One of the more interesting sites just outside Kagoshima is a huge park-like garden named Iso Teien, formerly a wealthy landowner's estate. It has many things like this unusual mushroom-shaped stone lamp that make it well worth a visit. However, the entrance fee is NOT cheap, and years of dealing with group tours seem to have given them a treat-tourists-like-cattle mentality, so I can't recommend the place wholeheartedly. Consider yourself forewarned.... and try not to go on a national holiday.

Down from the mountains, I followed this pretty river down to the coast. Along the way, I came upon signs that said the highway had been washed away in the recent rains (which had also washed my part of Japan). But since the detour would cost me considerable time and effort, I pedaled on, and soon came upon the site, where a bemused road crew pointed out the problem: steep hillside-landslide. They watched from above as I carefully carried my baggage-laden bicycle down the slippery slope - only remembering halfway down that I was in the process of recovering from a serious knee injury! Luck apparently favors the stupid, though, and I made it down safely to the road. "Score one for you, zero for the cars!" one of the construction crew called as I left. From that point, unfortunately, there were no options except for a long, car-choked highway to my final destination, Kagoshima.