After a lot of climbing in the past days, we decided to stay in Odai for 2 nights. Our bodies need a break and the wound on my leg continues to be a concern. Despite all efforts, it is taking its time to heal. We stayed at the Fairfield by Marriott in Odai, which is lovely and is the most comfortable, relaxing place. We have stayed at this chain on Kyushu, a previous trip…should be fun.
This couple from the Netherlands are staying at the hotel as well for a few days. We spent a wonderful evening visiting with them while having dinner in the lounge. They are in Japan for 3 weeks and will be hiking sections of the Kumano Kodo route. We wish them well on their adventure. Spending time with them reminded us why we love the Netherlands so much.
We have included a few photos of the Fairfield by Marriott Hotel. We like their approach to hospitality in providing space that encourage you to stretch out and use common areas as well as your room.
As you can see the lounge is comfortable and an interesting space to relax. The lounge and the outside seating area are comfy and inviting. Unlike most lounges at hotels, this area is well used by guests for visiting, having a meal or just relaxing. The Japanese garden outside is a great spot to have your morning coffee. Two birds entertained us while having a bath in the water feature.
We have stayed at this chain of hotels once before on Kyushu. Each of these hotels decorate the lounge with artifiacts and pieces that reflect the culture of its location. Two items of note are the fan painted with lacquer and the board of hand made nails that are used in the building of temples and shrines.
The kitchen area in the lounge is well used. Everything you need is here….toaster oven, microwave, ice machine, coffee machine etc. The rooms offer amenities for cooking, but the lounge offers as well as seating.
The location of the hotel is perfect for us. A walk of 50 metres take you to a Michi- no-Eki, a large grocery store and small shops. Our layover allowed Barry to do some much needed maintenance on the trikes. We found our stay here to be so relaxing, a mini holiday on our travels.
We stopped at a Family Mart for a few supplies and a family we met were very curious about who we are and what we are doing. We chatted for a long time…I think he likes my trike…as you can see he looks pretty comfortable.
As we were about to leave, the woman came out of the store with two bags of candy for us. I asked her if she would also like to try my trike. At first she was shy about trying it, but once she got on, she laughed and really enjoyed herself.
We have seen much evidence of logging in this area. Unlike, where we live, the logs that go on the trucks are about 1/4 the length of what we see at home. At home, it is intimidating to ride alongside a loaded truck, but here the logs are on a smaller truck and the driver is friendly, giving us space and waving out the window to us.
We are having a great ride today. We are passing through beautiful countryside, fields of tea and the verdant hills with the mountain of this region providing a lovely backdrop. We haven’t seen many rice fields on this trip as we are usually following the coast.
This rural area with small towns has abundant farmland and lovely traditional homes like this. Beautiful manicured trees is a pleasure to see.
We are riding through an area known for tea production. On our last trip riding through a tea growing area, we saw these long poles with propeller like fans….perhaps creating energy. As well, the rice season is just starting. Families are busy working in the fields.
Since our hotel is on route 42 and not on the cycling route we have been trying to find it. Crossing this lovely river got us back on course. We will be following this quite a while which gives us nice breezes and rolling hills, unlike the bigger climbs of the past week.
We have in Ise, Mie Prefecture, our destination for today. It is home to the Ise Grand Shrine, the most sacred Shinto Shrine in Japan. Ise is known for its fresh and tasty cuisine. Lobster is the most popular seafood in Ise. If you are adventurous, you can try their signature lobster flavoured soft serve ice cream. We have already tried soy sauce soft serve, so we may try it. Regarding this tall figure, we are not sure who he is here, but it must have some significance.
Tomorrow, we will take a ferry from Toba to Cape Iragi to continue our journey to Tokyo. The ferry ride makes it feel like we are starting a new leg of our journey. When we reach Iragi, we will be in a new prefecture.
Today's ride: 38 km (24 miles) Total: 523 km (325 miles)
Steve Miller/GrampiesDodie here. As a nurse may I suggest you avoid the Onsens until your leg is much further along on the healing process. Immersing the wound in water, especially in a communal space, is not a good plan. Keep the area as dry as possible, limit shower time (avoid baths for now) and maybe consult a pharmacy or even a medical clinic. I must admit I have felt concern in seeing your leg still covered with a dressing after this length of time, but there is poor circulation to the shin and wounds there tend to be slow to heal. Maybe leave the area uncovered between arrival at a hotel and bedtime to allow air to dry things. Excuse my unsolicited suggestions, it comes from a place of concern. Reply to this comment 4 days ago
Barry BartlettHi Dodie
Thank you so much for your concern and sending me your thoughtful email. No excuses necessary. The wound has been a brute to heal and a concern. I am happy to share that the wound is finally starting to heal…for too long it was open and quite unpleasant with some oozing. I have a sister who is a retired nurse and I can tell you she was not as tactful in her advice! I appreciated your advice regarding Onsens, bathing etc. I have been afraid to ride without covering it but now it is open to the air most of the time. I was never so happy to see a scab form. I did see a pharmacist and he shared my thought that I am finally healing.
Your trip looks lovely and makes me yearn to return to that part of France someday. Take care. Thanks again for your thoughts. We cyclists must stick together.
Regards from Toyohashi Japan Reply to this comment 2 days ago
Steve Miller/GrampiesTo Barry BartlettThe combination of sister and nurse can be a killer. Very glad to hear that things are improving, although slowly. You are right, we cyclists (and others) need to stick together! Reply to this comment 2 days ago
