Our last town of our vacation. Beppu is really special. A small town famous for the ‘onsen’ (natural thermal baths) and hot-springs. Our hotel has 2 onses, anprivate one for only hotel guests and a public one. After arrival we have visited the monkey park. A natural area where about 1000 macaque monkeys are living. They will be feeded every half an hour by care-takers and you can come very close. They are running around you.
Immediatly after we got back arrival we have tried the 
private onsen. This one is in the open air. Men and women has seperate onsen. In the onsen you first have to wash yoursel
f and then you go into the hot bath. Totally undressed, like in a sauna. The hot bath and the natural minerals are very healthy for your body and skin. This onsen also had a view over the sea.
The next day we have visited the hotsprings. 7 different ones with all their own specific color and behaviour. We have eaten eggs cooked in one of te hot-springs and have sat with our legs in the healing water of the hot-springs. In one of the places they also have crocodiles. In a too small places they hold several crododiles. This was something we did not like at all. This is not the way yuo hold animals. D\After the hots-prings we wanted to visit the sand-bath place to got a real sand-bath. The sand-bath place is closed only one day per month, the fourth wednesday of every moth. And guess, that was today!!
So, back to our hotel and tried the public onsen. It was great. Amazing how something simple as sitting in a big hot bath with mineral rich water has susch an effect on your body and mind.
Those last days of our holiday we have eaten very very special. First at a sushi restaurant runned by a family. Mother, Father, daughter and son-in-law. Only the men are allowed to make the sushi, the women do the fried fish and the administration and serving the drinks. The place was full of locals whowanted to talk to us and we had a great evening. The sushi was delicious and with kind of fishes whe have never heard of.
The diner at the very last day was amazing. When we entered the place the boy who was sitting next to us the previous day works in that place! The fish we have eaten there was the fresher than fresh! In an aquarium the fish was catched, cleaned en prepared immediatly. So, the raw!!! fish on your plate was still alive 15 minutes ago. It was delicious!
Now we have to pack and one day travel to Narita airport (1300 km) and then back to Holland (11.5 hours)