Nagasaki

I left Fukuoka early in the morning and aimed for some ruins of WW2 roughly 110kms ride away. I usually try to avoid the mountains but this time I was glad I chose to go the mountain route.

I eventually arrived at my destination, Kawatana Human Torpedo Training Place (魚雷発射試験場探信儀領収試験場) and had a look around, the water was so crystal clear and full of fish. So I grabbed my snorkel set and jumped in just before the sun set. It would have been an amazing snorkel, however it was packed full of scary looking jellyfish so I didn’t venture too far.

I ended up sleeping in one of the ruins that night but man it was hot.

I woke up around 5am and jumped out of the tent. I felt 1 sprinkle of rain and then a few more that morning. I put my tent away like a mad man before it got wet and was on the road in a typhoon like downpour. I stopped a few kms outside of Nagasaki for a ¥1,100 ($13) all you can eat buffet.

I visited a few of the usual attractions in Nagasaki. The peace park, the bomb museum and the cathedral.

Then I made my way to meet Wally at my warm showers host. Man… They were weird.

They were going to make me sleep on the porch outside
I was not able to have a shower
They offered to do laundry, then suggested some coin laundries
They don’t have a bedroom but a massive room for their bicycles
‘If they are not educated how do I know if they are honest people’
‘I’m having my coworkers over to bake a cheesecake this Friday ‘ – the guy. ‘In Holland we would usually have our coworkers over to drink some beer’ – Wally
They gave me a stamp coupon thing which the last stamp was from 2008. It’s 2018 now….

I could literally keep going. So decided to stay with Wally at the internet cafe for all you can eat ice cream and to play some darts and billiards.

The next morning we went to mass at the cathedral. I was surprised how literal the translations were into Japanese.

I next went to catch my ferry to Gunkanjima – the inspiration behind the deserted island in ‘Skyfall’. However this was one of the biggest disappointments thus far. I paid $50ish to get all the way out there then the waves were too rough so we couldn’t land. Expecting my $50 back, or a chance to go another day, I ended up with a small envelope containing ¥670 (less than $10). Outrage.

This island was basically the only reason I came to Nagasaki as when Dan and I came here 4 years ago the waves were also too rough, but we did not even board the boat.

So I brooded around for a while and ended up meeting up with Wally and his couch surfer (Evi) who kindly let me stay the night as well. We cooked pasta, played cards and had a great time.