The Japan sea coastline

After a couple of days rest in Tottori waiting out a storm it was time to move on, the rain had lifted enough to be safe enough to ride and was due to clear  by mid day. I left in a cloud of drizzle thankful for the covered shopping streets of Tottori and for once pleased to see any tunnel or covered bridge to get out of the wet for a while.

The wind was blowing off the sea and my route following the winding coastal path seemed to lead me in and out of strong headwinds, thankfully the rain was easing off and soon I was riding through some of the most spectacular coastal scenery I have ever seen, bringing to life images only seen in woodblock prints with the odd kei truck thrown in to keep me from totally forgetting my circumstances.

Normally I don’t take many photos as I ride simply down to momentum, the bike weighs around 40kg so stopping and starting tends to take its toll on me, however with the views on the coast being so spectacular I stopped regularly, finally appreciating the strong wind as it drove the sea into huge waves crashing over the rocks and throwing a fine mist of spray and sand in over the land before it.

When the road wasn’t rolling along the shoreline it was climbing slightly inward up steep winding roads, short but with enough of a gradient to make me work for it to get over, then would come the all to short twisty descents. The roads were deserted to I could take advantage of the full width of the tarmac where I could see far ahead, carving around the bends finally appreciating the weight of my luggage pulling me down the hills.

I arrived in Shinonsen by about mid day after a short 20 miles, I wanted to keep the day fairly short after my time off the bike and because of the bad weather. I found a nice little campsite and after assuring the man running it I would be fine with the cold he gave me a map of the town, pointing out the local onsen and supermarket. After a good soak and a bite to eat I settled in for an early night in the tent with a good book and the noise of the waves crashing into the shore nearby.

The next day I was greeted with sunshine and a light breeze, the weather had moved on and it looked like a warm dry day was ahead of me. I had picked up some saddle sores in the rain the previous day so had booked a couple of nights in a cheap place in Kinosake Onsen about 30 miles away from my campsite. Like most stays on my trip it was picked on distance rather than any prior knowledge of the area.

My route took me back inland and I was soon repeating the slow climb and fast descent pattern from the day before, heading in and out from the coast as the road weaved its way around some of the more stubborn geography in the area.  Again, I had the roads pretty much to myself and could relax enough to just concentrate on the scenery and the cycling.

By mid day it was getting hot and I was starting to wilt, whatever I drank seemed to pour off me instantly and at one point I was struggling to read my satnav as the sweat from my head ran over the screen.  After one last effort I was over the final climb and had a lovely run down the hill into Kinoseki.

My first idea that the town was a little different came as a passed a temple with a large rock outside it, boiling hot spring water was bubbling out of the top of the rock, steaming even on this hot day. As I got closer to my hotel I was riding through crowds of people walking the narrow streets in Yukata, the sound of their wooden geta clicking on the paths as they made their way from one bath to another.

I crossed a small decorative bridge and arrived at my hotel. After a lovely warm welcome from the staff who even let me bring the bike inside I was checked in and given a free pass to use any of the seven of the onsen the town is famous for.  It seems that good luck had landed me in a rather nice little tourist spot and I spent the next day and a half enjoying the baths and taking in the wonderful postcard scenery of the town,  there was a lovely atmosphere as families walked through the streets looking through the various souvenir shops and food stalls, boiling eggs in the spring at the temple, or relaxing at a foot bath outside some of the larger onsen.

By the end of my first full day in the town I had visited six of the seven onsen (one was shut) and was feeling much better. Before I had to pack my bags and go to bed I went to my favourite onsen and sat in the outside bath in the dark, looking up at the sky as the lights lit up the new leaves on the maples overhanging the bath above me and the waterfall ahead of me gently crashed down through the hill.

The next day I set out pretty much healed from the saddle sores, aiming to head about 30 miles then a further 20 the next, taking me to the Maizuru ferry terminal and all being well, on the boat to Hokkaido.

It was a hot day already when I left at about half eight so I was a little nervous of the day ahead, I had checked the route and there looked to be some pretty sharp short climbs one after the other on the route and I hoped I had the stamina to make it through the day. After the first climb I was feeling good and by twenty miles I had had a quick bite to eat and felt surprisingly fresh, I only had ten miles left on the planned route of the day and I was ahead of the time schedule for the day so decided to go for broke and head for the ferry that day.

The ferry wasn’t due to leave until quarter to midnight so as long as I could get a ticket I had plenty of time to make it, it was a gamble as if I couldn’t get a ticket I would have to try and find somewhere to sleep but I figured it was worth the risk.

At around 30 miles I started to see more and more rally cars passing me in the opposite direction, I was climbing a narrow road up a steep climb as they all went past me. I reached the pass to find a small road leading off to the side with a closed section and the end of what was obviously a closed tarmac stage rally, stopping for a brief rest to watch the cars I pressed on into what became a little rally stage of my own.

I kept pressing on and was still feeling good all the way. The scenery on these back roads was stunning and I was amazed to find Pitcher Plants growing wild on the side of the road. Carnivorous plants were a childhood obsession and always seemed so exotic so finding ones in the wild was a bit of a thrill. Along with the plants I would occasionally see and hear lizards along the side of the road, warming themselves in the sun until my shadow fell over them starting them into running into the leaves at the side. It was a great days riding and the miles were hard fought but enjoyed all the way.

