Was it an 18 or 20 tunnel day?

 Was it 18 tunnels, or 20 tunnels? It doesn't matter it was a lot of tunnels.

Days come, days go, and it is hard to remember and distinguish one day from the next.  The week has disappeared into the mind's mist. Since arriving in Hokkaido most mornings have been grey and misty with only the odd days when the sun breaks through.  The highlight of the week was Lake Toya, another caldera lake in the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, and it is said to be the northernmost lake in Japan that never ices.      

There was great deal of variability in our accommodation this week.  We spent a night in a hostel, sharing a 4 bed bunk room with barely enough room to put our panniers and 'stuff'.  There was a night in the forest in a 2 bedroom villa, and a night overlooking Lake Toya in a lovely guest house with a very gracious host.  There was a modern funky hotel that had 'pods' (which we didn't select) and a night in a small coastal hotel with tatami rooms.

On the ride to our forest villa we spent time in a beautiful park outside Nanae.  It was a drizzly day but the photos don't capture that. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next stop was at the hostel.  The mist was low when we left that morning, it was a short day, around 50k, and by the time we hit the coast the sun was out.  

 

 

Then there was the guest house overlooking Lake Toya, far from restaurants and convenience stores.  We arrived after 94km, an 800 m ascent, and and could not contemplate riding down the hill to buy food for dinner.  Luckily, our host came to the rescue, (as happens in Japan, so much hospitality) taking us to a look-out above the lake, to see some bunny rabbits (???) and then to the convenience store where we bought lots of food.  We were famished, I think our host was shocked to see the amount of food we consumed.   

The moods of Lake Toya, morning mist and full sun.

We had a rest day at Lake Toya and our host (photographed here) organized the day for us.  She arranged transport to a camping/walking area on the lake, then to a public onsen, to shop for food again and then we had a visit an ice-cream parlor, on a dairy farm, with ice-cream from Hokkaido milk.

It was a totally relaxing day: we got to see the lake, have an onsen, have farm fresh ice-cream, and best of all we didn't have to get on the bikes to do any of it.

The path around the lake was soft and gentle beneath our feet.

 The ride from Lake Toya to Niseko (the funky pod hotel) was around a Volcano and Keith took some great shots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This particular photo makes me think of Central America.  Volcanoes and lush vegetation.

The ride to Kamoeni was along the coast in very blustery wind but we arrived to find an Italian restaurant and our hotel just across the road from each other.  Both establishments were run by a cool guy who was a jazz guitarist, who rode a Harley and has recorded on Blue Note.  We didn't get his name!!

 

 

Waiting for a well earned lunch, and waiting to check in to our accommodation.

 

 

 

Kamoenai is on the opposite coast to Otaru.  The ride to Otaru began with an 11km ride from the ocean to the top of the mountain.  The grade was OK, around 5-8%, but it was a long slog, and as we got to the top of the climb one of the tunnels maxed out with a 12% grade.  Needless to say I walked quite a bit of that tunnel.

A couple of tunnel shots, the long hard ones are impossible to capture.  I just take the road and hold my nerve until the tunnel is done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the ride to Otaru our official tunnel counters, ie Eleanor and Pierre, estimate we rode between 18 and 20 tunnels.  With many of them quite long, between 1.5 to 3.7kms in length, we estimate that the ride included at least 15-18 Kms riding thru tunnels.  Most of them were not as nice as the one above, but luckily the long tunnels have cycle paths.  The noise however is incredible and disorientating.  The closer we got to the coast the longer the tunnels became and the louder the noise as the traffic increased.  The constant roar of traffic is stressful despite knowing that we are safely separated from the traffic.

One thing that really stands out in Japan is the food you can buy at supermarkets and convenience stores.  The convenience stores (read 7 Eleven) and the supermarkets have fantastic pre-prepared meals and salads and this has been extremely helpful when our accommodation is far from restaurants.  We stock up on the way and have a really good meal.  It is constantly surprising how good a 7/11 meal can be and we are getting quite savvy with our selections.  Last night, after another 80k ride we went to the supermarket below and bought, a fresh salad/coleslaw, sushi, roasted eggplant, friend chicken, veggie tempura and for desert, the best Hokkaido yoghurt, all for around 4,000 y, or $40 (Aus).

