Last week two friends from the States arrived for a two week holiday with us in Japan. Deb we both were friends with at Calvin College and Jon is the guy she married about 6 months ago. We have been having a great time catching up and seeing something of Japan.

As usual we have been here and there trying to show our guests what this country is all about. The pictures to the right give you an idea of what we have been up to. Over the weekend of the 16th and 17th we left Hondo and ventured to the middle of Kyushu. First we stopped at Mt. Aso. Mt. Aso is a presently active volcano that is one of the more famous sight seeing places in Kumamoto.

The next day we headed even more inland to the untamed mountains of Central Kyushu. Our friends told us there was a great mountain to hike that would take 6 hourse. Well it might be a great mountain but it is difficult to tell as we were engulfed in fog for the entire day. Also the route time was a little underestimated. It took 9 hours. Needless to say we were completely worn out and were very happy to be in the car with the engine propelling us forward rather than our own two feet.

The next day we did some sight seeing in Kumamoto City. As usual we took our unsuspecting guests to the only two famous places worth going to; the Kumamoto Castle and Suizenji Park. The day was a beautiful sunny day, a real blessing in the middle of the rainy season, and the views in the park were spectacular. Also we went to the downtown shopping arcade. The arcade is the place to be seen in the prefecture of Kumamoto. The avenues are packed with everyone dressed to the hilt. A great place to see what is on cutting edge of Japanese fashion and culture.

With the weekend over we spent the next few days around Hondo. Sarah and I worked and Deb and Jon ventured out to see the surrounding area. On Monday they had quite an adventure driving around our island with the two of them. Recently there was a landslide on the road we had suggested and the detour suggested by the construction worker wasn't really understood by Deb and Jon. Eventually they made it back though and could have the satisfaction of communicating with the locals.

On Wednesday they headed to Nagasaki City. They saw all the major sights including the Atomic Bomb Museum, the Peace Park, a row of old temples, a Confuscian shrine which is still Chinese property, and Chinatown. They were so busy they didn't have any time for lunch.

For the rest of the week Deb and Jon taught classes with Sarah, ate as much sushi as they could (right Deb??) and got to experience a little of the rainy season. Also we had the chance to eat at some our friends houses. I think Deb and Jon even got somewhat used to sitting on the floor. And of course we had a session at the local karaoke spot. The best part was all the time we had to talk and hang out. It was great to catch up to a friend (Deb) who we hadn't seen for three years and to make a new one (Jon).

We are planning to travel with Deb and Jon around SE Asia next year and this trip really made us excited to travel and experience new things together.