I rolled into Maizuru ferry terminal at around 4 with the reception opening at 4:30, again dumb luck had played its part and I got the cheapest ticket possible for the ferry, now all I had to do was wait until 10:45pm to board before waiting out the remaining 21 hours the crossing took.

I went for a quick walk around the harbour, watching the locals fishing as the sun went down casting reflections off the water onto the nearby Japanese Self Defence Force ships and creating silhouettes of the figures on the dock.

I spent the remaining five hours sitting on the steps outside the terminal with my bike, reading my book, watching people come and go as the sun went down, and chatting a little with a new friend I had made who was also boarding the ferry.

The ferry arrived at around 9 and was soon unloading the bikes, cars and trucks while doing a swift clean and turnaround before we would be allowed to board. I was going on as the same time as the motorbikes and quite looking forward to the ride onto the ferry up the big ramp. My new friend was a little sceptical of my chances of making it after feeling the weight of the bike so I was looking to proving my mettle as it were, sadly the people loading the boat felt otherwise and decided letting a mad welshman peddle onto the boat was asking for trouble so they made me and the only other cyclist push our bikes up the ramp despite my protests that I would be fine riding.

Once on board I headed to my ‘cabin’. As the crossing is so long you are obliged to have a cabin and the cheapest option was a small capsule type bed with a couple of shelves next to the bed. I had packed what I needed into one pannier so i popped the bag into one of the shelves and got my head down, I dozed off as I felt the ship move off at around 11:45.

At about 6am I woke the next day sore and sweaty, I hadn’t had a chance to have a proper wash the day before after my ride but had quickly scrubbed in the gents loo at the terminal before changing my clothes before boarding. I hung on till the last minute trying to sleep before giving up to head to the bath at around 10 am.

Having a bath on a boat is an odd experience, it was the usual Onsen routine (see the last blog post for that) but soaking in the water was a slightly unsettling experience, with the boat, water, and myself all moving independently of each other. My fear of getting seasick cut the bath short so I headed back into the steerage section with some drinks and snacks to hide for the duration. By 8pm I was feeling pretty rough but had held onto my dinner so far, the ferry was landing at 8:45 so I packed up and headed to the gate at about 8:30.

In Maizuru I had quickly booked a cheap hostel near the ferry terminal before boarding but, with no idea what time check in finished I rolled off the ferry at 9 pm like a Tour de France time trial start. I had two and a half miles to do so sprinted as best I could up the hill to my hostel, making the cut off with plenty of time to spare I grabbed a shower and went to sleep, happy not to be on a moving boat.

So whats next, I had planned to spend more time in Hokkaido but being realistic I just don’t have the time. The second month of my trip finishes now and I am on the countdown to make it back to Tokyo in time for my flight.

I aim to spend a day off in Sapporo then will head back south, following the coast through various prefectures including Fukushima. My first trip to Japan was a few weeks after the earthquake and tsunami in 2011 that made the name known through the world and I want to see for myself how the area is recovering. All in a future blog all being well.

Turning around

Thanks to a spot of bad weather it looks like I have a bit of time to get this all up to date with my progress (or lack of it depending on your point of view).

In my last post I was staying in Hiroshima for a few days to rest and avoid some bad weather (I see a pattern forming here….), after a few nice days I was starting to get itchy feet and felt the need to go back riding. It’s odd but this trip seems to have a momentum of its own at times and regardless of how tired I get the urge to move on soon arrives and I look to the maps again to find the next place to aim for.

The place on this occasion was Gotsu on the opposite coast to Hiroshima, by following route 54 out of Hiroshima then route 261 I worked out that it should be a couple of days riding all being well. I’m sure that with a more experienced rider it would be possible in a day but after a long break and given the weight of the bike I didn’t see the need to push to hard.

I collected my bike from the bicycle park in the morning and loaded up my bags, within a mile something felt pretty seriously wrong. After a quick inspection I found that yet another spoke had broken on the rear wheel. I took the bags off, flipped the bike over and got to work fixing the spoke. Half an hour later I was back on the road with a slight weave in the wheel I just couldn’t seem to shake.

I pressed on regardless, there was a slight drizzle in the air but not wanting to put the waterproofs on I kept riding enjoying the cooler air brought with the rain. At about mile 12 the road started to climb and the work became much harder, my mind wasn’t really on the task at hand for various reasons and this day became a long, unpleasant slog to keep riding.

My initial aim for the day had been to get around forty miles done for the day, aiming for a campsite north of Kitahiroshima but by mile 20 I was exhausted and couldn’t go much further. Thankfully I had gone past the highest point on the ride that day so after a slight descent I was heading into Kitahiroshima,  aiming for a rest stop on the adjacent toll road as a possible wild camping site.

After arriving at the rest stop it was obvious that there was no chance of camping there, it was far too busy and the only flat piece of ground had been used as a small golf course so I was forced to rethink my plans.

After a quick check online I couldn’t find any accommodation nearby and was starting to worry a little. I looked at the map at the rest stop and it showed a ryokan not listed on google maps that was only a few miles away, it was a bit of a gamble and typically up a hill but I decided to head over to see if they had any rooms.  Thankfully my luck was in and I grabbed a room for the night, the restaurant was closed for the night but luckily I had some food in my bags and most importantly they had a very large Onsen to soak away my days misery in.

