High Speed Internet...

Today is the big day...my first entry straight from my own room. A high speed internet connection has been installed after about a month and a half after applying for it. Very happy indeed...:-)
So keep those emails coming cause I have all the time now to answer them as well.
Saterday we had a organized tour to Mount Unzen, a place with hot springs, onsen 温泉 high up in the mountains. Sort of a spa...and very relaxing to soak in one of those sulfur rich tubs. In earlier days (1630's about) this place was used to boil the catholics alive..those that didn't relinguish their faith by performing apostasy (i.e. putting your feet on the image of Jesus or Mary and renouncing your faith). A win-win situation for both the Shogun to get rid of a sort of 5th colony (cause the catholics would only obey the church not the Shogun) and for the faithful ( because the afterlife was a lot more pleasant than the harsh peasant life they were used to, according to the portuguese priests). Or is this too optimistic a view?
Any how we had a fab day with lotsa sunshine.
Nita Pass was a stop on the way where we had 20 minutes to look around (not a minute more) so we were unable to go up to the top by cable car to enjoy the fabulous views.
On we went to Shimabara castle, a rather beautiful white castle overlooking the sea and countryside from where the Shimabara uprising 島原の乱 took place in 1637. A peasant revolt mostly brought on by the burden of high taxes but also because the peasants were prosecuted for their christian belief (so it is said).

Here some rather stylishly shaped trees in someone's front yard....really beautiful.

Arrived back in Nagasaki at around 6 p.m. so we all had dinner in Tengu....our favourite Butakimchi place.
We have a Kanji (Character) test tomorrow so must dash.........