Beppu

eppu and its sister town of Yufuin are located on the southernmost of the four main islands of Japan. The day started out rainy and continued that way throughout our excursion. This area is famous for it's hot springs and throughout the city and the countryside you can see steam vents. Geothermal generates almost all of the energy in this part of Japan.  The steam accentuates the fog that is common here and can result in very poor visibility. 

Our excursion consisted of traveling out to the countryside and indulging in one of the many hot springs.  These are very traditional Japanese baths. There are specific procedures that must be followed, that the locals are probably quite familiar with, but were new to most of us. The water in the hot springs is incredibly clear and probably around 101°; a little cooler than our own hot tub.

After the leisurely soak, we drove to the Lake Kinrin area and Yuno-tsubo Street. The park around the lake is very lush and green, making for an idyllic setting. Contrast that with Yuno-tsubo Street and you can appreciate the dichotomy that is evident in Japan. The street has all kinds of food stores that have some offerings that are pretty exotic to our western taste; jewelry, clothing, and just general touristy kinds of offerings.