I was up early the next day feeling pretty sore but a little more cheerful, the weather forecast looked good and there was a slight mist in the hills making it look very dramatic. I popped to a conbini to grab some food for the day and finally noticed the cause of the previous days misery.

As the wheel was still a little warped it was causing the back brake to rub a little, not massively but just enough to reduce any momentum I was gaining in my riding. I decided to sort it once and for all and after a quick online lesson on the side of the road I managed to true the wheel enough so the problem was solved for now.

The road out of Kitahiroshima was a slight climb but thankfully most of the hard work had been done the previous day so after about 10 miles most of the days serious climbing had been done.  I was now descending through the mountains enjoying the scenery as farmers worked the freshly flooded fields and frogs in their hundreds croaked loudly away doing what they do every springtime.

About halfway into my day I rode through a small town called Onan which is possibly one of the friendliest places I have ever encountered in Japan. Within minutes of arriving a passing car pulled alongside shouting encouragements and giving thumbs up, and stopping at a conbini I was greeted by four separate people asking about my trip and wishing me well. Morale is a funny thing and meeting these people worked wonders for me so I left after my dinner refreshed and feeling good about life in general.

Once I reached Imbara the road levelled out and turned west towards Gotsu and the coast, following the river that grew larger and larger as it picked up more tributaries along the miles. I had attempted to book a Ryokan for the night but after some dramas with a cash machine not playing I was now aiming for a park that looked promising on google maps.

I reached the park just as the sun was falling and after chatting a little with some local teenagers using the basketball court and skate park I built my tent and settled down for the night.

I woke with the first light at 5 am and after a brief and very cold wash in the park toilets followed by breakfast at the local conbini I hit the road at about 7:30 am. I had been curious to see how riding on the coast would be as my original plan for the trip had been to follow it round Japan, I soon found that all though the elevation wouldn’t be that high the constant rise and fall of the road would mean I eventually climbed more than the average day riding in the hills.

Tired and with rain coming in I rolled into Izumo forty miles later, booking into a cheap business hotel for the night to shower and sleep properly.

The next day I woke early, ready to press on with the ride. I had booked a couple of nights at a cheap rest house at a place called Kaike Onsen about 40 miles away so needed to get some miles under my belt.

Throughout the trip I have been muttering to myself about hills, wondering if I should have perhaps visited Holland instead. Today those prayers were answered and I was greeted with 40 blissful flat miles pushed along by a light tailwind. making it all the better was the vast lakes along the route making my breaks very pleasant as I ate my dinner watching the shoals of tiny fish swim around excitedly below me.

Lake Shinji

The ride was very enjoyable and I soon was rolling through Yonago and into Kaike Onsen, the area was famous for is salt water onsen so once I had checked into the rest house I grabbed my towel and headed to one recommended by the staff.

About Onsen.

The whole Onsen experience was quite foreign to me initially but has now become a wonderfully relaxing routine so I thought I should talk a little about what it entails by describing my experience on this occasion.

On entering the Onsen you remove your shoes and place them in a locker, now padding around in your socks you head over to the ticket machine, thankfully the staff are pretty helpful so noticing I am looking a little lost head over to me and help me select the right ticket for the baths.

After handing over the ticket you head towards the baths, making sure to enter the correct changing room as each set of baths are separated by gender for reasons which will become obvious.

Once in the changing room you either grab a basket or in this case a locker,  then strip off until all you have with you is a small rectangular towel and any toiletries you may need.

Now the next step seems to differ spending on who you talk to, you enter the bath area and either rinse yourself down with some bath water, have a light soak then wash, or (and this is my preferred way) head straight to the washing area for a good scrub.

The washing area consists of a small stool, a bowl, a tap, a shower head and depending on the onsen some soap and shampoo.  You wash by sitting on the stool and giving yourself a scrub down with the soap, making sure to rinse yourself properly and making sure you don’t splash water over your neighbours.  This takes a bit of getting used to being British and a little shy about the whole nudity thing but after a few times you soon are past caring and just looking forward to the relaxing soak.

Once you are scrubbed clean its a case of heading to the baths, taking your small towel with you folded or rolled up, once you find the bath of your choice you either pop your towel on the side (some people say this isn’t done but I have seen it done by so many Japanese people I’m just not sure) or, pop the towel on your head and slowly dunk yourself into the water, making sure that your towel doesn’t touch the water and that you don’t submerge your head.

The baths themselves vary from large stone baths, to cedar barrels, and in the case, a large wooden bath outside overlooking the beach.  The water as well varies from place to place, some clear and piping hot, some naturally sparkling, some sulphurous and in Kaike Onsen, hot spring water with a high salt content is the local speciality.

I personally like the outdoor baths. With the fresh air above you, soaking in water that is usually around 41c and taking in the view that is usually provided, it becomes almost meditative and I will happily spend my time watching the world go by feeling the knots in my legs and back unwind as the water works its magic.

I spent my day and a half in Kaike Onsen walking along the water front, visiting several Onsen, and generally unwinding. This time of year can be quite difficult for me for personal reasons so the time to clear my head of the unnecessary thoughts was most welcome.

