(Flickr photo set: Takachiho-no-mine)

Tuesday is when my vacation really went off-grid. Before leaving the U.S., I had procured an international drivers’ license, so I rented a car and set off in search of where the trains don’t go. First up: Takachiho-no-mine.

Takachiho-no-mine is a mountain located in Kirishima National Park, a volcanic mountain range on the southern tip of Kyushu. It’s about a two-and-a-half hour scenic drive from Kumamoto. The Kyushu Expressway itself is winding and scenic, and the route includes a series of 22 tunnels connected end-to-end.

Japanese mythology holds that the summit of Takachiho-no-mine is where Ninigi-no-Mikoto, grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu, descended to Earth to found the line of Japanese emperors. The spot is marked by a spear – the same spear that was dipped into the ocean to create the islands of Japan.

The first thing I noticed about Takachiho-no-mine was how quiet it is. It’s the quietest place I’ve ever been on Earth, outside of an anechoic chamber. I could hear conversations from 300 feet away, and if I removed my in-ear earbuds, the music was clear and easily distinguishable, even held at arms’ length. After the first fifteen minutes, I decided to climb in silence.

Eventually, however, the woods abruptly stop, and you find yourself climbing on loose volcanic rock.

The climb itself is empty and beautiful, though steep and precarious. I fell a few times. I was smart enough to buy a walking stick, but not enough to wear gloves. Always wear gloves! Otherwise, you’ll find yourself having to choose between falling off a mountain and scraping your hands with raw pumice. And nobody wants to fall off a mountain.

The skies were brilliantly clear the day I climbed. I could easily see Sakurajima, an active volcano. They say on a really clear day, you can see Korea, but I’m not so sure.

There really is a spear at the top.

Plus an amazing view.

I had to hurry back to get down dark. Another lesson learned – no matter what time you set out, bring a headlamp!

I hadn’t eaten since breakfast; I had thought I’d eat lunch at Takachiho-no-mine, but there was no food there, not even omiyage. I’d climbed a mountain and back on two cups of MisuDo Café au Lait and a bitter choco angel. (“Delicious snack?” asks Joe, “Or Evangelion character?”) It was an hour drive from Takachiho-no-mine to the nearest “convenience store” – a nameless mom-and-pop operation at in the middle of Nowhere-At-All. Still, the best karaage I will ever eat in my life.