Nagasaki: Gunkanjima (Hashima Island), Huis Ten Bosch
長崎：軍艦島、ハウステンボス
I booked my Gunkanjima tour with Gunkanjiima Concierge days before I arrived in Nagasaki. Check out their calendar to see if there are seats left for the day you are going for the tour. You don't want to be disappointed after making your way there do you!
By the way if the weather is bad, they will not get off the ferry and get on the island because it's too dangerous. It's a deserted island with no toilets (hence the repeat announcement for you to go to the washroom before the ferry leaves the dock), and the tide often engulfs the island's shore so it's not safe. It was sunny and bright today so no problem :)
Gunkanjima has just been awarded as a World Heritage Site!
Gunkanjima once used to be a place to stay for people and their families who worked for Mitsubitshi for the nearby undersea mining area. The island was once so populated it housed 5000 people! However, the mining industry was not so lucrative anymore and there was nothing left to mine so the residents left and the island has been left deserted.
Arakawa san, another solo traveller I met on the trip.
They offer English translation kit, best if you understand Japanese though. The content is slight different ^^v
FINALLY!
Like some horror movie, looks super scary!
Some zoomed-in images from the ferry. Can't wait =P
On the island now!
The island housed a shrine, hospital, school etc.. It is in ruins because of the weather conditions, especially the frequent typhoons and the high tidal waves.
Yay =)
Yup, it's still super hot :( I'm in jacket because Japan's UV rays are crazy!!
I really think it is worth a visit if you are here in Nagasaki!
Champon lunch with Arakawa san
Nice, but the one I ate yesterday was slightly better? No more champon for me for a long while.....
(By the way Champon is always super big bowl because it originated as a filler meal for poor Chinese students in Nagasaki. It has seafood like squid and clams to give it a flavourful soup base!)
I wanted to try that black oden but I was so full...
The reason why I am here. Fukuyama Masaharu HEHE
To end with another Gunkanjima photo =)
After I left Arakawa san, my plan was to travel about 2.5h to Huis Ten Bosch. It was recommended by Shin san, far but I had no other itinerary so why not?
The only thing is I didn't know that Huis Ten Bosch is a themepark!!!!! I was going to a themepark alone! @.@
But anyway I only realised when I stepped into the park. I thought it was, you know, a garden, a park.
I bought the tickets for the special summer evening illumination so entry was at 5pm. Tickets can be booked online and paid at Lawson convenience store (but you need a Japanese tel. no for the payment, I used the hostel's tel. no. LOL) But actually it was not crowded at all since it was a weekday, so tickets can be purchased at the door too.
Timetable back to Nagasaki from Huis Ten Bosch. VERY IMPORTANT! Huis Ten Bosch is built at a place with nothing but the resort so unless you plan to stay overnight there you better catch the last train back! (Directions to Huis Ten Bosch)
Am I in Europe?
It's actually hard to find the entrance of the themepark. The place is so big but look, the door to the entrance is so small... -_-
Inside the park! =)
Now the realisation that I was in a themepark, when I started to see rides and attractions.... #fail
まあ いいんじゃない～！
I love this umbrella installation!
Walking around before it turned dark for my illuminations..
Shall keep a secret of what's behind this wall, find out when you are there ^^
it's by the sea so it gets kind of cold in the evening..
Finally I found the entrance to the palace!!! It's located at the end of the park and I got lost for at least half an hour even with a map in hand.
What a nice house~
Went to one of the exhibitions inside since the sky is not dark yet. Lovely! It's a tribute exhibition to a famous manga in Japan, The Rose of Versailles. (Actually no photos allowed but it was too pretty!)
There was also an ikebana exhibition
Don't you just love summer skies =)
This was my first stop, more illuminations to go!
Back garden of the palace
The palace at night
Lovely!! with Megane bashi (Spectacle bridge, referring to the reflection of the bridge with curved bottom) =P
I took the boat ride in the end, missing my second last train back. I thought it wasn't really worth it because I had to wait for the last train in the cold, for about 40 mins :\ I forgot to check the time chart for the train. But then I also got lost in this big park, and there was only a short time frame from 7-11 pm that you can check out the illuminations. So it wasn't exactly in my control. Some are very far from each other so it was already lucky that I managed to cover all that I wanted.
I arrived back at the hostel very very late but Nagasaki was safe so I didn't had any weird encounters on the road. Went back to the hostel with new roommates sound asleep....
Very happy that I came to Huis Ten Bosch! Hidden gem =)
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