Soon enough though it was time to be moving on, so following the coastal path as best I could, headed along the coast towards a campsite shown on Google maps around 35 miles away.

Sure enough within about 4 miles another spoke let go and I was again straightening out the wheel before I could head on my way.

Once I was rolling properly again the riding was relatively straightforward, not a blissfully flat as the previous ride but with no horrible climbs and nothing too unpleasant to deal with other than some occasionally heavy traffic.

I was soon at the point where google maps shows a campsite but sadly it appears to be long closed, tired and not wanting to ride any further I headed down to the shore and setup my tent on a sheltered flat piece of ground to watch the sun set over the sea for the night.

The next day I was up at first light and after realising I didn’t have any food for breakfast found to my dismay that the nearest conbini was around ten miles ride away, packing up the tent I tightened my belt and started pedalling.

I had experienced some nasty sharp pains in my knees during the night so had a short day planned ahead, just 20 miles to Tottori and a capsule hotel to spend a few days in resting the legs and recovering.

The ride along the coast was hilly but beautiful, in the early morning I rode past people diving along the coast harvesting seaweed as the sun rose ahead of me. I was soon at the hotel and after dropping my bags off headed to the famous sand dunes at the shore to enjoy an Ice cream and watch people play in the dunes.

And that’s pretty much where I am now, the weather has come in around me so I am currently waiting out for the storm to pass before heading out to cross the hills and coastline towards Maizuru and a ferry to Hokkaido, before heading south on the last leg of my journey before heading home.

As always I will do my best to keep you all updated here.

Bridges, Onsen, Old haunts, and mountains

Yet another long break between posts, and yet another list type title, inspiration comes slowly even in the most interesting of places it seems but I finally have a little time (and wifi) so felt I should plonk myself in front of the keyboard again.

So, when I last wrote I had made the decision to alter my plan from my initial end to end / full lap route and head back north. After a lovely day off in Matsuyama I dragged myself back onto the bike and headed out into a nasty headwind, with showers forecast, on my way to Imabari to start the famous Shimanai Kaido the following day.

Now morale wasn’t terribly high at this point but after a little break at a well placed ‘Mr. Donut’ involving several confections and a large green tea milkshake I was feeling slightly more human if not a little sluggish with my extra weight taken on board.

The run out of Japanese cities seems to follow a pattern to me now, once you manage to work your way from the centre fighting your way through innumerable traffic lights, you reach the more retail park style areas with their supermarkets, car dealerships, Pachinko Parlours, and blissful Doughnut shops. Once this thins you find the more industrial parts, small factories and garages. Through all these stages there is usually plenty of rivers, streams, ponds and pools all seemingly suitable for habitation by various, fish, fowl and turtle. I still am amazed and delighted when crossing a bridge to look below into the water and see Egret’s, Carp, Terrapin’s, and all kinds of other wildlife in some of the more built up areas. I cant help but wonder how we have lost this abundance of nature back home.

I digress,  once out of the city the wind was thankfully lighter and no longer fighting my progress so I was rolling merrily northward on a mostly flat road, only to feel large spots of rain slowly start to land on me. Quickly throwing my waterproof jacket on I took the cowards option and turned into a local shopping centre, as the shower grew heavier I found a good spot in front of an empty shop. I checked my GPS and saw that the shower was due to pass in 20 minutes so decided to trust the technology and have an impromptu but dry break from riding.

Once the rain finally passed the waterproofs were put away and I got back on the road again, with a small but nasty looking hill looming ahead I scanned my map looking at the route and sure enough I was plotted straight over it. Usually roads in Japan seem to wind up the steeper hills but I can only assume this had received some Roman influence as it shot straight up the hill, causing some confusion among the farmers tending to their Orange trees as a strange sweaty Welshman slowly dragged himself up past them murmuring foul indecipherable words.

Once on the other side the straight road disappeared treating me to a smooth twisty descent and leading me towards to coast. The route itself was nothing special however there were occasional short stretches of road along the shore where I started to get a feel of the coastline and could enjoy the views.

I was joined on the road by an occasional blue line, the start of the Shimanami Kaido route leading from Matsuyama to Imabari then eventually across the many islands and bridges that make up the famous cycling spot.

Another old friend joined me and the waterproofs were dragged out again as the rain started to pour about a mile outside Imabari, I pressed on and reached my hostel for the night before things got too bad.

The next day the weather was looking much better so after a good breakfast and buying some food for the next couple of days I set off towards the Shimanami Kaido, riding towards the coast for a quick view before heading inland again to cross the first bridge.

The initial climb is surprisingly steep and winding, following a dedicated path for Bicycles and Motorbikes 125cc and under, once you reach the top your greeted with a spectacular view over the bay and the bridge stretches out in front of you, the motorbikes are now on a separate path and you can enjoy the ride over the bridge without fear of anything other than other cyclists and pedestrians.

Once on the other side the pattern reverses, sending you back down an enjoyable twisty little descent and onto the coast of the next island. Following the blue line on the roads and paths is simple enough and the satnav had a well earned rest while I simply kept my eyes peeled for the next sign. The islands themselves are beautiful, with a geography beyond anything in my internal reference making the smallest details fascinating  while leading you along to the next little bay or climb.

