The saddest part about traveling is constantly having to say
goodbye. As content as you are you know you must move forward and continue the
journey. I had seen most of what Hiroshima had to offer and loved it, but it
was time for me to go to Fukuoka. It was goodbye to the people I met and the
monuments that brought me tranquility.
I arrived
in Fukuoka with intense sadness. My relationship had ended, I didn’t get a
chance to properly say goodbye to the friends I had met, and I missed the
comfort and simplicity of Hiroshima. After I arrived I was surprised to find
that my hostel in Fukuoka was brand new, I ran into a guy that I had met in
Osaka, and two girls from my dorm invited me to go to the bar with them. By the
way I was being welcomed I should’ve been having a splendid time. Instead of
joining them, I just wanted to sit in sadness and perceived “loneliness.”
Looking back the moment was laughable. But in the end I am glad that I gave myself
one day to be sad. By allowing myself this it helped me move forward and forget
about it the days after.
I would
like to think of myself as a skilled traveler. I can figure out a metro map in
minutes, I plan good site seeing days, and when lost I am not afraid to use my
resources. Fukuoka threw me for a loop. I was completely and frustratingly
lost. The city is an awkward size. It’s too big to make bikes useful but too
small for a decent metro (it has one but it’s small and doesn’t go many
places). The best way to get around is by bus.
I have
never liked or trusted city buses. Bus maps were hard for me to read, I never
know when to get off, and the drivers are always unwelcoming. It also stressed
me out that I might have been waiting at the correct stop but three different
numbered buses with different routes would stop there. As I spent more time
there I figured out how the bus system worked but was still helpless because
everything was written in Japanese Kanji (symbols). Even if I knew the name of
my stop I couldn’t read it on the map.
What helped
me get around was that in more popular tourist areas (Hakata Station, Tenjin
shopping area, etc.) the bus stops would be bigger and have the destination
written on them in English. This was still misleading because more than one bus
would stop at the bus stop and even though both went to Hakata Station, one
went directly there while the other would end there after hitting 20 other
stops first.
After my
day of lamentation I decided to change my mood around and have a busy day. I
asked the desk worker where I should go and she circled some places on my map.
I asked her about the buses and she gave me some very specific directions on
which bus to take for my first destination.
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| Fukuoka Dome |
I arrived
at Fukuoka Seaside Park and was thoroughly disappointed. I should have known
better, and been less naive. It was a city on the ocean so I expected some kind
of beach. What I found were lots of ports and harbors. There was some sand
between them but the “no swimming” sign took away from the fun. The cool thing
about the park was that Fukuoka tower was nearby. It is the tallest seaside
tower in Japan. Also nearby is the Fukuoka Dome. It is Japan’s first baseball
stadium with a retractable roof. The roof is an orange-red color. When the sun
shines on it, it looks like fire.
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| Canal City Shopping Area |
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| How NOT to use a Western Toilet |
Next I took
a bus to Tenjin, which is a shopping area. It is the biggest commercial
shopping district in western Japan. Then I went to Canal City, which is also a
shopping area. Lots of looking, observing, and people watching was done but I
didn’t end up buying anything. I ended the night by getting Ramen. This Ramen
was special because it was Hakata Ramen. Hakata is a big district in Fukuoka.
The reason the Ramen was special was because instead of having the Ramen in a
clear broth it comes in a pork broth. It was pretty good. I had a big egg and
some strips of pork in mine.
Since I’ve
been in Japan, when it hasn’t been rainy it has been cloudy. The humidity sits
on your skin. You can feel it weighing you down when you breathe. The weather
forecast surprised me by saying it would be a clear sunny day. I knew I had to
make the most of it. I put on my swimsuit and took a ferry to Shikanoshima
Island. There weren’t many people on the ferry and most of them were in business
suits. I was the only one beached out.
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| Ferry to Shikanoshima Island |
I arrived
at the island and walked to the beach nearby. It was roped off and closed. I
decided to start walking the island to find another beach. I looked ridiculous
in my flip-flops and flowing dress with my swimsuit straps showing. The Island
was very empty but eventually I ran into some construction workers. I asked
them were the beach was and they showed me a map. The beach was on the opposite
side of the island. I was supposed to take a bus to get there.
I walked
back to where I began and waited at the bus stop. I waited and waited but no
one came. After half an hour a bus stopped and I happily got on. I made myself
comfy in my seat and got ready for the ride. The bus went two stops and then
said it was the end of the line. I was confused. I was only two blocks away
from where I started.
I didn’t
know what to do so I started walking. The walk was gorgeous. The road I was on
was right by the sea. Eventually I got tired. I came upon a bus stop and
figured a bus must come eventually. I really wish I was able to read the bus
maps. I waited for over an hour. A taxi passed me twice. The first time he
passed I told him I didn’t need a ride. The second time he passed I gave in. He
laughed at me a bit, I couldn’t blame him.
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| Finally at the beach |
Finally I
was at the beach! Not many people were there. I think it is off-season; also
school has recently started here. Either way, I was ecstatic. I ran through the
waves, relaxed and read a book, and had a really great day. People at a resort
nearby helped me get on the right bus back to the ferry when my day was done.
Once
arriving at the Fukuoka ferry harbor I was unsure of which bus to get on to get
me back to Hakata station (my hostel was nearby the station). It seemed like
there was only one bus so I got on. It drove and drove for the longest time. I
was starting to get nervous but we picked up people at a bus stop that said
“Hakata Station.” I thought I would be fine. Then I realized that we were
leaving Hakata.
Miles away
from where I was supposed to be, in the dark of night, I got off my bus. I knew
it wasn’t going the right way. I was terribly lost. I started walking back and
stopped at a convenience store to ask for directions. I was no longer in
Hakata, I was in Hanahata. I asked the girl at the counter for directions. She
grabbed her colleague and they both tried to figure out how to get me back.
They were both younger than me. I stood there for twenty minutes while they
talked back and forth. I was pretty sure they had no idea what to do with me. I
tried to tell them that it was ok and that I was thankful that they tried. The
girl ran into the backroom so I grabbed my map and headed out into the night.
I was about
a block away when I heard someone behind me. The girl from the convenience
store had changed into her street clothes and was running after me. She
beckoned me to follow her. We walked in what I thought was the wrong direction.
It made me nervous. I didn’t know if she was bringing me home or what she was
doing with me. She made a phone call to someone and kept saying “Hakata
Station.”
She brought
me to a bus stop and waited with me. The first two buses that passed she loudly
proclaimed, “No!” and put her hand in front of me. During this time we tried to
talk. She was 17 years old and her name was Dikikko. Eventually my bus came.
She told the bus driver a few things and then had me get on. I was so thankful
for her kindness. After a super long bus ride I was back in my hostel, safe and
sound.
Time to leave Fukuoka and their city buses. Next stop Tokyo.
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