Nagasaki Arrival

Hello to all. I'm really sorry about the delay in writing up the details of our trip to the island of Kyushu, southern Japan. I've been quite busy recently and have not had much spare time.

Anyway, we flew down to Nagasaki on Friday the 12th of October. We were all in good form as we had many things to look forward to during our time on Kyushu. I was especially happy as I would be off work for a total of 4 days.

Once, we arrived at Nagasaki Airport, a bus was waiting to transport us all to the Hotel New Nagasaki. As this is Japan, all the travel details ran like clockwork - no problems and no fuss. The hotel was supposed to be of a high standard and was supposed to be the best in Nagasaki. However, it seemed to me that the hotel was living on its former reputation. Perhaps it was a good hotel in its heyday, but it seemed tired and in need of investment. Don't get me wrong, it was fine, but a bit of a disappointment after listening to all the hype beforehand.

We checked in and I was immediately given cause to grumble. We were all looking forward to a swim in the hotel pool but were upset to discover that: (a) swimming would cost an extra ¥3,000 per person. (b) Children are not allowed in the pool at any time. Not exactly family friendly!! Poor Clara was very disappointed and I can't blame her.

Once we found our room, we got organised and relaxed for a while before we went for a Chinese meal on the 14th floor. The Chinese restaurant (called Torin) is "the best Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki".

The room was fine, but as I said before, it was tired looking. The fixtures and fittings were well worn and the wallpaper was slightly discoloured and beginning to become unstuck from the wall. We were happy enough, but I was starting to wonder what the worst hotel in Nagasaki was like. However, I was content with the view from our room on the 11th floor and pleased with our proximity to the famed Mitsubishi Shipyard.

At around 6pm, we made our way to Torin for our Chinese food. I guess the food was ok, but not what you would expect from the best Chinese restaurant in Nagasaki. There was a good deal of seafood (which I hate) and more disappointingly, no sign of beef with black bean sauce, a long term favourite of mine. Despite, my silent grumbling and griping, I refused to be bullied into a bad mood and enjoyed the building excitement for the days to come. By the time the meal was over, I had the wind in my sails and was unwilling to call it a night. I had read in a hotel brochure about the Moonlight Bar. The naming of the bar conjured up images of lofty views over Nagasaki, with city lights blinking invitingly at me from a distance. When I searched for the bar, I was puzzled to discover that it was not on the top floor, but on the second floor. Despite being a little disappointed at the realisation that I would not after all be lording it over the population of Nagasaki, I was still looking forward to viewing the comings and goings of people on the streets outside. Amazingly, the Moonlight Bar had no chance of ever seeing moonlight as it was a room without any windows!! I was led to a small child size seat and waited for my parents to arrive.

We all ordered a small beer (300ml) and were given a bowl of nuts to nibble on. Mum, Joep, and I discussed the days events and talked excitedly about the wedding the following day. After 30 minutes or so, my parents asked for the bill. ¥4,300 (about GBP21)! Any thoughts of staying for another beer evaporated quicker than the money in Joep's wallet.The folks returned to their room while I ventured out onto the streets of Nagasaki, determined to find a place that sold beer at a reasonable price. I initially went to a restaurant across the street but soon grew tired of watching the fish swim around in their tank. I asked a few people where I could find a bar, and none of them knew. Nagasaki is a pretty small city and I decided that the people I asked were either extremely ignorant, or were not long term residents of the city.

After wandering around and watching the trams pass, I hailed a taxi which took me on a 5 minute journey to the Nagasaki nightlife area called Shianbashi. I went to a pool bar which was large, but virtually empty. Two customers were playing 9 ball and I watched their progress (or lack of) as I supped my bottle of Kirin. After a short while, they kindly asked me if I wanted to play them. No quarter was given and I wiped the floor with them. They left after the bar after a 40 minute whitewash. The old magic is still there.

After chatting to a few other customers and bar staff, I came to the conclusion that I probably knew more about Nagasaki than they did. Eager not to feel a hangover on the wedding day, I walked back to the hotel at about midnight, looking forward to the wedding the following day.