Solo in Kyushu (Summer 2015) 2/7: Gunkanjima and Huis Ten Bosch

16 July 2015
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 =)

Solo in Kyushu (Summer 2015) 1/7

15 July 2015
Nagasaki: City, Mount Inasa Night view and Oden supper

Didn't sleep a wink last night as I was afraid I couldn't catch the early train this morning. 

Tokyo was rainy all week and Tama chan and I were feeling very gloomy about the days in Tokyo. When Tokyo rains, it rains the WHOLE day. It's just so gloomy. So I was very happy when the shinkansen headed west and I began to see the sun !!! I love train rides :)

however happy moments don’t last. I was so happy to see the sun. Then, when I feel the heat, I feel like going back Tokyo :( 

35degrees seriously ?! perspiring like nobody’s business !!! and I meant it's really really hot. I was in spaghetti short dress and it's still freaking HOT!

I didn't have much of a plan in Nagasaki. Basically the reason why I wanted to come here was the Atomic bomb museum. Having visited the Hiroshima one, I got very interested in this part of the history so I planned this trip. So on top of that, it's just Gunkanjima and Huis Ten Bosch Themepark. 

I arrived at Akari hostel (http://www.nagasaki-hostel.com/) at about 3-4pm. Again, I knew of this hostel because it's sister hostel with the hostel I stayed in Hiroshima. It was freaking hot and I actually walked from the train station to the hostel T.T I wanted to save some money... The plan for today was to roam around the hostel. Then I saw some info on night scenery view on Mount Inasa so I went towards the train station again (just to book the tour T.T), only to find out that it's fully booked for the evening!!! Luckily I understood Japanese so the staff advised me to call and book with another operator. After booking, I made my way to the famous Champon shop that Fukuyama Masaharu patronises often (http://ekagen.net/archives/22579815.html). Tabelog: http://tabelog.com/en/nagasaki/A4201/A420101/42000481/

After walking for almost half an hour in that 35 degrees hot sun, I found out that the store is not OPENED!!!!!! I almost died on the spot. I googled and found out that the rest days of the restaurant is not fixed. VERY SAD =( But I had the tour to attend at 715pm, so I did a quick search and found another champon place just 5 mins away from my hostel.

Yummy :) I ate everything :)

Rushed to the Hotel New Nagasaki  beside the train station for the bus pickup. I barely made it!! What a close shave. 

The bus brought us all the way up to the mountain top observatory deck. It was windy and nice. By the way the night view up on Mount Inasa are ranked among Japan's three best night views besides the views from Mount Hakodate and Mount Rokko :) Look up for directions over here (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4412.html) but I would say if you know Japanese you should opt for the tour to avoid problems with the public transport. (mine was 1300yen but I remembered the original one that I wanted to take was 1000yen?). The tour operator office is this small shop beside the police station (Koban) at the Nagasaki JR station. The tour allows about 40 mins at the deck before bringing you back to the hotel. The duration is more than enough. 

I searched high and low for the heart shape illumination and finally found it. There is only one shaped like a heart :) good luck! 

Ended my night at this oden restaurant which was marked on the tourist map given by Akari hostel. The reason why I was attracted was because it says "flying fish oden"!!! (by the way it really tastes qutie nice!) There are many other restaurants around this area though.

I Love oden. LOVE <3 font="">

Was enjoying my oden when I started to speak to the owner of the store and one of the customers.. they were talking about cultural and habit differences of Southeast Asia. I was embarrassed when they said Raffles Long Bar was not the best place to go because the Singapore Sling was ready made >< Sorry I apologise on the behalf of the bar >.< Locals don't go there!!

Owner in blue and friend in yellow

Before I left, the owner asked what made me enter his restaurant, as you cannot see the inside of the restaurant, and he was thinking how he can attract more customers. well.. I trusted the map and Nagasaki. Nagasaki is a very safe place, even though I was alone at night I felt safe. And I didn't want to go to any touristy place. Then again we should always be on alert when we are travelling alone.. he talked about if he should make a window instead, well it makes sense but the traditional feeling would be gone....

Information of the oden shop はくしか 

http://www.hakushika.net/shoplist/hamanomachi

All in all a good day as a solo trip, despite the heat =)