On the Isle of Kyushu

We arrived in Fukuoka prefecture on Sunday on the Island of Kyushu. Our first stop was a night in Munakata-shi, a little seaside town facing the Sea of Japan. We stayed at a Japanese seaside inn. It was kind of damp and windy there but it was a real treat to take a walk on the beach after that first week in Tokyo. I am a seasoned New Yorker but I have never seen crowds like the crowds in Tokyo. Unbelievable! We stayed at the 'Sky Hotel' and it is hotel with a very good fresh seafood restaurant and a traditional hot spring bath. The bath is great; there is one for men and one for women. I am not showing a picture of that for obvious reasons, but it was such a treat to unwind in the bath. A local woman started speaking with me in English. She was so excited to have a chance to practice her English and she asked if she could be my pen-pal! I said of course, so we will email each other. She will practice her English and I can practice my Japanese.