Friday, October 07, 2005

Aso Yufu Kogen Bus - Kuju Garden

The following day we packed up and headed out early, west towards Aso (Kumamoto Prefecture). Mount Aso (more popularly known as Aso-san) is the largest active volcano in Japan and among the largest in the world.
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Instead of traveling by JR local trains, we took the Aso Yufu Kogen Bus Tour (2000 yen per person) to Aso, that we booked through a travel agency in the JR Beppu Station. The tour guide was exceptionally informative (talkative) and as we journeyed through the beautiful mountains, she explained the history of the area.
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The journey time was longer than the train considering an hour stop at the Kuju Garden (Kuju Hana Koen, bottom pictures).
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Admission fee of 500 yen in order to enter the Kuju Hana Koen. Purple, red and white flower-filled fields.
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Closer shot of the beautiful purple flower.
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Stretch of chili plants.
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Enjoying the rose garden - these brilliant orange roses are a symbolic of fascination.
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Inside the greenhouse.
butterfly
Pink flower and the butterfly feeding on flower nectar.
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The sunflower.
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The wilting sunflower.

Journey to Aso-san, to be continued ...

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pretty flowers they are.. I like! :)

Melissa said...

Patrick, your photos just keep getting better and better! Nice shot thru the windsheild...and the flowers are beautiful!

Sidney said...

I visited Mount Aso more than 30 years ago... I didn't saw much. The whole place was in a big fog/cloud and misty. I had not a lot of time at my disposal and I decided to move on...
leaving Mount Aso for another visit. I never got the chance to go back. Hope to discover Aso now in your pictures!

Anonymous said...

Patrick was scolded in the bus by the tour guide...hahahaha

pinkylicious said...

A place like this gives us peace :).

Patrick Leong said...

sidney : we were quite lucky. the weather condition was good during our ascend to the mountain by cable car. we were able to view the huge volcanic crater. aso-san's pictures ... yea, coming soon :P

anonymous : because of you i kena marah !

elisa, amber, melissa, emotionalistic : yea. nice place and nice flowers. but at the end of summer, flowers began wilting and only some nice late bloomers. true, flowers bring beauty and serenity as well (flowers bring smiles. smiles bring happiness. and happiness brings peace to all) :P

zbjernak said...

wow..
the purple flowers are superb..
great

and the windscreen picture with the words imprintted on it

tht was even better

wow

Patrick Leong said...

thank you for nice comments. i think so too that it is very difficult to photograph butterflies as they seem very cautious. this time it was good luck.

Odge said...

great as usual I love miso soup