers. Purely marine animals, there are no freshwater sea stars, and only a few live in brackish water.

Beyond their distinctive shape, sea stars are famous for their ability to regenerate limbs, and in some cases, entire bodies. They accomplish this by housing most or all of their vital organs in their arms. Some require the central body to be intact to regenerate, but a few species can grow an entirely new sea star just from a portion of a severed limb.

Most sea stars also have the remarkable ability to consume prey outside their bodies. Using tiny, suction-cupped tube feet, they pry open clams or oysters, and their sack-like cardiac stomach emerges from their mouth and oozes inside the shell. The stomach then envelops the prey to digest it, and finally withdraws back into the body. Credit National Geographic.

Here is another video, great shots of sharks swimming.

Great variety of fish & sharks at Kagoshima aquarium

Watch this video on YouTube

These sharks are absolutely fascinating creatures, so streamlined & graceful.

Great location & excellent hotel

My hotel is only 10 minutes walk to the aquarium, a great location and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Now for some more sashimi 🙂

Another beautiful looking creature.

Deep sea worms

Despite being an inland bay, Kinko Bay reaches depths of more than 200 meters, making it home to deep see marine life as well. Additionally, a new species of tube worm, or Lamellibrachia Satsuma, can be found on the sea floor at depths of around 90 meters in the upper bay. Research has shown that this unique population is supported by underwater volcanic vents from Mt. Sakurajima that spew hydrogen sulfide from the sea floor.

A few small fish among the coral

The coral itself makes a beautiful display.

You have seen the worms, now how about a sea snake?

Snakes are one of the things I have always been afraid of. Growing up in Australia which has nine of the ten most venemous snakes in the world, is it any wonder we are scared of them? 🙂

Beautiful colours

You really can spend hours watching these wonderful creatures.

Stonefish, most venemous fish in the world.

Stonefish are venomous, dangerous, and even fatal to humans. It is one of the most venomous fish known. They are found in the coastal regions of the Indo-Pacific.