Kenta-san's Travel Bookmarks
| 8:00 | Departure from an inn |
|---|---|
| 12:00 | Lunch at WUTOWURK |
| 13:15 | Passing through "Daibosatsu Touge" |
| 13:30 | Soft ice cream break at "Hiwasa" Roadside Station |
| 16:50 | The powerful Shishikuira fossil ripple scar |
| 17:00 | Arrival at "Pension Shishikui," end of today's ride! |
| 18:00 | Take a crab bath |
DAY 5 is over!
are based on
word of mouth.
Just before the start, a bulge in the tire...
The effects of daily long rides begin to show on the bike
While checking the bike before departure at the inn, I noticed a blister-like bulge in the rear tire. It was an old tubeless tire, and the surface of the tire had been worn down over the course of many days of riding, and the thinner part could not handle the internal pressure and appeared on the surface. I regretted not having put on new tires and was worried about a puncture, but I had put sealant in the tires beforehand, so I decided to start the day as is for now.
Rain forecast for the rest of the day
Undaunted, I just keep riding
The rainy season front had stalled in the Pacific Ocean, and we were riding in the rain from the start. I felt a little worse than the day before, but I was positive that the bad weather would be part of the trip, so I rode along Route 55.
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Impressive lunch full of Awa beef
WUTOWURK
Entering Anan City, we had lunch at a restaurant of our choice. The restaurant's most popular dish is the "meat-wrapped hamburger steak" using local Awa beef. As the name suggests, the sirloin is wrapped around the hamburger steak. The tender slices of meat with a sweet sauce and the hamburger steak that softly loosens and "disappears" in the mouth are impressive. The carrots that were casually added to the hamburger steak had a strong flavor, and as I ate it, I made up his mind that he would definitely revisit the restaurant someday.
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Coffee shop with a punchy appearance
Regrettably closed "Daibosatsu Touge"
Covered with ivy, the dubious brick building resembles the castle in the sky from Laputa, but it is actually a coffee shop. The name "Daibosatsu Touge" has a punchy name, and I was eager to drop in to see what people had to say about it, but alas, it was closed today.......too bad!
The sun is in sight and the tension is high.
Everything is in order.
Perhaps the wish of the "sunny man power" was answered, as the rain stopped, overturning the all-day rain forecast. Satisfied with lunch, the road conditions were good, and Kenta-san's spirits rose.
Sudachi soft serve ice cream break
Roadside Station "Hiwasa"
With 35km remaining in the day, we stopped at a roadside station for a rest. It was hot after the sun came out, so the sudachi soft-serve ice cream was very tempting. The magnificent Yakuoji Temple, the 28th temple on the pilgrimage, came into view, but with the hardship of climbing the steps at Konpira-gu Shrine fresh in our mind from the day before yesterday, we ate both in silence and unison.
Stop to admire the powerful rock face
Fossil ripple scar of Shishikuiura
Shortly before arriving at the guesthouse, a rough rock face appears on the right. The sheer force of it made me stop my bicycle. I later found out that it was a geological formation formed 30 to 40 million years ago, and was registered as a national natural monument, the "Fossil Ripple Marks of Shishikuiura".
Tires and weather winners and losers! Arriving at today's inn
Pension Shishikui
We arrived at a guesthouse full of country atmosphere. The weather and my rear tire had held out! Just when I thought it would, the skies opened up! We were relieved at our good fortune today. The log house where we stayed was handmade by the owner. The house has wide eaves, and we were happy to be able to leave our bicycles right in front of the house. It is fully equipped with four beds, a toilet, bathtub, and shower.
Crab Bath
Private bath next to a crab crossing
The private bath on the premises has a sign outside that reads "Crab Bath". One might imagine for a moment that crabs are boiling in the baths, but of course this is not the case. The baths overlook a private beach that has been turned into a cove and it is so called because you can see numerous small crabs crossing the site nearby.
Places we stopped this time
WUTOWURK
Daibosatsu Touge
Hiwasa
Fossil ripple scar of Shishikuiura
Where we stayed
Pension Shishikui
ROUTE
About the Day 5 route
From Tokushima, the route heads south through the city area and gradually enters the mountains around Anan. After a series of small ups and downs, the goal was reached in Shishikui.
Distance traveled: 96 km
Elevation Gain: 615m
Travel time: 9 hours
Weather: rainy, sunny
Today's side-trip video
Here's what happened on the other days!
