Fukuoka to Nagasaki

After the last week of non stop partying, (not forgetting the celebrations before leaving Scotland) Shad and I were both in need of a good rest. We arrived in Fukuoka to a welcome of rain and clouds which provided the incentive to take it easy and catch up with some much needed sleep.

When you're travelling so often and only staying at any one place for a night or two you always feel the need to get out, explore the sights and of course meet the locals in the bar for a few drinks. You can imagine how this can really wear you out so I don't feel so bad in saying we had a night off in Fukuoka. A bit of a shame really as I've heard they have a great night life here; maybe next time.

The super tranquil Suwa Shrine, Nagasaki

So it was straight on to Nagasaki the next day which is right in the south of Japan. I have to say the city is one of the nicest I've been to in Japan, surrounded by hills and at a much more manageable size (with a population of only half a million). Much of the sights are within walking distance and there is a tram network for when the legs get tired.

We stayed at the AKARI hostel where we were made welcome by the very friendly staff. The hostel is in an excellent location for many of the sights and essentially within walking distance of the bar area! As it turns out, if you're looking for a party Nagasaki is not the place to come. Granted it wasn't the weekend while we were here, but the place was near deserted come ten o'clock. We did have a couple of great nights here however and can recommend a stop at Kendo's bar for some local Nagasaki banter.



There is of course one rather horrific event that Nagasaki is known for so a trip here has to take in a visit to the Atomic Bomb Museum. There are also several key statues and relics dotted around the city such as the hypocentre and one legged tori gate. The museum was just as you'd expect, horrific and very sobering. If you ever make a visit prepare yourself for the written testaments at the end which describe some of the personal horrors from the bombing and its aftermath. There are various artifacts such as items of clothing, clocks and burnt stones but one which really gives you an idea of the nature of the bomb is a piece of glass with the bones of a human hand embedded in it.

As you can imagine we were in real need of some comic relief after all that, which was provided in the form of an old lady almost falling down a flight of 200 stairs. The poor old dear kept us laughing for hours! We really must get to church at some point and pray for our sins.

For a full gallery of our photos from Nagasaki see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/globefest/sets/72157623756881315/