I had originally planned to spend three to four days exploring the islands but after a few hours riding realised that this may be too much, the Islands are stunning but I think part of the pleasure in experiencing them was from passing through, and watching the scenery slowly roll past.

After two more bridge crossings I was on Omishima Island and could see something called the ‘Cyclists sanctuary’ signposted ahead, this sounded like it may fit me so I followed the signs and arrived at a nice little service station geared for both cars and bicycles.

Not a bad view from the ‘Cyclists sanctuary’ 

After a lovely well priced lunch of pork and egg over rice I was ready to have a rest and enjoy the day, thankfully on the other side of the hill was a small campsite where after a few misunderstandings and some sign language I managed to get a plot for the night so set up my tent overlooking the beach with tomorrows bridge just behind me.

While the campsite may not have had the best facilities I couldn’t fault the neighbours, with a family mart right next door and most importantly a brilliant little onsen just up the road. After a soak in Tatara Onsen and a nice meal watching the sun go down on the beach I settled down for the night resting for tomorrows ride.

The next day after a quick breakfast and another soak (seriously we need Onsen in the UK),  I was soon merrily rolling along the coastal roads enjoying the scenery.  The weather was a little more overcast this day and a little chilly at times out of the sun.

Sadly there isn’t a huge amount to really write about the Shimanami Kaido in my opinion, it’s a beautiful stretch of paths and roads linking some lovely islands together but I think its very much something that needs to be experienced rather than described.  As such I’m certain opinions on this route will vary wildly depending on what each visitor experiences, for my part I enjoyed the ride, the views, the onsen and would gladly do it all over again.

After a nights sleep in a hostel in Mukojima I hopped on the ferry to the mainland, aiming to complete the longest ride of the trip so far and get to Hiroshima for a few days rest to see the city and dodge some bad weather forecast in the coming week.

I had spoken with an Italian cyclist who was touring in the opposite direction to me and he had explained that the route was quite reasonable with only one small hill pass on the way so I was quite optimistic of my chances. After about 20 miles the road started to climb steadily upwards and my chances of completing the fifty odd miles to Hiroshima sank in proportion, with one final climb into Higashihiroshima at around 30 miles I decided to call it a day and ride the remaining 20 the next morning.

The morning arrived with light drizzle and a slow climb, thankfully I hadn’t lost much of the elevation gained from the previous day so my climb was mercifully short and the run into Hiroshima city was a pleasant descent following a river towards the sea, in the last few miles there was one last short sharp climb but thanks to the encouragement of a lovely old lady (who even offered me a ‘genki’ energy drink) I was soon over the other side and into one of my favourite cities in Japan.

I was last in Hiroshima in 2011 in what feels like a different lifetime, the city left a lasting mark on me and I was looking forward to walking the streets and taking it all in again. I dropped my bags off at my capsule hotel and after finding somewhere to park the bike for a few days I wandered into the Peace park to watch the sun go down.

The next day I made the most of the sunny weather and hopped onto the tram to get to Miyajima island, I had never seen the famous Tori gate in the sea and was looking forward to seeing some old temples.  The trams in Hiroshima are great and now that my old Suica pass works on them I could happily hop on them without worrying about working out my fare or having the right change.

The last stop of the number 2 tram left me right outside the ferry port to head over to the island, the tram had been nice and quiet with locals going about their daily routine but once aboard the ferry it soon filled up with tourists experiencing ‘theme park japan’ ignoring the common courtesy that makes Japan such an enjoyable place to be.

The ferry crossing is short but scenic as the passengers dodge and weave for who can get the perfect photo of the island, trying to get that selfie angle just right while ignoring the general surroundings they had paid to visit.

After landing I distanced myself from the ferry terminal and headed towards the temple, keen to see it in the morning before more crowds of people arrived. Thankfully, like Nara, there were hordes of deer roaming the island to distract people so I managed to make good time along the shore and after taking the obligatory photos of the Tori spent a while wandering the temple.

Once I had looked around the temple I fancied a bite to eat so headed into the busier streets to find a little place for dinner, after about twenty minutes I gave up. In most tourist spots you find the prices a little higher but here it was simply ridiculous, a simple curry rice that would cost you ¥500 was nearer to ¥1500… I decided that while I had planned to stay the day it was simply easier to head back to the city and grab something there, a real shame as I would have liked to explore more of the Island.

The remaining few days were spent resting and enjoying Hiroshima, its a lovely city and much more than its name is famous for.   I wont touch on its past here, only to say that the stories I was told and the feelings I experienced in learning about what happened through two of the survivors on my previous visit changed my life and will be a part of me forever. If you can please try to visit the city, and enjoy its atmosphere but also please visit the peace park, and the museum within it as the experience which may not always be pleasant is something that needs to be remembered, especially in recent times with the current taste for Sabre rattling among the various elected,and un-elected representatives of the worlds countries.

The next blog will cover my trip north from Hiroshima,  crossing the country through the mountains, visiting more onsen and finally turning towards Hokkaido. Fingers crossed its a bit sooner this time.

A change of direction

So, after my last update I was in Kyoto for a couple of days following an accident and needing new front luggage for the bike. I had checked into my hotel and ditched my bags. After a quick google I found the nearest Ortlieb dealership and headed over to see if they had any replacement bags. After a little miming and showing them the now-destroyed pannier they got the gist but didn’t have anything suitable in stock. I hit a couple more bike shops in the area with no luck, so with my frustration with the crowds and crowds of tourists growing, I headed back to the hotel for some food and a soak in the onsen to pick me up.

