October 30, 2007
Day 23: Kobe to Himeji: A visit to the crane castle
Leaving Kobe, we continued west on the coast highway for about 20 miles before the suburbs tapered off and we left the non-stop city. Before this though, we did pass one major sight - the immense Akashi Kaikyo Bridge. This giant, with an overall length of about 2 ½ miles, is the world's longest suspension bridge. Its central span alone is over a mile long, making it about half again the length of the Golden Gate.
It was with relief when at midmorning we arrived at the beginning of a cycle path that took us all the way to Himeji, the day's destination. After experiencing some fine cycle paths earlier in our tour, I'd been looking forward to this one - but in fact the riding felt much like the previous day had - it was really just another sidewalk, passing directly under the shinkansen (bullet train) line for about 20 miles.
By mid-afternoon we arrived at Himeji, another important stop on the touring circuit - it is the site of a tremendous medieval castle, rated as the finest in Japan. It really is quite striking - an almost eerie white, with multiple keeps and a very complex structure. We spent a few hours wandering around the grounds, touring the castle, and enjoying the great views from the top.
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Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 904 miles (1,455 km)
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