The last few days of riding have reaffirmed that we have gotten stronger on this trip. We have pushed ourselves harder and despite a 3 year hiatus from travelling due to Covid, and getting close to 70, we feel that the joys and challenges of travelling independently are not behind us. Buying our trikes at the beginning of the pandemic and riding on our island most days, plus working out with our dear friend/personal trainer Leslie 3 x’s a week kept us strong. The biggest change is staying in more hotels and sometimes staying in one place for a few days. We both agree that touring without a motor is not happening again for us. At the beginning of our trip, Barry struggled for almost a month with a non-functioning motor on hilly Kyushu….never again!
Our trikes found shelter at the front door of the hotel through the rainy night. We like having large backpack covers on our trikes to protect them from the elements and also to make them more stealth.
Charmaine RuppoltGood idea to have the large backpack covers over the trikes. :) I see the sort of thin chain lock - - I assume crime isn't as much in Japan? Reply to this comment 9 months ago
After checking in last night, we made our visit to the public bath at the hotel our first order of business. Hot, sweaty and tired, the rituals of a Japanese bath restored our sense of well being….followed by dinner in our room.
The entrance to the bath, with separate entrances for men and women….leave your outside shoes on the shelves before entering. Then you leave your clothes and towels, etc in a basket and proceed to the bathing area.
First you bathe at your own cubicle….quality toiletries are always supplied and then, you submerge in the bath, with the temperature of the water around 40 degrees C.
The Japanese bath/Onsen is something we will both miss when we leave Japan. It is hard to explain its impact if you haven’t experienced it, but the effect is transformative. You feel so clean, relaxed and the usual aches and pains are lessened.
Barry BartlettNot a silly question. It was a learning curve for me. Yes, you are naked. It didn’t take me long to become comfortable. Japanese women have done this all their lives from when they are infants. It is natural to them. They are very respectful and in a strange way you feel like you have privacy as no one violates that. I have heard that there are some that have a bathing suit option, but we never found one. Some older women occasionally use their small towel as a privacy option, but I saw this only a few times. Feel free to ask more ?’s if you like. Reply to this comment 9 months ago
Typically a hotel stay offers guests much more than we are used to at home. Many hotels offer public baths, kimonos or yukatas are provided for going to the bath and lounging in your room (some hotels encourage wearing it to breakfast as well), extensive provision of amenities, kettle..coffee and refrigerator in the room, laundry machines and many provide free breakfast buffet.
The trikes are ready to roll…we are on our way early. The only problem is the continuing unrelenting heat and humidity. We may get some rain today, and that could be a relief.
The city of Ksutsu has created this green space with these walking and cycling routes down the middle of a residential area. It is a great concept and is well used. This morning, teenage girls are practicing their dance routines (huge activity for teens), children are playing with their parents, older groups are heading out for hikes. It is a busy well used space.
And here we are…on the banks of Lake Biwa. We loved our time here earlier on the trip when we rode and stayed around the lake before heading to Hokkaido. It feels good to be back. Locals use the area to have day visits or camp (free) along the lake. If we had the time, we would stay here a few days. But we must get on to Osaka.
The blue line signifies that you are riding on the Lake Biwa Trail. We are heading for the bridge that will take us across the lake to the town of Otsu where we will being our ride south.
This fisher is not alone in his pursuit of this popular hobby…many are out fishing today. The haze obscures the view and air feels so heavy, almost electric. Even riding by the water, the heat so early in the day is making us wonder if we will make the distance we planned.
Barry has once again created a route for us on Ride with GPS. This cycling based site ensures that where possible we will avoid heavy traffic and highways. We know that after we leave the lake, there will be a very steep climb (on the grid it looks like a cliff), but the good thing is we go straight up (about 300 m) and then we go straight down. The rest of the day looks like clear sailing.
A lovely start to the climb with these traditional buildings, an artistic centre…
The sign reads..No illegal dumping. 5 years or less imprisonment. A fine of up to 1 million yen. A fine of up to 300 million yen for corporations. This tells us that we are going into a secluded area on this climb. Away we go.
At the bottom was a Lawson’s Convenience Store where we enjoyed a well deserved ice cream and coffee. These dogs were very curious about Barry and wanted to visit…but when he pulled out his camera, they had moved on.
The climb and descent were over before we knew it. It took a bit of time to climb and we went down in a few minutes. It was lovely with a few homes and only one scooter going up and a jogger coming down.
This dentist at this practice is clearly a cavity fighting super hero.
#&%@! We are back in Kyoto region where we are not welcome…and by that I mean not only trikes, but upright touring bikes with panniers as well. It is so hot, we would love to be by the river. This system of barriers extends for a long way so we will have to regroup and figure out a different way to go.
We got stuck on a bad stretch of highway and we’re trying to find our way to a side road when this fellow pulled over. He saw our Cdn. Flag and was quite excited as he is from St. Catherine’s Ontario. He has lived in Japan for over 20 years.
This is funny. When you are feeling sorry for yourself (stuck on a busy road), the prospect of a sweet treat is tempting. To Barry’s dismay..this is a Love Hotel not a place for dessert.
Oh yes, we have been here before earlier in the trip, before we found out that we would be barred from the bicycle route along the River. Imagine, if we had access as one can cycle all the way to Kyoto for 50 Km from north of Osaka to Kyoto. We are reminded that we felt that cyclists were not too popular in the city of Kyoto before. There are a lot of rules posted and the Tourist Office warned us to be careful as fines are often given to cyclists if you park or ride in some areas. We prefer Osaka!
We are almost back to Osaka. It has been an incredible ride…mostly highs, a few lows. It feels great to be back in a city that feels so familiar and welcoming.
Today's ride: 81 km (50 miles) Total: 2,629 km (1,633 miles)
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Ron SeguinHi Barry and Mary Ellen
I’ve enjoyed the journal so much, especially since in exactly 5 weeks, I’ll be bound for Japan myself!
As part of my training, I’m going to try a couple of overnighters at Ruckle park to try out the camping gear, and of course to work on hill climbing! If you’re around, it would be great if I could pick your brains over lunch.
Hope the flight home goes smoothly.
Ron Reply to this comment 9 months ago
Charmaine RuppoltI enjoyed reading your long journal with all the pictures and descriptions. :) Maybe one day I will bike there as well! Reply to this comment 9 months ago
Barry BartlettWe are happy that we piqued your interest. Japan, despite some challenges and lack of infrastructure (like Europe) is amazing. We hope to return soon. Reply to this comment 9 months ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesSome trivia. The Americans formed a committee to suggest targets for their nuclear strike in 1945. Kyoto was on top of the list, but it got vetoed because of its cultural significance. Reply to this comment 9 months ago
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