The journey here was . . . ABOMINABLE.  I wasn't sure the train ride, was going to end during the reign of the current monarch.  Then, we got on this bus, with a driver who . . . let's say, I don't think he was happy with his station; that, or he was titanically bored.  He drove out of the lower city, around hairpin turns, with such vigor—that people's luggage was flying.  I'm completely serious.  I thought it was awesome.

       :) ;)

      Then, we go off at the wrong stop, and were stuck there for hours.  The stop was named–and I kid you not–Sakashita.  It was a Sakashita all right.  Once there, we had no real way to escape.  Things were SO bad, we attempted to walk to the next station.  Along the way, we were traveling up 22% grade.  Now take a moment to just imagine THAT.  Within roughly 100 yards of a sign makring the station, Laura chickened out, and had us turn around.  To add insult to injury, a watch that Laura had had for years, spontaneously quite working.  Seriously. –It has never come back.  So, there we were–stranded–getting dark, with no guarantee, that we had correctly interpreted the bus schedule—and that one was even coming along.  I thanked the driver profusely, when he arrived.

       :) ;)

Nor were our woes over yet.  Once there, Nobody could speak English, and we thought the way to our "hotel," was closed.  The guy at the gate to the trolley, made no secret, he wanted nothing to do with Gaijin, either.  Eventually, we got on the trolley, and to our stop.  At this point, it wasn't even clear—whether we would even be able to check in, to our reserved lodgings.

      Still, at the station, I took the time to take a picture of a beautiful full moon.  My battery died completely after the exposure; I didn't know 'til (much) later, that the picture even came out.

      The following day, we took something cell "the Skyline."  There were health warnings, about fumes from a volcano vent.  I thought: No—then can't be serious.  (!) Well, sure enough:

      The car stopped here, and we were able to leave the station, and take pictures.

      So–you have a giant, volcanic vent–WHAT does Japan do with it?  Mine it—and build a trolley line over it, of course!

       :p :P

      This place was AWESOME!  It was like a giant, super-Centralia!

       :) ;)

      An "ad," for the giant pampas grass field, the MacGuffin of today's journeying. . . .

      Finally, we got there, 'n stuff.  And what do we find? –A warning, or two, for . . . wild boar.  Grea-t. Wild boar are b*****-all dangerous.  (! (!))

      There were some beautiful Japanese chicks, there.  They were tying plastic bags on their, feet—to get through the deep puddles, at the start [of the path].  When they left, they made a point of all saying, "Bye."  I told them "Sayonara."  I was very sorry to see them go.  They were HOT!!

       :) ;)

      A final shot of the field. Had we not had our travel woes, the day before—we could've taken some shots of this, in wind-tossed golden twilight.

      Sighhhh. . . .

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