Back from trip to Fukuoka and Genkai Royal Hotel

Well it was a short, but long trip to Fukuoka and a little hotspring at the hotel we stayed at.

Before we get to that though, the night before we left, we found another mukade or centipede, in the my mother-in-laws room. This was a nice sized guy about 4" or 15cm long. She was laying out her futon and this guy ran out from a corner. Well she trapped it under a book and called for help. She was bite or sping by one a few months back and did not want that experience again. Anyways I got the family thongs from the kitchen used for this task, and she moved the book while I grabbed him. There are a few pics of him after I cut him in half with the thongs. I think I will have to buy some for our place when we move...

We used the loaner car that the Nissan dealership loaned us while they get our used car ready. It is a new Nissan Note. The thing does not have much power, but gets good milage and has that nice new car smell. Pics of this will be online as well.

The hotel was nice, but the onsen (hot spring) was why I wanted to stay there. We have been here more than a month now, yet have not been to any baths yet. Well this is our first opportunity. (*8
Shiho went first with Miyabi, while I took Joe and Hanano for a beer and dessert run. 3x500ml of Asahi beer plus a little plum wine with onsen=relaxation. The trip there was uneventful, but on the way back to the hotel on vacant country roads I reverted back to driving in the US mode. Scary once I relaxed with side of the road I was suppose to be on.
Once back at the hotel with my kids, started my first beer and started getting ready to go with Joe to the hot spring. Taking him this first time was pretty uneventful, except he really liked the cool bath... so damn cold I could not get in, and the old lady came in while I was getting Joe and myself washed down before getting in. I think she worked there, but I don't think I have the capacity to have asked her in Japanese... especially while we were there naked with all the other guys and she was fully dressed.
Anyways Shiho and I could only get through 2 beers that night, and I ended up going back to the onsen by myself after everyone went to bed till a little past mid-night. Glad I went back since the water got a little hotter later in the evening.

On the way home we went to Costco in Fukuoka. I felt like I was back home again. They even have the food court with hot dogs and soda. (*8

It was great to hit my first onsen of the trip.

Well it is hot and humid tonight back at home. The upstairs is all open and the lite breeze coming through the house from the river feels great.

Here is a link for the pics... http://picasaweb.google.com/stephenkenyon/JapanLiving2