I had initially felt fine after the accident, but with adrenaline wearing off I was starting to have real trouble moving my right hand. The watch strap on that hand had snapped in the crash and had either strained or bruised the joint to the extent that I couldn’t lift a drink to my mouth. A soak in the bath eased it off so I was able to head back out into Kyoto again to search for new bags. My trip was feeling like it was in serious danger at this point.

At the suggestion of a Facebook comment (thanks, Japan cycling navigator group!), I headed to the Mont-Bell outdoor shop, where amazingly they had a pair of pannier bags that would fit, and most importantly are waterproof. Looking at the price, I started to swear – I could have bought two pairs of my original Ortlieb bags at this cost – but with no other option, I bought the bags and headed back to the hotel for some sleep.

The next day I woke up hoping to head out to some temples, but the pain in my hand soon let me know that was a bad idea. If I was going to carry on with the trip I needed rest. Thankfully I have some very good friends looking out for me (thanks, Koichi!) and should the worst have happened they were offering to help me out however they could. I’m a very lucky guy.

After a day’s rest and a very nice pizza from a local takeaway (morale is important too!), I was getting a little feeling back in my hand. I set out for Nara with a rough idea of a cycle path following one of the rivers out of Kyoto and managed to find it briefly before being directed back onto the main roads out of the city, waiting at the many traffic lights and climbing and descending countless overhead bridges to cross junctions where Bicycles where forbidden.

Just when I was giving up hope of a relaxing ride, my satnav beeped at me indicating to turn off the road and head towards the river, finally sending me along the quiet, car free, cycle paths! It was real pleasure to be riding with other cyclists and I enjoyed a long rest among the sakura with families around me enjoying the weekend and fine weather with a picnic under the blossom.

With around five miles to go to Nara my wrist was starting to ache and the short sharp climbs became very uncomfortable as I gripped the bars with the effort. On the outskirts of Nara I assessed my options and booked a cheap hostel in the city centre. I still had a few hours before check in time so I headed to the park and read a book under a tree while children chased uninterested deer around with biscuits. After 10 minutes I had a small gathering of deer around me as the strange book reading Gaijin seemed to put the children off coming any closer. It wasn’t to last, sadly, and the children soon became braver, realising I wasn’t a threat, and resumed the force feeding attempts on the local wildlife.

Once I arrived at my hostel I was told that they had been overbooked and I was to be upgraded! Now I had a private Japanese style room with tatami mats and a futon. Heaven!

After a quick curry rice at a local chain place I soaked in the onsen and headed off to sleep, feeling much restored and a little happier with my general lot in life.

I haven’t really mentioned the weather much so far. Other than my stay in Ina I had been dealing with an exceptional run of good weather resulting in a severe set of tan lines and by the end of most days smelling like something had been left out of the fridge too long. All these onsen weren’t just for show and served many purposes!

Leaving the hostel, I had been warned by the owner (who was also a cyclist) that my planned route to Hashimoto had a few big climbs; however, I had no other available options so pressed on regardless, back on the roads after the previous day’s respite.

Sure enough, at mile 20 the hill started to kick upwards, nothing too high but with nasty little rises that would drain the legs just enough so you couldn’t recover in time for the next one. Thankfully the past few weeks’ riding were starting to make a difference and I struggled through till I arrived in Hashimoto. I found the local sento / onsen and scrubbed up before grabbing the reduced meals at the local supermarket and picking out my spot in the local park for the evening.

Now the next day I planned to head to Wakayama ferry port, and depending on the time, either hop on the ferry to Tokushima or stay the night in Wakayama, heading out on the first ferry the following morning.

Grabbing my now-traditional breakfast meal of a Lemon vitamin drink and a chocolate croissant at a Conbini, I rolled out of Hashimoto for the quick 30-mile ride to the port. After the previous day’s climbs it was a pleasant, long descent to the coast, gliding through the various small towns and enjoying the ride.

I arrived at the port at around 12:30 and without thinking bought a ticket for the next available ferry at 13:40 – so much for planning, but it worked out well and impulse had done me well so far. While I was waiting for the ferry I booked a cheap hostel in Tokushima. My track record with boats isn’t great and I didn’t fancy finding a campsite felling seasick.

I needn’t have worried as it was a relatively smooth crossing and in two and a bit hours we were on the other side, I had always wanted to cycle on and off a ferry so got a bit of a kick out of rolling out onto the dock and on my way into the city before all the cars. Tokushima is a nice city and I spent a little while walking through the dockside after dropping my bags at the hostel.

Now I had noticed that my old Catlike helmet had sadly cracked clean down the middle after the accident, so I started a little late out of Tokushima after attempting to find a helmet that fitted with no success.

I had been looking at my planned route, and to make the most of my stay I needed to cross Shikoku quickly and get on the ferry on the other side to head to Kyushu, before heading to Sata and going back the same way so I could cross the Shimanami Kaido as I wanted to. With all this in mind, I set out at a fast pace with the hope of getting as many miles as possible done in the next couple of days before a short trip to the ferry port, as I had done previously in Wakayama.

