Fun and Drama with the R Team in Kyushu

We enjoyed a great time the other weekend on our last road trip with the R Team, who finally left us this morning to go back to Blighty.

We started off en famille.
Weechan, photographer in chief.

Then met the R Team en route.
The highlight of the trip was the day at Kijima.

N and E headed off to Poseidon and other death defying rides first,

while the junior team headed off to driving school.

G started off with help from super driver Dr Dad.
While A had help from Mum.

Oops!

G was soon independent.

And A continued to look the other way.

Amazingly (!) both of their numbers were on the pass board.

Licenses obtained!Congratulations!


Then on to more group nonsense.

Wimps!

Finally getting her tornado potato!

Made Mummy think she had the stomach for Poseidon. Wrong!

But of course it doesn't even come close to the lunacy that was Birdman (see video in previous post)

Dippin Dots are always a good thing.

And then there was the nail biting drama to end the day.
Superdad E daringly managed to drop the one and only electronic card key for the family car out of his shirt pocket, right in the middle of a roller coaster ride.

Could have been anywhere. Those things go rather fast. And cover a large area.
This left 9 people to get home in one Prius.

Spare key?
Yes.
In Hiroshima.
5 hours drive away.
oops!

Chances of employees finding said key?
While higher than in some countries, where they wouldn't even have bothered trying, it has to be said:slim.

Mazda?
"We can get into the car, sir, but we cannot get you another key to drive home with."
Oh, for the days of real keys and actual mechanically operated vehicles.

Options:
1)try to persuade someone to get into house and express the key to Kyushu, then come back and get the car the next day.
2) E gets the train home for 5 hours, gets the spare key, gets another 5 hour train back, then drives straight back to Hiroshima again, with multiple trips to Yufuin from Beppu to ferry all the bodies home.
3) breakdown and cry, then live in the theme park as the newest attraction: the Glorious Glaring Gaijin.

High tension in the park. Which is now closed for the day.

Then Japan (the great side) kicks into action.
All spare staff are called in to help, and E and Mummy are allowed inside the now closed roller coaster enclosure to do a sweep search.

We have never been inside a roller coaster outside the carriage so this is kind of cool.

After about half an hour of everyone's pessimistic scanning of the grounds and fake rocks which I almost fell though....

TADA! The offending article was discovered by an eagle eyed employee. IN the tunnel of the ride!
Amazing!

I often say "only in Japan!" and it doesn't usually imply respect for my host culture.
This time it is said with awe and gratitude.

Thanks Kijima Korakuen staff! A case of beer will find its way to you soon!

And E, keep your keys in your wallet!