Kyusyu Bike touring

Well Im back from the touring and it was an interesting and eventful few days.
I went to the southern island of Kyusyu by overnight ferry.
We visited the amanoiwa and got to see some of the traditional Shinto dancing,
called Kagura, I will be able to use the photos and video footage I took for
reference in my study.　Kyusyu has a much smaller population and some real natural areas,
so we got to see plenty of deer and other wild animal.
We also drove around the rim of a massive extinct volcano and got up at sunrise
to see the "sea of fog" that enshrouds the mountains, and you so often see
on ink painted hanging scrolls. We also saw Sulphur vents, and in the
Hostel we stayed there was a rooftop hot spa with the sulphur water
that is great for the skin apparently.
On the way back we were soaked in torrential rain which forced us to take shelter in a service
station, which then got hit by lightning. But other than startling people, it had no effect.
so we continued to drink coffee. I wish it could have a least destroyed the muzak system in
the place but no such luck. However we returned safely to kobe, and I am sifting through
the many photos I　took.
I also made my own saddle bags for the bike, by buying two cheap cloth suitcases and making
connecting straps and sewing it all together, for less than half the price of
the real thing, and you could hardly tell the difference, and best of all it stayed nicely attached
on the highway.Sewing-tastic!

Take care
David