I got to around the 30-mile mark when the thought of places to stay came up. I checked Google Maps and found a free campsite next to an onsen another ten miles up the road, so with visions of soaking my aching legs in hot spring water, I pressed onwards. I arrived at the campsite, scoped out my preferred spot, and after a hot sweaty day on the bike, headed to the onsen. Sadly, today was the day it was shut, so, reeking and clammy, I rolled back down the hill to set up my tent.

After I had parked up and was enjoying a cold drink, a camper van with a bicycle arrived onto the site. After a brief explanation it appeared that the younger of my two new companions was completing the Shikoku Henro (a pilgrimage around 88 temples and shrines encircling Shikoku that are associated with the monk Kobo Daishi), and that he was being helped by the owner of the camper van.

I was invited to join them for dinner, and once I had put my tent up for the night and put on a slightly cleaner shirt, I sat with them and enjoyed a lovely meal of Yakiniku. Again, the hospitality of strangers makes a difference on a difficult day.

I bedded down for an early night but was restless most of the evening, and just couldn’t get off to sleep properly. So by 7am the next morning I was packed up, and feeling more than a little weary, set off down the road looking for my breakfast.

It was 3 miles before I managed to get anything to eat, and by this point I was struggling. My stomach was a little off from the rich food the day prior, and my energy levels were at rock bottom – not great when you have planned another 40-mile day.

At about 6 miles the first climb started, but surprisingly by this point I was starting to improve. The legs were loosening off, and cheered by the sight of a few families of wild monkeys on the road beside me, I pressed on upwards. Soon I was back down the other side, and the remainder of the day’s riding was spent descending with the occasional kick upwards. I rolled into Saijo with the longest ride of the trip so far, at over 45 miles covered.

I was greeted the next day with grey skies and drizzle. Being Welsh, this made me feel quite at home, and knowing that I had a climb in the middle of my 30-mile day, I was glad the heat had lifted a little finally.

I threw on the waterproof jacket to keep the chill off me and headed out through the rice fields and towards the mountains, starting the long slow climb to the high point at about halfway distance. I love the mountains in Japan, the way the cloud clings to the side and the trees, in this case the cherry blossom still blooming this high up among the bamboo and pine trees.

After the previous day’s struggle this was a pleasure and I was feeling good for the whole ride, eventually arriving at my Hotel in Matsuyama at around 14:30. I had decided to stay a couple of nights there to think about my trip and maybe reassess what I was doing and why.

I started off with a trip to a very special onsen. Dogo Onsen was built in 1894 and has three levels of baths, the highest being the Yoshinden, a bath solely for the use of the Imperial Japanese family. I paid for the second highest option and was given 80 minutes to soak in the bath and enjoy my private Tatami mat room with fresh Matcha tea and Dango to follow. Allot has been written about Dogo Onsen already so I wont go on too much suffice to say that it is one of the most relaxing experiences I have had the pleasure to experience, the joy of stretching out on Tatami mats in your yukata drinking tea after a hot spring bath simply needs to be experienced.

Dogo Onsen – The Inspiriation for Spirited Away

I wandered out of Dogo in a slight haze, happy with the world and as luck would have it happened to find a bicycle shop that not only had a helmet large enough for my noggin but also had an adorable small black cat, making me miss my own moggy all the more. Matsuyama is a lovely city and stopping here was one of my better decisions.

The weather finally broke the next day, as forecast the rain and wind had arrived so I donned my waterproof and grabbed a cheap umbrella before heading out to the Castle, I love castles and the rain had kept away the usual crowds so I popped into the cable car up the hill to the main keep and enjoyed several hours wandering around, resisting the offer to try on a suit of armour for fear of wanting a set for myself, you know to pop to the shops in and stuff.

The problem has always been time, time and money, and looking at both the idea of completing my ‘end to end’ or ‘full lap’ trip of Japan was looking difficult, the last few days’ hard riding showed me I could do it but there wasn’t a great deal of pleasure in them: I could have been anywhere. So, do I press on to Sata, reaching a goal for the sake of doing it, or do I divert, spending longer in places I find interesting, and simply enjoy the ride?

The last day or so in Matsuyama has shown me that I need to take my time, so I’ll be turning north tomorrow, heading away from my goal and trying something a little different. Still cycling, just not chasing those miles and figures anymore. Maybe I’m a little sad that I wont have quite done what I set out to do, but if it comes at the cost of enjoying the trip, so be it.

Heading south and eating miles…

Writing on the road has been a bit of a challenge for me I’ll admit, with days blurring into one another, riding, resting and riding again but, after much kind harassment from friends and family wanting more of this sort of thing, I have finally sat down with the laptop to look through my logs and see what actually happened since my last update.

When I last updated you I had just left Mitsu and Kyle near Kiso and was headed south on route 19 following the Kiso river. I was more than a little rusty after a week off the bike but thankfully the route was mostly downhill and at times incredibly scenic in between the bouts of busy traffic around me.

The Kiso River, my travel companion for a few days.

The river starts reasonably narrow with fast-moving white water but slowly picks up more and more tributaries until it becomes a wide slow moving flow, heading its way to Ina bay on the other side of Nagoya. My plan was to work my way north of Nogoya heading towards Sekigahara and Lake Biwa while skirting the main cities and getting some proper miles under my belt after my stay in Ina.