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DAY 1
Matsuyama City - Imabari City Area
Distance travelled: 50km
Day 1 begins with the start of the ride, moving and assembling. After praying for a successful trip at Matsuyama Airport, we set off for Imabari. We enjoyed a nice ride while enjoying local recommendations and B-class gourmet food at a restaurant overlooking the sea, but then we ran into a bike store due to mechanical trouble. Fortunately, it was not a big problem, and we were able to inspect the bike before the long-distance ride started in earnest, so it turned out to be a good first day.
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DAY 2
Imabari City - Kannonji Area
Distance travelled: 103km
Finally, the full day of riding begins in the morning. We'll be touring the manufacturing process of Imabari towels, now a global brand, and taking in the sights of giant old coin sand paintings, while also going on a gastronomic expedition of ramen, melon dessert, and coffee, plus a surprise meeting with a fan, and lots of fun!
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DAY 3
Kannonji - Takamatsu Area
Distance travelled: 83km
Kagawa and Takamatsu are a treasure trove of famous sightseeing spots and gourmet foods, such as Mount Kompira, the Great Seto Bridge, and udon noodles. We changed from cleats to sandals, climbed 1,300 steps to visit the shrine, and rode to get udon for breakfast and lunch. It was a day of riding in Shikoku!
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DAY 4
Takamatsu - Tokushima area
Distance travelled: 96km
Day 4 with the first support rider of this trip, "Carson-kun". Despite the rainy season finally baptizing the day, the riders will head through the Takamatsu-Tokushima area at cruising speed, enjoying exquisite granola, a sumptuous seafood lunch, fashionable sweets, Tokushima ramen, and more.
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DAY 5
Tokushima - Shishikui Area
Distance travelled: 96km
Before we left, I found something wrong with my tires and had to ride the entire day with a time bomb. In addition, rain was forecast, and we thought it was going to be a hard day, but we were lucky to have a great lunch, good road conditions, and the rain held off! We arrived at a guest house with a private beach and toasted our good fortune.
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DAY 6
Shishikui - Kochi Area
Distance travelled: 124km
Finally, the trip is about to turn around. We hit Route 55 and headed for Kochi via the UNESCO-designated Geopark Cape Muroto. The 124-km ride, the longest of the 11-day itinerary, was underway. We rode along the coast in fine weather, but a bulge in the rear tire had been a source of concern since yesterday. We finally made it to the bike store and were relieved!
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DAY 7
Kochi City - Tosa-Kure area
Distance travelled: 74km
We will continue to ride around in the second half of the day with our well-maintained bicycles in great shape. Today's support rider, Saito-san, provided us with a perfect local guide, and we were able to enjoy not only Katsurahama Beach, but also Kochi's largest morning market, a tour of powerful local industries, and a run-through of local delicacies.
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DAY 8
Tosakure - Nakamura Area
Distance travelled: 116km
Today's ride is down the Shimanto River, the longest first-class river in Shikoku. We will ride to a sunken bridge surrounded by mountains and clear water with a break for shiitake mushrooms and a cafe overlooking the Shimanto River! The weather, pleasant route, and spectacular views all combine to make this Shikoku trip the best yet!
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DAY 9
Nakamura - Otsuki City Area
Distance travelled: 112km
We finally have three days left on our trip. Today, we will change our itinerary completely and head for Kashiwa Island, which has received a lot of recommendations. When we get there, the sea is unbelievably beautiful! We were satisfied with the sudden change in our itinerary and marveled at the unfathomable charms of Shikoku, which we might not be able to fully explore in a single trip around the island.
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DAY 10
Otsuki City - Uwajima City Area
Distance travelled: 62km
Kenta-san has finally reached the end of his trip and returned to Ehime, the prefecture of his departure. Today was the second shortest daily itinerary, but he had plenty of time to enjoy Uwajima's specialties for lunch and dinner, and almost bought a piece of bonito at a roadside station he stopped at along the way. It was a day to get in shape for the last leg of the ride.
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DAY 11
Uwajima City - Matsuyama City Area
Distance travelled: 106km
The last leg of our 11-day cycling tour is finally over. After a hill climb at the beginning of the ride, passing a roadside station that boasts the largest selection of ancient creatures and orange juice in Japan, and an emotive unmanned train station, we finally reached the goal! After getting out of the saddle, we will continue to enjoy Matsuyama City without any worries.