We were so lucky that there was room for us at Ebino Su. This charming Japanese Inn has been around a long time, oozes character and has given us a memorable stay..
A dining area for guests for dinner and breakfast. As we were not scheduled guests, we were not able to join them, but we had a nice spot on our balcony to eat our own food.
It feels like we talk about serendipity a lot, but maybe that’s because the flexibility of travel allows one to change plans and then discover that somehow it was meant to be that way, all along We are so close to Otsu, our starting point and the end of the Lake Biwa loop. Our plan has been to cycle from Otsu to Nagoya to take the ferry to Hokkaido where we will stay for our final month of this trip. Enjoying a relaxed evening in our room, we reminisced about how much we have loved the ride here. Thinking about getting to Nagoya, one of Japan’s three largest cities and the unending urban sprawl that that entails as well as a busy sizeable port, we began to reassess our plan. Plus, the route from Nagoya to Hokkaido is a 40 hour journey with a 3 hour stopover in Sendai. Out came our ipad and we looked at alternatives. Tsuruga which has ferries to Hokkaido is only about 50 Km north from here and there are a few choices of routes. So we decided to turn around and head north. For once on Lake Biwa, we chose the fast route which is on the road and made great time. Then came the difficult part…28 Km of climbing to a ski area and then the fast descent to the Sea of Japan. The climbing isn’t what worried us, it is the fact that this is the route for freight trucks to reach the coast as well. It looks like walkers can use this route, so we are hoping for sidewalks if traffic is heavy.
As we are now heading north and will be leaving Lake Biwa, it seemed to be a good time to share our maps and a view of where he have been and where we are going.
Lucky we found this map in Kyoto at the Tourist Office…invaluable.
This map shows the route of Lake Biwa and the road we took to Tsurga. Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan and is ancient, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th oldest lake in the world. The shape of Lake Biwa resembles the shape of a stringed instrument called the biwa. It is a reservoir for Kyoto and Otsu and drinking water for 15 million people..
Knee pain and the connective pain on my outer calf has been flaring up lately. I have been getting relief from these amazing patches with anti inflammatory ingredients etc in them. They are cooling and are helping my bad knees and Barry’s back. May bring some home.
Barry BartlettHi Susan
No it isn’t. We see that most items here are Japanese made. Rarely is the brand or label recognizable. Google translate is a lifesaver. I have found these to give me better relief for the problems I have and this one stayed on well even with sunscreen. I will add a photo of the package on this journal page so that you can find them. Reply to this comment 10 months ago
Combined with the heat and humidity of the day and the unforgiving immediate ascent from Lake Biwa, we got winded easily and it was tough going. A quick stop at a Michi-no-eki and we were off again.
Our best advice to cyclists travelling here, never pass by a Michi-no-Eki. They are worth the stop…free wifi, bathrooms, local tourist info and a focus on local crafts, produce etc. They can also be a good spot to wild camp with amenities close by.
Did I mention that Michi-no-Ekis always have fresh soft ice cream. Today they added fresh strawberry topping. Yum. Just what we need for the climb…right?
At times the traffic was tough. The sidewalk we were hoping for deteriorated quickly and we were forced to take the road. The truck drivers are pros and very respectful yet there were places, especially on the bends on the road where we had to pull off often.
Waiting to rejoin the road after our break. A ways to go.
We could see truck drivers on their radios warning their colleagues of our presence (we imagine). I was surprised that some of them waved to us in encouragement and none gave us any grief. Somehow it worked, but I wouldn’t want to do it again. Once we reached the ski area, our descent was fast and winding…grateful for our Sturmey Archer drum brakes which allowed us to pump the brakes as needed with confidence.
We are at the high point and will now descend…yeah.
These two fellows joined us. They are on a business trip here and have just arrived from Tokyo by the Shinkansen high speed train. We really enjoyed visiting with them.
In no time we were at sea level and we could see that we had made the right choice. Tsuruga is a small city of 80,000 people with the sea as its focus. From here we have the choice of taking the ferry from Tsurga to Tomakomai (south Hokkaido) or riding west along the coast to Maizuri and taking the ferry to Sapporo. We are pretty tired, so we’ll sleep on it. An incredible day.
Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles) Total: 1,373 km (853 miles)
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Susan JamesDid you mean to say "Nagoya" rather than "Nagano"? I am so impressed with your willingness to assess the situation and make new plans. We have plans to visit Hokkaido for 2 weeks in August with our bikes but I have every hotel booked already and no room for adjustments. I'm taking a clue from you and trying your way next time. Reply to this comment 10 months ago
