Life, Travel, GRACE

As 2026 begins, everyone is looking forward to a bright and promising year ahead. For me, I hope it will be filled with meaningful travel experiences. Over the past two years, I have visited China three times: Yunnan (again), Changsha, and Beijing. This time, I’d like to share my journey to Changsha and the national parks of Hunan.  We arrived in Changsha in early April, when the weather was just beginning to warm up. Some of the must-visit spots included Yuelu Academy and the Young Mao Zedong statue on Orange Isle. At first impression, Changsha felt like just another ordinary Chinese city, seemingly with little to offer. But perhaps that judgment was premature - sometimes, it is only by slowing down and exploring more deeply that a place begins to reveal its true character. Pavilion in Yuelu Academy compound.  Yuelu Academy, with lots of tourists. Young Mao Zetong statue. Lots of tourists were taking selfies or wefies with the statue.

Some photos to share from Expo 2025 Osaka (the country pavilions that I managed to visit). There were lots of people, and some pavilions required queuing for hours. The weather was unforgiving too—one day was hot and another day was rainy (I bought a two-day pass for the visit). I only manages to visit eleven country pavilions. Overall, it was fun but tiring.  Photos taken with iPhone 14.

Based on the model itinerary on the Kumano Kodo official website, my trip was supposed to last until Day 4, with a visit to Nachi Falls and its surrounding area on that final day. However, due to some schedule changes with my friend, I needed to return to Osaka by 6 pm on the last day. So, after much thought, I decided to squeeze the Day 4 itinerary into the afternoon of Day 3. As it turned out, the route I took could actually be completed in three days. That meant I could leave for Osaka via an early train from Kii-Katsuura on Day 4. Let’s continue with Day 3. After breakfast, I boarded a bus heading to Shingu and got off at the Michi-no-Eki Kumanogawa bus stop, which is exactly the departure point for the traditional boat ride to Shingu. If river cruising isn’t your thing, you can simply stay on the bus until it reaches Shingu. Along the river, there are a few waterfalls. About halfway through the ride, we made a brief stop at a riverside spot with a white rock believed to be the rem...

After a good rest, I departed for Hosshimon-oji. The hotel provided free transit to the Hongu area, so I saved some time waiting for the bus. The plan for the day was a 7 km walk from Hosshimon-oji to Oyunohara. Since my next lodging was in the Yunomine Onsen area, I decided to add an extra walk from Oyunohara to Yunomine Onsen, which was about 2.2 km. At Hosshimon-oji, the trail is essentially a connecting route to the Takijiri trail. The previous stamping station was about 800 meters from Hosshimon-oji, so I made a detour to Inohana-oji. That detour added approximately 1.6 km to my journey, taking about 30 minutes or more. From Hosshimon-oji (after detouring via Inohana-oji), I started walking toward Hongu Taisha, which was about a 2.5-hour walk. Along the way, I stopped to rest and take photos. It was quite a leisurely walk. Part of the trail is paved, while the rest consists of forest paths lined with cypress trees (I guess). By the time I reached the town around Hongu Taisha, it w...