Dry heaving is not the best way to start a day. I don't know how it happened, but I woke up incredibly sick. As the day went on, my body felt weak and I acquired a headache and the chills. Despite this, I was determined to follow through with me plans.
I took the train to Shimonoseki (bottom of Honshu), and made my first stop the Karado Ichiba fish market, not the best idea when you're nauseous. Brunch consisted of four delicious pieces of sushi from a kaitenzushi, but it was a struggle to keep it down. What did I try? Fugu (pufferfish) and whale! Shimonoseki is known around the country for its fugu (although I actually enjoyed it in Osaka more). The whale was rather delicious and interesting... I feel bad for having eaten it, but my tongue has no regrets.
The view from the fish market
Fugu
Whale
Running out of the fish market so as to keep my lunch down, I decided I wanted to get out of the city and go to my next location. Shimonoseki was a beautiful port town with distant mountains, but the scent of fish permeated throughout its entirety. A woman left her shop to walk me to the nearest bus stop after I asked her where it was. The Japanese are just so damn nice.
The train brought me to Kagoshima, which is located at the bottom of Kyushu (the southern most city of Japan's four main islands). I went right to Tenmonkan, the best place to get Kagoshima's famed black pork. It wasn't until after I ordered katsudon that I realized this dish was one of a few not made with black pork (it was an all Japanese menu and I didn't notice at first). I ate as much as I could and then walked to St. Francis Xavier Church and Memorial - Kagoshima was the first place where St. Francis landed in Japan.
The church was super creepy, and I had that horrifying "not alone feeling," but not the type one would hope to expect in a church. I pretty much sprinted out after taking a few photos, and asked the kind old church ladies how to get to Shiroyama Observatory to see Sakurajima. If the Japanese in general are super kind, old Japanese church ladies are a totally different story. They were probably the most naturally kind women ever, and gave me a free map, on which they showed me how to get there. Even more convenient, they stood with me at the bus stop, which was right outside the church, to make sure I got on the right one.
From Shiroyama, I looked in awe at Sakurajima - a famous, and very active, volcano. Apparently it erupts over 1000 times a year? Something crazy like that. Unfortunately it was a little foggy, but I could still see it enough to be in awe.
I boarded a bus back to the train station and basically got a tour of the entire city, as the bus made a loop to all the sights. At the station, I got some black pork, despite not being hungry. I couldn't leave Kagoshima without trying it. Every bite was a struggle.
I got on the train and went back to my hostel, basically kissing the floor boards upon my return. Ugh I still feel horrible.
Off to bed. Tomorrow I'm back to Tokyo!
Fun note: I saw one other foreigner the entire day and spoke almost entirely in Japanese today. Hurray for going off the typical tourist itinerary!
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