Adventure in Oita Prefecture - part 2

This is Adventure in Oita Prefecture - part  2, the journey continues!

Everyone loves to visit Michi-no-Eki

Michi-no-Eki, which means roadside station in Japanese, are the ideal way to recharge your batteries and learn about the area you're passing through. It's also a great place to buy local products, especially hand made crafts, drinks and food. Many Michi-no-Eki are like a farmers market. This is one of the many Michi-no-Eki we visited in Oita.

As we drove along the country road we spotted these waterfalls.

This is the Chinda Falls. Chinda Falls website

And, this is Emi posing in front of the falls.

Yes, it's me. I thought if I crossed my arms over my stomach it might somehow make me look... better. Maybe it's my new backpack that is forcing my gut to stick out? 

Next we visited the site of the Deai and Todoro bridges (Japan's 1st and 2nd largest Stone bridges. I'm standing on the Todoro bridge (the smaller of the 2 bridges) to get this picture of the Deai bridge.

This is the Todoro bridge.

After visiting the bridges we stopped for lunch at Roadside Station Harajiri-no-taki.  Lunch was outstanding and right next to the Road Station is the Harajiri Falls. 

The Harajiri is a beautiful arc-shaped waterfall. 

It's so big I can't fit the whole thing into one picture from down here along the Ogata river. So, I took two pictures of it. This place is quite impressive. 

Harajiri-falls Internet information

This trip keeps getting better and better. We crossed the prefectural border and visited Kurokawa Onsen Town in Kumamoto Prefecture. 

Kurokawa Onsen web info

What a charming little town. It's so peaceful and quiet here. 

There are several bridges that cross over the river connecting the Inns with the street.

This seems to be a popular place for young people to visit too.

Now it's time to check into our Inn. Hourei-no-Yuyado Onsen

Hourei-no-Yuyado is a rural hot spring hotel with mountain views, steam cooking & a kitchen, plus outdoor baths.

They have natural outdoor steam cooking.

After checking in the ladies in our group started preparing the food for dinner. This Inn is the type where people bring cook their own food.

Hiroko-san is supervising the girls!

While the ladies are busy with the hard work of preparing and cooking the food, the men sneak off to the outdoor bath. This is the men's side  changing room for the bath.

And, this is the hot spring bath!

Very nice!

So peaceful and relaxing. I could stay here for hours.

But, I must sneak back into the kitchen/dinning room and act like I'm doing something useful. 😎

There are two important things to know about staying at a cook your own food style Inn. 1) you have to bring your own food and booze! 2) The Inn will provide the basic cooking ware and eating utensils but it's best if you bring your own drinking cup; preferably a big one! That's my cup on the right side of the Iichiko Shochu.

Getting things ready for the steamer.

These are the natural steam "steamers". 

We are eating healthy food!

Soon it'll be time to eat!

Before leaving this mountainside paradise what better place for a group picture that in front of the steamers.

Let's visit Hita!  We're not the kind of people to lay around and do nothing, we have places to go and things to see! Places like the historical merchants town of Mamedamachi.

When we arrived we visited this store that sold locally made ceramic pottery. The owner was kind enough to give us a walking map for the town and she made recommendations for places to visit. 

So, let's go for a walk around town.

This is such a scenic place. Even the water in the river is beautiful.

This is my kind of town.

At this point in the town the group split up so we could all visit the different shops and places that interested us most.

This waterway provides a nice cooling effect on this hot day.

Even this liquor store looks beautiful. 

Jon, Emi and I decided to eat Hita Yaksobo for lunch.

The food was excellent and the restaurant was unusual. 

After lunch Jon, Emi and I visited this historical site.

Hello Emi! How did she get up there?

That's it for part 2.

Part 3 is coming soon!

Thanks for stopping by!

Mike

Bonus shots!