Day 4--A Point to Start

On Way to Kumamoto
The close relationship between D67 and D76 began from Kumamoto in 1999. Ten delegates from Taiwan attended the Spring Conference of Japan Council in Kumamoto in 1999. Toastmaster Chen from Success Toastmasters Club won the second runner up of speech contest in Japanese, to our surprise.

Trans-Kyushu Limited Express
After a sound sleep at Beppu Hot Spring Hotel, we took Trans-Kyushu Limited Express to the famous Mount Aso. The red Trans-Kyushu Limited Express is one of the most comfortable coaches in Japan, its all-wooden interior, friendly stewardess and conductor, even the coffee cups were specially designed for the voyage from the east to the west.

Mount Aso
After depositing our luggage at the coin-lockers near the JR Aso Station, we hopped on the bus at 10:40 for Mount Aso. I was so excited that I was about to see Mount Aso in Kyushu. I like Volcanoes, and I'm a volunteer interpreter of Yangmingshan National Park. Yangmingshan is also famous for volcano. When I saw the big crater of Mount Aso, I was stunned by its size, the biggest I've ever seen in my life.

After lunch at the rope way station, James started his solo journey to the Aso Volcano Museum, while four of us remained to take photos of the wild mountain azalea. As we still had plenty of time before the next bus departure at 3:45PM, we decided to follow James' steps to walk to the Museum. On the one kilometer trail from the rope way station to Museum, we passed Aso Ski Station. In the rain, we walked for one hour. Gina and Emily were freezed to death, they lost their confidence in me to guide them to the Museum. As a veteran interpreter of Yangmingshan National Park, I believe firmly that Aso National Park also offers many hiking trails for nature lovers to see the mother earth.

When the Aso Volcano Museum was at sight, I was happy to regain the confidence from my team members. We had a refreshing afternoon coffee at the Museum Cafe' before we headed back for Aso JR Station at 4:18PM. We got on Trans-Kyushu Limited Express 5 departure at JR Aso Station at 4:41PM and arrived at Kumamoto at 5:49PM.

Remarks:For those who wish to hike on all the trails of Mount Aso, it is convenient to stay at the Aso Youth Hostel. It would probably take at least a week to cover all the major trails of Mount Aso. I highly recommend a week stay at Mount Aso if you have the time. I would do it if I had the chance to return to Kumamoto.

Happy Hours with Toastmasters in Kumamoto
Six toastmasters from Kumamoto and us got togher at Hotel New Otani near JR Kumamoto Station from eight to ten. They are Incoming Division E Governor Toshiaki Kishikawa, Incumbent Area Governor Mayumi Shimamura, Incoming President of Kumamoto Toastmasters Club Ayumi Miyagawa, and three toastmasters members, Kunihiko Kurita, Chiya Minoda, and Azusa Noritomi.

Happy time always flies in a flash. The eleven of us were excited to come to a conclusion at the end of the evening gathering, to have a joint anniversary party between Kumamoto Toastmasters Club's 20th anniversary and Success Toastmasters Club's 10th anniversary in Taoyuan. It is my belief that it will be the biggest event ever between D76 and D67. Let's make it enjoyable and merorable together. Hopefully more than 20 toastmasters from D76 can come join our happy joint anniversary in October, 2008. Have a look at photos of Day 4 in Mount Aso and Mumamoto.