After so many hundreds of kms and thousands of hiked metres of elevation, I think I had earned a rest. So I spent a few days in Kagoshima city not doing much. The highlight of this rest was probably playing Age of Empires: Rise of Rome with my brother on this Windows 95 looking beast.
Nah, but seriously I went to visit the Katayama Family who I had met last time I was in Japan. A family friend of me mate, Daniel Matthews. They took me to a Japanese BBQ restaurant where the nostalgia was through the roof.
Definitely some of the best meat I’ve ever eaten. Actually Kagoshima Beef was rated No. #1 in the most recent meat competition (so I’ve been told), so you can forget Kobe beef and head straight to Kagoshima.
After a few beers, Mr Katayama offered to let me stay at his house for the night instead of the internet cafe. Absolute legend. We went back to their house and had a few more drinks and chatted late into the night.
The next morning we had some delicious breakfast and generally played with Julie’s kid Kouseki (光跡 – こうせき – Star Tracks).
We then went to eat some of Mr Katayama’s birthday cake at his daughter Julie’s house nearby the school Dan and I helped at last time.
The next stop was the department store where we ate a polar bear (シロクマ). But it was made of ice cream, so don’t be too alarmed Kelli.
I had an amazing time even if my stomach felt like it was going to explode most of the time. Thank you for everything Katayama family!
@Julie, LINE me when you want to study English. Maybe you can get in that 舌の練習(tongue practice) you mentioned. No else else seemed to think this was funny, so I think it’s one of those lost in translation moments.
On a side note, last time I was here I could barely understand Mr Katayama, but this time I could (mostly), so maybe my Japanese has improved more than I thought…
The ferry was delayed due to typhoons so I was hoping to get to Yakushima. In the meantime that just means another night in an internet cafe. I had 2 made breakfasts at this mad place here that you get a soup and bread set with unlimited freshly baked bread refills.
Cycling Around Japan 