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