Full Itinerary (requires login)
Worked this morning. Now "school's out" through mid April. That's life, phase 3.
Today I packed my hiking boots... literally. This is over a third of the weight I'll carry for the next few weeks.
Aloha HNL. A hui hou HNL. Onwards to Hawaii Big Island, land of volcanoes, good hikes, and vestiges of old Hawaii.
Hi C, D. A post card from Honoka'a, HI. Honoka'a is on this map. Is your home on the map?
Walked abandoned and overgrown roads, roads with barriers and barbed wire. I obeyed kapu signs.
Walked along the black sand beach, below, then zig-zagged on the Muliwai Trail to the top of the pali.
Walked through an old-growth forest high above Honoka'a. (Kalopa State Park and adjoining forest reserve.)
Community meeting. Learned a little history, and about plans for a historical district. Cakes and cookies were served.
I write about walking in sepia-toned photographs, and discover why it has to be that way.
Dwight, fresh from mainland, on our lanai, 1,100 ft up on Moana Loa, south of Kona Kailua, Hawaii Big Island.
Rain set in for the day: we're enjoying the view and reading. My pick: "What I talk about when I talk about running."
Hiked down, took selfie at spot Capt Cook annoyed the locals and died 235 years ago. I grew up near where he grew up.
Got to use my National Park lifetime senior pass for the first time. Free admission to Volcanoes National Park.
Two days hiking Volcanoes National Park. For me, hiking is not sightseeing, but there's plenty sights along the way.
Pre-dinner volcanic show this evening. We didn't come here for this, but it's a pleasant bonus.
This morning our nephews woke up in Minnesota. We whisked them from KOA (Kona) to this pool. A lot of energy to burn.
Walked shoreline, then back across lava fields on an old trail (Kings' Highway).
Assembled components for Volcano version 1.0. Too tame, so tomorrow we'll build bigger, badder, version 1.1.
This house is much as it was when built in 1947, and has been in the same family. This week it's our family home.
At harbor waiting for my returning SCUBA diver. Figured this is a good vantage point, purely to get out of the sun.
Rented a boat. Watched a humpback whale spiral up into the air: didn't take photos, just wanted to be in the moment.
Walked around a light industrial area to find a part for Dwight's dive computer. Eventually found it in a regular store.
Biennial event, 2014: playing with spigot and hose, unposed. 2010 and 2012, in background, on display in kitchen.
Went for a hike on lava and took a selfie. Tonight, Dwight returns to mainland, in the morning I go to Japan.
HNL 10:30 a.m. Great airport for walking. Walls open to the elements, mountain views, gardens to explore.
My hotel room toilet is the most technological yet. I've no idea what you're supposed to do in a power outage.
Thursday 11:15 a.m. Waiting to board jetfoil that will take me from Kagoshima to the little island of Yakushima.
Thursday, 2:00 p.m. My 8-tatami room for the next 2 nights on Yakushima Island, looking out on the East China Sea.
Hiked all day through a huge ancient cedar forest between 3500 ft and sea level. Some trees are 1000's of years old.
Postcard for C and D from the island of Yakushima. It was my admission ticket to Yakushima National Park.
Early evening jetfoil back to Kagoshima after another good day hiking in the mountains of the island of Yakushima.
Climbed a 3000 ft volcano with a Swedish dancer. The trail curves round the volcano, no switchbacks--unique in Japan.
Today, Monday: Kagoshima to my next base, Nagasaki. I'll take a bullet train, then an express train.
Monday evening, Nagasaki downtown and harbor from the top of Mt. Inasa.
Dejima artificial island, Nagasaki: from 1641--1859, Japan's only link to Europe. That's why I'm visiting Nagasaki.
History day #2: massive Kumamoto Castle, a reproduction. The last samuris largely destroyed the original in 1877.
Thursday: early train from Kumamoto, hike on huge, live volcano (Aso-san--see map pin), then evening train to Oita.
Hiked all day on volcano Aso-san. Massive caldera. Air quality got iffy at its steaming crater: told to "evacuate."
View at the bottom of Mt. Yufu after the climb. My first hot spring selfie. (Solo hot spring, so OK to take photos.)
Saturday plan: hike, then, late afternoon, "reposition" myself to Okayama, ready to explore islands south of Okayama.
At end of hike, removed boots, soaked feet in hot spring (so good), put on shoes, caught train at adjacent station.
Home tonight. I'm top, first in row. Currently in yucata, street clothes in wash. Everybody minds their own business.
Out-of-Comfort-Zone Weekend, Part 2 : haircut, explained with gesticulations. Feared I'd get a Kim Jong-un bouffant.
Monday plan: Naoshima "art island" Inspired by a post at tofugu.com about staying in an "art site" with hotel rooms.
Inland Sea from my room at Benesse House Art Museum on Naoshima Island. Walked miles viewing art inside and outside.
Art hike, day 2, including extraordinary underground Chichu Museum: removing boundaries between art and architecture.
Hey C, D: a post card of a giant pumpkin for you from an art island called Naoshima. Can you draw an art island?
Tuesday night I'm in Tokushima. Tomorrow I'll walk the first few temples of the Shikoku 88 (temples) pilgrimage.
Wednesday: hiked to temples 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 of the Shikoku 88 pilgrimage temples. More pictures.
Took 3 progressively smaller trains to the end of the line in southeast Shikoku to see what was there. I then hiked.
Walked across Kazurabashi vine bridge in vertiginous Iya Valley in the interior of the island of Shikoku.
Explored places Matsuo Basho visited 1689 traveling his "Narrow Road to the Deep North." It's fun figuring this out.
Wrote about my second day of looking for traces of Matsuo Basho's 1689 journey.
Monday: Traveling to Sado, final "Island off Islands" I'll stay in a ryokan and... walk.
Monday and Tuesday nights in a creaky old traditional inn (ryokan) on Sado Island in the Sea of Japan.
Tuesday, Sado Island. 360 degree views, 20+ mile hike. Got to the snow line, but didn't wear my jacket.
Wednesday evening: After taking a hydrofoil and 2 bullet trains, now in Nagano for 2 nights, surrounded by mountains.
Thursday: Went for a hike and saw snow monkeys in the wild. They saw me, but seemed completely unperturbed.
Friday, 8:00 a.m. Bullet train, Nagano to Tokyo. I'll walk around Ueno Park, then continue to NRT (Tokyo-Narita).
Got up early to book flights from southern Japan when they opened up today. Round-trip: 70,000 frequent flyer miles.
It’s pouring rain all day today (Wednesday) here in Takamatsu, so I’m taking advantage of my Japan Rail Pass. Since the pass removes the financial disincentive to travel, I'm relocating to Oita, which has sunny skies this week and is close to a couple of OLLE hiking courses. The journey is 360 miles, much of it by bullet train.