Kumamoto Road Trip

So we took a road trip this weekend to Kumamoto.  It is the prefecture directly above Kagoshima.  Our itinerary included Kumamoto Castle on the first day and Mitsui Green Land Amusement park on the second day.  Good times.

The first day was a lot of driving.  We left home around 10.  I was a little traffically challenged so we ended up taking a long cut, however we played at a cool park and had a nice lunch.  We finally got to the castle grounds around 3:30. 

 

 The cherry trees were in full blossom and it was a spectacular summer type day.  Well a warm Vancouver summer type day.  Definitely spring here in Japan.  We wandered through the grounds and then went into the castle proper.  The boys were more interested in chasing and being chased.  However, the daughter seemed to enjoy the museum aspect of the castle.  Some really cool history.  We really liked the lookout at the top of the castle.  Beautiful views and a lovely breeze.  The only picture turned out a little dark, sorry.

We left the castle around 5:30 and arrived at our hotel a little after seven.  Everyone was pretty beat but we had some dinner and a bath and got into our very small beds.  We had to take two rooms as there are officially five of us now that the baby is 2.  We got up the next morning and all had some buffet breakfast.  Then it was back in the car.  We bought some bento lunchy type stuff and headed for Green land.

It was a great day not a good day, a great day.  The kids and I got the all day pass and made the most of it.  The baby and I did lots of little kid rides while the older two, after getting over their initial fears, rode a bunch of the jet coaster rides as a pair.  When I rode with them there were some pretty scared faces but they always got off the ride wanting more.  The two oldest were able to spend some of their hard earned new years money.  The both bought stuff at the gift shops.  It was pretty painful pointing out all the stuff that they didn't have enough money to buy but in the end they both bought stuff that they were happy with.  The boy bought some geki ranger swords/quarter staff.  The daughter bought some key holders and other miscellaneous little stuff.  The shopping was really really important as they were using their own money.  Recently shopping has become a really big deal.  Stretching their wings I guess.  On the way home we stopped at a local restaurant and had some regular old Japanese food for dinner.  I drove the two and a half hours home, we arrived at about 10, and everyone pretty much went straight to bed.  Good times.


About a month to go in Japan.  The time draws near.

Love out.