A few days in the shadow of a volcano

Kagoshima was my next stop in Japan, and although the main reason for coming here was to continue to Yakushima, an island I'd been dreaming of visiting, I ended up spending three really lovely days exploring the area.

One of the things that makes Kagoshima so special is Sakurajima, an active volcano rising right across the bay from the city. Seeing it from the viewpoints around town, sometimes with smoke coming from its crater, was such an incredible sight. I couldn't stop admiring how photogenic it was!

On my second day, I took the ferry across to Sakurajima, rented a bicycle, and went for a ride around the volcano. It was such a fun experience, cycling through the landscapes with this enormous active volcano right beside me. Definitely one of the highlights of my time there!

And here's a funny little detail: not long after I'd left the area, I saw in the news that Sakurajima had had a much bigger eruption during the night! It was quite something to think I'd been cycling around it just days earlier. Luckily, it didn't affect my onward travel plans, and everything went smoothly when it was time to fly out of Yakushima.

What was originally just a stop on the way to an island I'd dreamed of seeing turned into a memorable little adventure of its own. And the best part was that Yakushima was still waiting for me!