Our meal in Kamoenai was the best meal of the trip so far.  Dinner and breakfast were included in the price of our accommodation and it was a full Japanese meal including, sukiyaki, fresh sushimi, oysters, grilled fish, crab, miso, and.... I can't remember what else.

We are in Otaru on a rest day before an easy ride into Sapporo for a 4 day break, staying in the Grand Park Hotel, on the 18th floor, and the view and room are great.  

 

 

Lots of love,

S & K xx

 

 

Hurrah Honshu, Hello Hokkaido

 Another Saturday rolls around.  They come around very quickly and today is a rest day, our first day on Hokkaido, in the city of Hakodate.

It has been another memorable week.  Last blog I mentioned we were in Yurihonjo which is a town on the coast.  It drizzled most of the day but with a Typhoon down south our ride along the coast from Yurihonjo, to Akita, was very wet and very blustery. 

We had been hoping for sunshine and flat seas, but that was not to be.  It was head down all the way, no enjoying the relatively flat ride.  That is cycle touring.

The park overlooking the city is situated on the site of what was once Akita Castle.  It was constructed in 1604, and destroyed during the Meiji Restoration, and all that remains are some foundation and a reconstructed guard tower that provides a great view of the city. These parks are like the lungs of the cities and are popular with locals as a good place to exercise.

This particular park is  popular with runners and the uphill is not for the faint-hearted.  It was delightful to watch a group of fit young boys train.  Running up and down, following their coach's directives, yet still smiling and greeting us with Kon'nichiwa, and the odd hello.

From Akita we had two easy days on the flat, before heading to Lake Towada, the biggest caldera in Japan. 

 

The lake is 51 km in circumference and  is nestled high in the mountains. The ride was glorious, but challenging (as my expression shows), with a long climb of 16km.  The GPS promised an average 5% climb but in reality there were numerous stretches above 10%. 

 

I walked quite a lot that day and found the descent challenging as well.  On the final few kms to the hotel, on the foreshore of the lake, my legs felt like lead.

After an onsen it was all worth it, as this was the view.  We had a day's rest, which was sorely needed to give the legs time to recover before tackling the next ascent, over the mountains to Aomori, our last stop in Honshu.  It was an 82k day and it was spectacular.  The first 30k was a gentle downhill run, with 11 km through the Oriase gorge.  The Oirase Keiryu (mountain stream - (sourced from the lake)) winds its way to the Pacific Ocean and riding through it is indescribable. It is best to let the pictures do the talking!

Once again, the term Forest Bathing comes to mind.  We were bathed in the soft greenery and soothed by the water rushing downhill.  Even if riding here doesn't sound feasible I would highly recommend this area as a place to explore on foot.  I felt a little sad for the people on tourist buses, seeing it in momentary grabs, through the windows of the bus.

 It seems that pleasure and pain are never too far apart.  Next came  another climb, 14 km.  I wasn't looking forward to it but the grades of between 5%-8% were kinder than the ride we had done into Lake Towada and most of the climb was in shade, through the forest which helped.  The most challenging aspect of the day for me was the 30k descent into Aomori.  At the end of the descent my hands ached from clutching the brakes.  Downhills are not my forte, as many of you know, and the 4 of us pondered if we had ever done a longer descent.

On Friday 9th June we said farewell to Honshu and took the ferry from Aomori to Hokkiado.  It was a rainy day with gale force winds in Hakodate when the ferry berthed but luckily the ride to our comfortable hotel was only 6km, more or less. 

A new experience awaits, discovering Hokkaido.  Our first dinner was Chicken and Vegetable Curry Soup, which I have read is a staple in Hokkaido. It was delicious, and I am looking forward to trying many more of these curries/soups over the next few weeks.

