Beppu

Beppu is to Japan as Coffee Bay is to South Africa.

Beppu is a place I will be returning. In fact, Helen and I made a pact that by the time she gets her PHD we will return back to Beppu.

Although Helen has most of the bright travel ideas, I saw one little blurb about these hidden springs in Beppu and I was hooked. Luckily, Helen shares my love for hot springs. In fact- when we were in San Miguel last spring break with the family we babysit for we decided we would travel Asia together. (We were at the esconditos, or the hidden springs, right outside of San Miguel.)

Beppu is in the South of Japan. It had a lot of volcanic activity thousands of years ago which created a bubble of heated springs in the earth's crust. There are 88 different mostly fresh water onsens (or heated baths) in Beppu. Other than the onsens, It is a charming, park-filled, mountainous town.

We stayed in this really nice, clean, quiet hostel which had an onsen and free bikes we could use. Typically our days consisted of yoga, our daily visit to the bakery, biking around to all the onsens, and lots of eating!

Basically it is paradise!!!!!!!!

Everyone in Japan if so gentle & friendly. Generally they do not speak English but they are more than willing to try to help you out. In this instance (just like many others in the past) a lady we stopped when we were trying to find the hidden springs stopped everything she was doing, marched us back to her house, where she got her brother to personally drive us to the springs.

Doesn't it look like I am superimposed on this picture?

On another one of our onsen adventures we went to a mudbath!

We stayed in for like 15 minutes. When we came out of our mummy like sand covering we were completely drenched in sweat. Then we showered off and relaxed in the indoor onsen.

On our journey to another onsen we stopped had a yoga session, and a peanut butter picnic. (It is safe to say that I will be avoiding peanut butter for a long period of time when I do come back home!)

We decided to play around with our custom timers....