Leaving Nagasaki behind but not before another great breakfast.
A strange combination but it worked for me! Mochi, Creme Brulee, Croissants, Ooolang iced tea, what’s not to love! Very much filled our boots before the stage of our trip.
Last night as I waled back from shopping, there was a political rally, quite a large one. There are elections coming up on Sunday. There also posters everywhere. Max said that the orange coloured ones, are the far right, who drive round with tannoys, berating foreigners, and spreading misinformation about the Chinese eating all the cicadas (?). Having the logo of Japanese First and pushng conspiracies – I wonder where we have heard all this before!
We travelled back to Hakata station, on the bullet train. A lot wiser this time, and knowing that we had to change part way through the journey, even though it doesn’t seem to say it anywhere.
I needed the loo this time, normally I hate going to the loo on the train. cramped, dirty and smelly! However, as with everything here, it was immaculate.
I love the fact that not only did they have braile signage, but also a very good tactile map. The seats on the bullet trains are very spacious, with lots of leg room, and drop down tables that are not ridiculously small. I mean fancy going into a train loo in Britain and they have done that posh thing with toilet paper.
inside the trains are so quiet, not full of people shouting into their mobile phones.
In fact, Japan altogether seems a very quiet place, apparantly Japanese culture often prioritizes politeness, harmony, avoiding conflict, which can manifest as a tendency to speak quietly and avoid loud outbursts like shouting.
I know that this cannot be universally true all the time, it does seem to be the rule. There is something really lovely about it.
On the train I started looking at what our plans would be over the next few days and realised that I had made a glaring mistake, I had not booked for three nights in Fukuoka, I think it was because of the problems we had had with the ferry. The hotel we would be staying at had not increased in price and once we had got into the it, e hd decided that it wasn’t really worth the price they were currently asking. Luckily, managed to get a small appartment, 5 minutes walk from the ferry. for £40.00, so it worked out much better.
The next problem we encountered was that they didn’t check in until 5, so we had alot of time on our hands, even thought we had dropped our luggage off there.
We wondered round a super posh food hall and various shops, the time dragging!
We have found Japan much cheaper this time round, but as ever, the fruit prices remain very high. The peaches were nearly £10.00 for two!
Finally allowed into the hotel we had a power nap and then went for some Hakata Ramen. Hakata Ramen is generally made wth pork bone broth, and is milky and creamy. We really wanted raman but we wanted to make sure they were meat free.
We found a vegan restaurant, something quite unheard of in Japan, callled Bugoro All Vegan.
On the way passed lots of shrines etc.
The restaurant was on the second flloor of an apartment block, the size of a largish front room.
We had matcha soy latte, vegetable dumplings and the creamy ramen.
It was all absolutely delicious!
We had thought of going back to the hotel but the lovely food had made us a bit more energetic.
We headed to bar that was near the river bank, having passed lots of young women with very few clothes on, inticing the ‘salary man’ into their clubs. Thankfully, every time Pete and I passed them, they would find something more interesting to look at in the middle distance.
We found the bar we were looking for, another vinyl bar, this was called Bomes Indie, and was reached by walking up a narrow wooden staircase. Reggae music was pumping out, a small, friendly venue.
We talked
Random Acts of Travelling 