Travels with Anselm, part two

This morning at the ryokan, we woke early and showed up for our 7.15 breakfast slot; another splendid array of items, of which Anselm ate some rice, egg, miso soup and tea, while I enjoyed some black algae, sashimi, seaweed, fish, and seafood and rice hotpot. We had time for another trip to the dinosaur park before meeting the round-the-island bus at the ferry terminal. This was a three hour ride to lava fields, viewpoints for the three craters (one old, one created explosively in 1914, and one active), a torii buried in ash, giant daikons, miniature mandarines. Much of the island is studded with enormous black twisted boulders, lava columns that bent and snapped midair before plunging to earth in what must have been terrifying meteor storms. We both enjoyed the convenience of the cool bus to see all of this, although the Japanese tour guide's continuous three-hour monologue with songs was an amazing feat that quite wore us down.

From there, onto the ferry and off to the train station for the hour and a half trip to Kumamoto. Our first Shinkansen experience-- with JR passes, we just walked on for unreserved seats-- and very comfortable and stylish seats, that put Amtrak to complete shame. At Kumamoto we checked in to a business hotel at the station with incredibly friendly staff who fussed over Anselm and brought cream for his bites, then quickly headed out for a few hours of wandering around the spectacular Kumamoto-jo, one of the best restored/preserved castles in Japan. The climb to the top of the keep through a very good history exhibition gave a wonderful view over the hills surrounding the town, but Anselm, Mr No Pictures, was unfortunately mobbed there by Japanese teenagers wanting to take a photo with him. He acquiesced, sufferingly. By 5pm the boy was running low on energy, and tolerance for complicated food, so we picked up some bakery items at the station and had a picnic in our room.

This end of Kyushu is full of traditional houses with tiny but luxuriant walled gardens with bulbously trimmed trees and tiled roofs with leaping fish gables set amidst rice paddies and what I'm guessing are lotus fields. The towns we've seen are less visually charming but very simple to navigate and full of interest, the million devices of convenience, trams, train stations, markets of strange items, the array of food stalls. Anselm's been willing, appreciative and very accommodating throughout, not a hesitation or complaint (a request for a cab ride back from the castle this evening was rejected, and he made it on foot to the tram with no problem: tough kid!). But when I asked him what he has liked most so far in Japan, and listed a number of possibilities, he added what I suspect will be the enduring answer: Lucinda and Arno.