May 19

Kumamoto - Aso


Due to the shorter distance today we had a later start.  Bags down and breakfast at 9am; what a luxury!  Looks like a beautiful day out there!



It took us about 10 km to get out of Kumamoto.  Twisty, turny and a variety of road/bike path surfaces - even going through a cemetery at one point.  My body felt much better today, but my brain was still foggy; a bit hard to follow directions at times.  With the later start it was already 30C by the time we got underway.  Thank goodness the first 20 km was very flat.







Some familiar brands.


More poodle-tree landscaping.


Lots of agriculture again today.



We had a last "coke stop" just before 30 km.  I found the Japanese version of chocolate milk and downed a container of that to help me up the big hill.  The big hill is actually a climb up to the rim of the caldera (more info below).  10 km of climbing; thank goodness some of it was in the shade, and the grades weren't too rude.  I took it easy and managed to get up without getting too overheated.  


The rim of the caldera comes into view.



Nearing the top


First views into the caldera


Lunch stop was at the top of the climb.  Great views from there.




Just about 12 km of mostly downhill after lunch.  The forecast calls for rain tomorrow, and the clouds were starting to move in this afternoon.  Makes for pretty pictures.















Aso is located inside a caldera.  Here's what AI says about it......  "The Aso Caldera is home to a highly active volcano.  While the ancient caldera itself is a massive, long-dormant crater basin, the active peaks of Mount Aso (specifically Mount Nakadake) continue to erupt and vent steam right in the centre.  Aso Caldera is one of the largest in the world, measuring 25 km north to south and 18 km east to west.  It encompasses an area of roughly 350 square km and has a massive outer rim that stretches between 100 and 120 km in circumference.  The Aso Caldera was formed through a series of four massive pyroclastic eruptions that occurred between 90,000 and 300,000 years ago.  The final, largest eruption approximately 90,000 years ago emptied the underground magma chambers, causing the land to collapse and creating the vast, iconic crater landscape seen today." 

The hotel where we are staying has a lovely large hot-spring onsen.  No pics allowed in the onsen, for obvious reasons.


I showered all the sweaty stuff off in our room and later went for a quick dip in the onsen pool.  It was lovely, but for someone suffering from heat issues, a hot-spring soak was really not what the doctor ordered.  Short and sweet for me.  Here's a pic of our room.

All guests are provided with a yukata, and it is the norm to wear them around the hotel.  Very comfy; I could get used to this.


After our Japanese lesson, we went outside for a group photo of us all in our finery.  Didn't realize our laundry would be on such prominent display.



Dinner was about 15 different unknown dishes.  Most were delicious, and it was certainly more than I needed..........

Upside down, but I'm not sure how to fix it.


A very good day.  Back to another big climbing day tomorrow.  Rain in the forecast, so hopefully it will be cooler.


Stats for the Day:

Garmin:  52.87 km.  2906 feet up.  1381 feet down.

RWGPS:  54.2 km.  1060 m up.  595 m down.


Aso

Population:  25,000

Summary:  Aso is a Japanese city in Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu.  South of the city is Mount Aso, whose 5 central peaks include the active Mount Nakadake Volcano.  The Aso Volcano Museum explains volcanic activity.  Aso Shrine, partly destroyed by a 2016 earthquake, is one of Japan's oldest Shinto shrines.  Uchinomaki Hot Spring and Kurokawa Onsen feature traditional outdoor baths.  

The area receives over 3,000 mm of rain per year, and June is the wettest month.  Hmmm.  The economy is based primarily on agriculture, including livestock raising.

Comments

  1. Lynn CJune 10, 2026 at 6:45 AM

    I remember onsen pools in many hotels we visited in Japan. When we checked in, they asked us what tie we would like our 'bath' (it was expected that everyone would bathe before dinner). I actually loved getting cleaned up after a long day out sightseeing, or whatever. I still practice this now at home rather than showering in the morning, I often shower after dinner, before bed...

    Also, I remember having many dishes at most dinners. Portions were small, so I liked being able to taste lots of differnt things -- love Japanese food!!

    BTW, we got home from Eastern Europe on Friday, June 5th, late (we're still jet-lagged...).

    ReplyDelete

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