After nearly 30 miles I had descended nearly 2000ft and was starting to feel a little pain from the knee. I pressed on and managed to reach 41 miles before finding a suitable place to stay the night in Nakatsugawa and devouring the Bento very kindly made for me by Mitsu before I left.

The next day was a short ride with me suffering some knee pain. I only managed around 22 miles before having to stop and rest, I found a cheap hotel with an onsen and settled in for an early night after a long soak.

I was refreshed and back on the road from Toki at 9:30, starting out pushing the bike to try and stretch out the legs as well as avoiding the short nasty climb up the back road out of the town. Up in the hills of Toki I was finally away from the traffic of route 19 and headed north to meet the Kiso river again, following route 21 along the river I was joined by heavy traffic and eventually jumped onto side roads to try and lighten my mood a little.

I was riding through Kakamigahara when I was greeted by the sight of Sakura coming out on the trees, a lovely relaxing sight after mile upon mile of main roads, underpasses and trucks to be sure.

In hindsight I should have stayed here but I pushed on, trying to get past these densely populated areas and back into some countryside, I was missing Ina and the quiet of the mountains quite badly by this point.

I was soon losing daylight and needed somewhere to stay; with the sakura in bloom the parks became impossible to camp in, so after a quick check on Expedia I headed to the cheapest nearby hotel, a basic business hotel in Gifu-Hashima. I arrived exhausted just as the sun was setting and booked two nights to try to rest my legs that were now in agony.

Gifu-Hashima is an odd place – that is putting it very kindly. The town appears to be a collection of hotels, car parks, chain restaurants and mosquitoes, all centred around a Shinkansen station. During the daytime it felt like a ghost town, no local population, no wildlife with the exception of the aforementioned flying, biting kind, a very unsettling place and not one I was pleased to realise I had to spend another night in. The majority of my stay was spent in the hotel room sleeping and I believe that was time well spent…

I hit the road at 8:30 the next day wanting to be rid of the feeling of the town, within five miles the unease had lifted and I was glad to be back in the midst of humanity once more, to hammer the point home further I was treated to yet more Sakura, wiping the grime of the previous day away thoroughly.

Refreshed, I pressed on, heading towards Sekigahara. Now Sekigahara is a significant place in the history of Japan and the battle that took place here signalled the end of the Feudal era of Japan and the beginning of the 300 or so years of rule of the Tokugawa shogunate (also known as the Edo period or Edo Bakufu). The town itself lies on the top of a long slow climb at a point where the valleys narrow, reaching a natural bottleneck, and it was fascinating to ride through the area, following slight diversions to visit the places each encampment was based.

From here it was a nice descent heading towards Hikone, and the shores of Lake Biwa. With about two miles left before the shore line I felt a weave coming from the back of the bike; looking down, I could see the wheel had buckled slightly and after a close look found a broken spoke.

Thankfully it was not on the cassette side and I had spare spokes with me so after pushing the bike to a suitable repair spot I stripped the rear wheel and popped the new spoke in. Having never done this job before I was pleasantly surprised to find it only took half an hour and after a quick true of the wheel I was back on the road and on the shore of Biwa for the evening.

I woke the next day deciding to be a bit of a tourist. Hikone is famous for its castle that initially began construction on 1603 and today it is one of the oldest original construction castles in Japan. I headed to the castle mid morning and joined the large groups of tourists wandering through the museum and castle grounds. It is a stunning series of buildings and you really get a feel of the history of the place as you walk through it.

At around Midday I headed to the shore and joined the cycle path that circles the lake, loving the absence of traffic and being able to simply pedal along enjoying the view.

At around the 25-mile mark I found a suitable spot of the lake to stop for the night and set up my tent, watching the sun go down on the lake, listening to music, until the moon shone bright enough to light the hills on the opposite shore. One of those small magic times that makes the pain all worthwhile.

Sunset on Lake Biwa

Sunrise was just as spectacular.

The next day I was up early and on the road, I had loved Lake Biwa and was looking forward to cycling along it for some more miles before a planned day off in Kyoto exploring some temples I enjoyed visiting on earlier trips.  The remaining 15 or so miles along Biwa were a pleasure, watching people and birds fishing along the shore. Sadly I had to head away from the shore and start the climb over the two hills between Otsu and Kyoto, the climbs themselves weren’t too serious and I was enjoying the good feeling in my legs finally being able to get up a hill without pushing!

Unfortunately this wouldn’t last too long and on the second climb before the descent into Kyoto I had a spot of trouble: riding around a narrow bend on the climb, a car only saw me at the last minute, and due to oncoming traffic couldn’t give me enough room. Choosing between hitting the car and a wall, I decided that the wall was the better option and clattered against it in a heap.

I got up and dusted myself off, relieved to find no serious injuries other than some cuts to my legs from the spiky DMR pedals I use and a broken watch strap. The bike had fared slightly worse and along with a bent front luggage rack, one of my Ortlieb panniers was pretty much destroyed with a hole in the front and the mountings smashed beyond repair. After bending the rack back into shape and cable-tying the bag to it, I gingerly headed into Kyoto on adrenaline and parked up at my hotel.

To be continued…