We had a couple of days between NZ V Canada and Australia v Uruguay, so we decided to head into the middle of Kyushu and go and see Mount Aso, a live volcano in the flesh so to speak. The problem with real life is that it doesn’t always play ball and so after we’d finally found our camp site (more of a car park with a loo attached really, but with a good cake shop and ramen restaurant very nearby) for the evening I decided to check opening hours etc only to discover, that due to increased volcanic activity, we were not allowed within a kilometre of the wretched thing. After the scaffold covered tori in Miyajima I am beginning to feel a little persecuted.

Poor Robert, he had driven through the mountains in vile weather only to discover the main event was again closed. We consoled ourselves with beer and ramen and decided to head on to Kurokawa Onsen the next morning via a lookout point we had allegedly past on the journey down, but couldn’t see because of the low level cloud and rain.

Here’s hoping the weather improves and the Ryokan we are staying in tomorrow is worth the trip.