May 18, 2023
Nagasaki lies in a valley surrounded by tall hills. Unless you plan to swim, every way out is up. It was a day with nine climbs some over 300 meters. The day started out cloudy but not tool cold but with the rains and elevations that changed. Soaked from the inside out with sweat and from the outside in with condensation, it did not take long for a chill to set in on the downhill portions. By the time I hit the lunch stop I was shivering and needed to add some layers knowing that they too would become wet before too long. Better wet and warm than wet an cold.
Our route took us through some lovely mountains with bamboo and cedar forests. It also skirted Mount Unzen and active and dangerous volcano. In 1991 a pyroclastic flow from a large eruption killed 43 people. Back in 1792 a collapsed portion of the caldera created a megatsunami that killed 14, 500. Even today with sensors monitoring its activity and issuing warning people who live in its shadow know to be ready to leave in an instant.
Tomorrow’s route will take around and partially up Mount Aso another of Japan’s many active volcanoes but one with a less deadly recent history. It last erupted in 2021 but with less force. It is considered safe enough to be a tourist attraction.