Road Trippin`

Mount Aso National park – September 18th

With Sports Day over, I decided it was time to get tha funk out of Shiota! Outside of Fukuoka City, we noticed a sign that said “Aso – 137 km”, and an executive decision was made to head in that general direction. Once we had arrived at Mt. Aso, we hopped on the 50 year-old ropeway and headed up towards the smoking caldera.

The tourist pamphlet reads like this:
(Please read with deep voice for additional effect)
“The five peaks of Aso rise from the center of the world`s largest caldera – 18 kilometers in diameter from east to west, 24 kilometers north to south; 128 kilometers in circumference. The five peaks include the active Nakadake volcanic crater, the ancient crater of Kijimadake, and the snaggle-toothed summit of Nekodake. The crater of Nakadake peak smokes and rumbles in constant activity. Surrounding the crater`s edge is seen the striped and coloured earth of lava and sulfurous minerals.”
Now how mother f$&%#`n crazy is that?

Once the day came to an end, another executive decision was made to turn right instead of left through the misty mountaintops of the park. Thanks be to iPod for playing Led Zepplin! Off to the side of the road, nestled between rolling green hills and a small lake, we noticed something that warranted a pull-over: wild horses were grazing and being fondled by tourists. I have to admit that I was also one of those tourists.