Mt. Unzen School Field Trip

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I apologize for the delay in updating my blog recently. I am currently settled in the dorm, but the internet does not work so well and it has been a little challenging to do things that involve the internet. Today I want to talk a little about the school field trip I went on to Mt. Unzen and the hot springs. The first weekend upon arrival in Nagasaki we had an overnight school field trip that was unbelievably amazing. :) On our drive to Mt. Unzen we stopped first at Chijiwa rest stop that had quite an amazing view. I also tried something called Jyagachan which is basically a fried potato and they put it in this cute container on top of a cup of iced green tea.

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From there we went to lunch and right next to where we ate there were some houses that had been partially buried and preserved from when the volcano errupted.

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When then went to the Mt. Unzen Disaster Memorial and learned about the history of  Mt. Unzen volcano erruptions.

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The next stop was Shimabara Castle and the Buke-yashiki Samurai Homes. The whole area was beautiful and I loved walking through the neighborhood where the Samurai homes were located.

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The hotel that we stayed at was Unzen Kyushu Hotel. I wasn’t able to go into the hotsprings sadly because of my tattoos, but I did do a lot of exploring around the hotel checking out all of the geysers and the shrine.

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I purchased a boiled egg from that was boiled in the hot springs and it was so good!

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Then dinner and breakfast in the hotel was also amazing!

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The last day we hiked up Mt. Myoken. It was the steepest hike I have ever done. You can tell how high I am from the pictures. You just know you are up high when you see clouds behind you at your same level.

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And of course I always have to share my meals >.< Here was lunch on the last day on the way home:

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Emily Doyle

<i>*PDXAbroad Scholarship</i> ใ“ใ‚“ใซใกใฏ! (Konnichiwa!) Hello! My name is Emily Doyle and I am from Portland, Oregon located in the beautiful northwest. I am currently attending Portland State University majoring in Japanese Language, and working on my TESL Certificate to teach English as a second language. I am 34 years old and a returning college student. This recent switch from full time job status to full time student status has been a very challenging life change for me. However, it has been equally rewarding with my own personal development and meeting so many new wonderful people. In my free time I love to be outdoors and take advantage of my surroundings. I am a foodie and love to experiment with recipes and try all kinds of new food. I also have a passion for exercising and I lead online motivational groups to encourage others to eat healthy and exercise. My passion for exercising stems from my love of Martial Arts that was passed on by my father to me at an early age. My father studied and taught Martial Arts for many years, and he is one of my major influences fueling my desire to study other cultures. This September I will be studying abroad at Nagasaki University of Foreign Studies in Nagasaki, Japan for about 6 months. Studying in Nagasaki will allow me to immerse myself in Japanese culture, and improve my speaking abilities immensely which I could never replicate in my studies in Portland. This experience will be a once in a life time chance to learn about Nagasakiโ€™s rich and tragic history in person. I am extremely excited to learn in a new country and meet new people as well as sharing my journey along the way.