Relax at the open-air bath

We traveled through the Kyushu district from the east ( Oita city) to the west ( Kumamoto city) by a car.
The Kyushu district is in the west of Nara　and it  takes  about one hour  by a plane.
There are many volcanoes in this region. When we were driving, I saw many smokes rose up from  surface of  many mountains.  I've never seen such smokes  in Nara prefecture.  There are a lot of wonderful  hot springs there. I think  hot water  will gush if you dig anywhere in this area.

This  greenhouse uses the heat of  a hot spring

Water lily

Smoking from Kujyu-mountain chain

At Kurokawa hot spring

Icy flower in Kujyu-mountain chain

We drove up a narrow continuous curving  mountain path and visited "Kurokawa hot spring". It was along headwaters among  the mountains and its open-air baths are made beside a mountain stream . It's so quiet.  When I closed my eyes I  listen to only the murmur of a stream and birds' chirp at the open-air bath.  It gave me  perfect relaxing.
The quantity of this hot water is sufficient so hot water is left overflowing from the bathtub.
This hot spring is sulfur spring though the smell is not strong  and it has many 湯の花（the element in the hot spring that doesn't melt into  the hot water) like a white fluff. I felt I got smooth skin from this hot spring.
Though it was pretty cold on that day, our bodies were warmed enough after bathing and they didn't cold easily.

A open-air bath of a guest room

As a clothes-changing basket

A brook run between guest rooms

I heard TV program are on location at the Japanese-style hotel we stayed.  It's the TV program( 朝だ！生です旅サラダ） that a middle-aged actor introduces the hotel or Mt.Aso and  this will be broad casted on March 24. Waitresses were excited for the location.
At the hot spring, I usually enjoy the open-air bath at least three time for overnight, just after arriving the hotel, just before going to bed and just after getting up next morning.
As usual just after getting up next morning, when I was gladly heading to the open-air bath without washing my face, throwing 丹前（ a padded large-size kimono） on 浴衣（a informal cotton kimono for sleeping) I came across that actor. He wore a neat clothes with a small travel bag and seemed to leave the hotel. There were no staffs. He said "Good morning" politely to us. I thought courtesy need to keep popularity for actor,too.



a bus stop



We stayed  "Yufuin-hot spring",too. This hot spring  was very transparent and made my skin smooth.
after taking the bath.　We could enjoy  the open-air bath,watching Yufudake-mountain that snow sheeted on its top. Yufudake-mountain is ht.1583meters and a land mark of Yufuin-hot spring.

The open-air bath at Yufuin hot spring. Mt.Yufudake has a little snow on its top

Camellia at the garden of Kumamoto-Castle

                      This post is linked Our World Tuesday