Hakodate is a popular tourist destination on the water and it was the first port in Japans to open for foreign trade in the mid 1800s.  There seems to have been a lot of western influence with many of the early buildings more western looking that we have come across previously.  The photos below are of the red-brick warehouses, once used for trade but now a tourist attraction full of stores etc. and the 2nd photo is the reconstructed Town Hall which looks extremely European.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a couple of days exploring this new city we head off again tomorrow.  Hope we don't come across any bears!!

Lots of love,

Sue and Keith xx

To Tunnel or Not to Tunnel?

It has been a a time of hills, and more hills, and of time of learning to negotiating tunnels.  Tunnels are a blessing, as they save a lot of climbing, but they have taken some coming to terms with. To tunnel, or not to tunnel?  In reality there is no option, I have to gird my loins and head into the gloom.  

The first stop in the hills was at Nikko where we spent 2 days.  Nikko is a World Heritage/Ramsar site "famed for Toshigo, the Shinto Shrine  established in 1617 as a lavish memorial for Tokugawa Ieysu", the founding Shogun of the Edo Period. It is also a place of great natural beauty and National Parks.

 

The ride to Nikko was hard, it drizzled all day, it was our first day into the mountains, and there were no tunnels.  Close to the end of the day we had an 10 km, 800m ascent.  It was tough and except for a short section at over 12% I rode most of it.  To say I was pleased with my riding, is an understatement.  Then, there was one short sharp climb to the hotel and by the time we climbed off the bikes it was 5pm.

From Nikko it was another 80+ day to Mianamiaizu, our initiation into tunnels. They came thick and fast and the learning curve was steep.  Then on to Kitakata which we expected to be an easy day, it was only 68K.   But, a puncture, due to rim problems, put paid to that and it was after 4 when we rolled in.  However, we are discovering that an onsen soothes all.

Then, another 85k day to Kaminoyama.  The GPS showed 2000M+ of ascent but at the end of the day, with tunnels taking the peaks away, it came down to 600 M of climbing.  It was strenuous day, with road blockages, and re-routing. There were 6 tunnels, one of which was over 3km long, which seems much longer than that when you are in the tunnel.  The tunnels are usually well lit, but with the noise of trucks, cars and motorcycles bouncing off the walls, confidence is quickly shaken and you soon feel disorientated.  Where is that vehicle coming from, the sonic boom leaves you unsure if it is coming from behind or ahead?

To keep calm I chant to myself:  "just this moment, look ahead, stay on your line, claim the lane, keep peddling, breathe, breathe, breathe."

 

 

The weather on the way to Kaminoyama was warm, and by the time we got in I was done.  The rest day was a 2 onsen day, with no sight seeing, just a trip to 7/11 for coffee and lunch stuff. 

If you have never had an Onsen then you are missing out.  I love them, and so does my body after a day of climbing.  First a full body scrub, scouring every inch, then a long rinse so there is not a speck of soap on you, and finally you sink into the hot communal bath.  On tiring days what keeps me going? 'There is an onsen waiting"

The other reward, beside the onsens, is the stunning beauty.  The mountain passes and river valleys are sensational, covered in thick verdant forests

and on the flat there are rice paddies and market gardens.  The soil is volcanic and fertile and there are always flower patches.  Purple iris in particular abound, the national color for azaleas is pink, and there are even large peonies growing beside the road.

That brings you up todate.  Today we rode from Sakata on the coast to Yuriohongo and tomorrows ride promises to be VERY wet, thanks to Typhoon Mawar in Okinawa sending rain and humidity our way.

Before leaving Sakata a visit to the bike shop was mandatory as K had destroyed a tyre on the ride there.  The hotel manager showed up to make sure it all went smoothly and the warmth and pleasure in our endeavour was evident.  The Japanese people are invariable kind and courteous, so delightful.  It is this quality that makes cycling on busy roads less onerous.

Hope this finds you all well.

Lots of love,

Sue and Keith