Today was a free day. Proposal by the itinerary was to hike Yufuin Dake, with 1516 meters the highest mountain around Yufuin.

Of course I joined in for that – my destination was set:  Yufuin Dake. It turned out a not too difficult or strenuous hike. I made it up to both summits of the mountain.

This morning we left Nagasaki and went on to Yufuin, a travel destination, domestically known for its hot springs.

To get to Yufuin we used the Yufuin No Mori Express, a special tourist train.

No mention of Yufuin is complete without an attempt to an introduction to Onsen:
Onsens are traditional, public Baths in Japan. They are part of many ryokans and usually follow the same approach. When one gets in, one gets rid of all clothes, these are put into a basket. Equipped only with a small (modesty) towel one enters the actual bath room (shared), takes a small chair and starts washing oneself. Once one feels clean, one can move over to the actual bath (which ideally is fed by a hot spring), the water may be very hot. After some soaking (duration really depends on the water temperature) one moves out, maybe takes a quick shower and finally dries oneself and changes into a yukata … and enjoys this clean, relaxed feeling.