Oldies but Goodies

Plain, strawberry, and blueberry flavored Kit Kats. I found this bag in a Combini store waaaay out in the middle of nowhere. It's been a long time since I last saw blueberry!

Kotohira Sky Park in Omura. Number 9 number 9 number 9

Kotohira Sky Park in Omura is a really nice park 320 meters above sea level affording you a panoramic view of Omura and the Nagasaki airport. The number 9 reference above is for the rollerslide. That rollerslide is the top of a 99.9 meter long slide. It's one of the better slides we've tried out. There is also a 9 hole mini golf course at the park and 999 steps to get up to the park... don't worry, you can drive up there too.

A rope pull tire slide down below the rollerslide.

This is more of the park below the rollerslide. There is enough stuff to keep kids occupied for an hour or so.

See?

You can rent sleds for 200 yen to slide down the grass slide. It was really hot the day we were there. We had the whole park to ourselves.

This is what it must look like on a cool day.

The view from the "Sky" park.

This park is a welcome change from Nodake Recreation area just a few minutes to the north.

Ryotosen

There is a fun little hike down in Higashisonogi in the Nagasaki Prefecture where you are rewarded with four or five waterfalls along the way.

One of the neat things about these waterfalls is how deep the pools are below them. I believe the one above was 15 meters.

The waterfall above is the main attraction and that pool beneath is 23 meters. 23 very cold meters! No swimming is allowed and the reason given is the water temperature.

The trail is beautiful and a very easy hike. It takes maybe half an hour from the parking lot to the last waterfall.

View from the parking lot.

To get to the trail head, just head south through Kawatana town and on to Higashisonogi. Look for the signs to Ryotosen. It's a 3.5 kilometer drive up a narrow mountain road to he destination. Take a small car!

A nice walk in Omura.

I never saw a sign at this park that told me the name, but it's right off the Omura Expressway exit in the Nagasaki Prefecture.

Bird watching. As if on cue, a white crane is right there on the water's edge... and on the sign.

Hydrangeas in bloom on the walking path. I asked a woman walking how big the loop path was. She said it was about one kilometer.

Is this a Native American themed playground?

A sure sign of summer... just behind those swings was a sign warning of snakes! I've seen two already, just not at this park.

Takenokoba Park in Omura

Takenokoba park is a really nice, if overgrown, park in Omura.

There were trails here, they were working on the trails, but they were still quite overgrown.

Omura Iris Festival

Though I visited this festival the last week in May, the Iris viewing should continue through this next week. This particular festival is in Omura Park in Kyushu.

This garden is 9,500 square meters and has 171 varieties of Irises.

According to a sign posted, the Iris garden was developed in 1598 at the ancient sites of Nagahori and Minamibori.

Bitter Almond Kit Kats

I like these new Bitter Almond Kit Kats! It is 44% cocoa content and there are little bits of almond in the chocolate coating.