We had breakfast in the dining room of a Hawaiian-used guesthouse facing a private beach, overlooking the ocean in the morning. The weather is brighter than yesterday's, and our expectations are high.

The forecast for the afternoon was cloudy, so we should have left earlier, but the location of the guesthouse was so nice that we stayed a little longer. The log house was spacious enough, so I want to come back with my family next time.

About 30km from the guesthouse, we spotted a fancy garage along the roadside. Since there was no place to stop for the next 20km to the next point, Cape Muroto, we were grateful for the opportunity to take a break. The cafe looked like a biker's rest stop, but the owner and his wife warmly welcomed cyclists as well. On the premises are a shelter dog and a cat. They are very friendly and I was also healed by them. We recharged our energy with cold colas and popsicles.

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About 10 kilometers from Rider's Paradise, a man-made structure resembling a school came into view. As the name " abandoned school aquarium" suggests, this building, which was originally an elementary school, was converted from a swimming pool and some classrooms into an aquarium where creatures from the surrounding seas are bred and exhibited. We only had time to see the harpoons for whaling, but supposedly there is also a place where visitors can grill and eat clams and other seafood.

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We met a cyclist who had ridden from Kochi City through Cape Muroto, so I asked him to tell us a good spot for taking pictures, and we went to Tsukimigahama beach. It was a park with rough rocks and waves crashing violently, but the weather was nice and pleasant. We took a picture for the thumbnail of my video.

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Lunch was at a coffee shop next to Cape Muroto. A (closed) elementary school, ice cream, the ocean, curry, and a day that felt like a summer vacation. The weather was perfect and sunny, so we re-applied sunscreen and headed to our next destination, Kiragawa.

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The second sightseeing spot today is the Kiragawa district, where Meiji-era buildings still remain. We went there for "Home Bakery Tokuya," a bakery famous for its bread, but regrettably it was sold out. It was a pity, but since we had been riding through the natural landscape up to this point, we were able to enjoy a slightly different atmosphere of the town.

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Initially, we had planned to ride National Route 55 for one day, but around Akano, Aki City, we found a road that looked like a cycling road parallel to the national highway. Upon further investigation, it turned out to be the Kochi-Aki Bicycle Path, which runs along the Tosa-Kuroshio Railway Gomen-Nahari Line to Nishihama, Aki City, near Kochi City, so we changed our plans and decided to ride this way. This wooded area of the path had fewer pedestrians and no traffic so we could cycle very comfortably.

After riding my bike for a while without seeing anyone, just when I was starting to miss people, a building appeared on my right. I glanced around and saw a lot of scarecrows! Apparently, this is a free rest stop where locals offer hospitality to pilgrims. It was a bit of a surprise, but it also made me realize how deeply rooted the culture of the pilgrimage is in Shikoku.

We stopped at the Tei Port Movable Bridge, a somewhat unique bridge that closes to traffic every time a ship passes by, causing the road to rise almost vertically, a visual I've only seen in movies and computer graphics. However, this bridge only moves seven times a day. Unfortunately we didn't get the timing right to see it in action

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I felt a sense of relief since I had been riding with a ticking time-bomb (rear tire bulge) up to this point. I was in a cold sweat when the staff at the store told me that I was "within a hair's breadth" of a flat tire. I asked the staff to change the rear tire and take both bikes back to the shop for maintenance. That was the end of our ride today. Tomorrow morning, we will start our ride by picking up our bikes again.

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From the Giant Store Kochi to the inn, we took the tram running through the city. Tsucchi, a light rail geek, was excited to get on the tram, but I was a little left out.

Today's lodging is a gorgeous hotel that also serves as a wedding hall. The two men wearing sandals and tight cycling jerseys carrying a plastic bag, who looked so out of place in the luxurious lobby, I couldn't help but take a picture of them.

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After entering Shikoku, I had already eaten two plates at "Bimbi-ya" and "Pension Shishikui," and I decided to go for the unique bonito tataki here as well. It was so fresh and fatty that it did not need garlic or strong condiments, which explains why it could be enjoyed with just salt. For some reason, the orange that accompanied the condiments is also said to be delicious when poured over the bonito. I don't know why, but at the time I didn't think to put it on, now I am curious to see how it tastes.

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