Oui bus left me behind in Calais! Unforgettable! I had many travel war stories before, but this was a first ‘left behind’. This wasn’t entirely Ouibus’ fault though. There were many factors that created this mini-episode.

This beautiful day trip kicked off from the scenic train ride. Check this view from the train… (20min ride from Hakodate) Onuma Quasi national Park, Nanae – 大沼公園, 七飯町 I loved this park. It was HUGE and plenty of paths to get lost in the woods. The lake was the central feature, even a wanderer like me couldn’t get completely lost.

Walking around in Kumamoto City without any map… (lost) I had a bit of a ‘tottoro’ discovery moment. Wandering around aimlessly had much merit. In the middle of a concrete jungle, I came across this ‘tunnel’… 

The enigmatic Kumamoto Castle. Some walls were damaged by the earthquake, the castle itself was largely okay.

How to start this one? I was craving for some ramen… WHAT on EARTH were they doing?!?!?!?! First of all, the original Hakata concept was simplicity and rustic feeling. So WHY on earth did they glam up and botox the London branch? That’s right, I felt that they’ve BOTOX the place.

One of Kumamoto’s famous dish is Sakura meat. This dish is particularly close to home for Aso. This will fall under Kyoudo Ryouri 郷土料理; regional / local dish . Some may find this hard to stomach, but this is actually