I ride up and down the usual Shikoku mountains for the first half of the day. Nothing memorable. The usual near miss balancing act between cars and ditches.
The Inner Sea
Finally, I find myself out of the mountains .....and smack in the middle of a gorgeous sea. The sun shines on the flat surface of the water, making it sparkle like a million little jewels. The air is salty and the people are all smiling. It's no wonder....I'd be smiling too if I had to see this view everyday.
I ride for some time. After pedaling hard all day, I finally enjoy myself a bit as I have extra time. I am trying to get to Yawatahama and catch the 5:30pm ferry to Beppu, Kyushu.
As I gently stroll down the coast, I am overwhelmed with how much beauty exists in this world. I laugh, giggle, talk to myself and the sea, and downright act silly as I ride. I feel like a million bucks. Plus....in the last few days, I have been thinking about how close I am to the end....and each time, my mood bursts into positive. I am loving these last few days.
I smile and bow at each inhabitant. At a little stop, I meet an old man I saw earlier. He followed me to give me some delicious oranges! So kind....I am famished!!
Not Alone for Once
As I continue on, I end up seeing a foreigner on bike. I wave him down as our two roads meet. His name is Tristan, from England, traveling to Fukuoka from Tokyo! We instantaneously become good buddies and decide to travel together for the rest of Shikoku.
It is weird traveling together. We are both used to being the lone wolf. Together, we talk as we ride, talking about random stuff. Although strange, it's nice to see how it would be to travel in company. Next trip, I am definitely traveling in a pack.
The Last Ferry to the Last Island
We arrive at the port just as the sun sets beautifully on the horizon. Hugged by mountains and disappearing behind the flat sea, the sun turns the sky into a wonderful hue of red and orange. The breeze is cold, but comfortable from a whole day of sunshine. We board finally and pass out for about two hours.
Kushu...At Last!
Finally! We get off and I find myself in the island I have been thinking and dreaming of for months and months. Kyushu. Wow....I can't believe it. I would always say to people that I was going to Kyushu while on the road. But now I am here....I am going to have to be more specific.
The air is a lot warmer. Palms greet my arrival. The people are a bit louder and more vivacious. I feel completely energized!
Izakaya
An izakaya is a little Japanese style bar that also serves food. We enter, order for 4 people, and eat...after a long day of cycling. We joke with the locals and the owner.
Eventually, I meet Megan and Ken and the station. She is a friend of Natalie's who agreed to let me stay at her place tonight. Ken is hungry.....so where do we go? Back to the izakaya we just left.
Particularly Drunk
Long story short, I am in such good mood that, instead of resting my body, I start drinking Shochū, a potent local drink sort of like Sakē. We make more friends with locals and everyone at the izakaya is joking and drinking together.
Ken and Megan have work tomorrow so they leave, but first she draws me a map. My phone is dead and so this will be our ticket home. And she even offered to let Tristan come too! I am glad because he was going to camp in a nearby park.....and I sure do know how that feels like.
Terrible Karaoke
We are brought by two locals to a karaole joint. Inside, the air is smokey and the sounds are off tune. We sit but me and Tris soon look at each other and realize we have fallen into a money-trap. 30 bucks just to sit, ugly women around trying to pour you drinks, I can't find any songs I like in the bible-sized catalog of songs so I sing everyone else's. Needless to say, the 20 or so people that fill this ugly spot manage to see me make a total fool of myself as I don't know any of the words. My voice is squeaky and off from riding in the cold all day...and eventually, my mike is taken away from me to spare the poor ears of these people. I sounded terrible.....I am thoroughly drunk, but I can tell I sounded terrible....how bad must I really have sounded to everyone, I wonder as I sit dow, having brought shame upon my name.
We look at each other and manage to leave the man-trap. We ride our bikes (well, mostly walk them) (...well, mostly stumble around with them). Miraculously, we reach Megan's and crash. Lovely day. Way too long though! Tomorrow, a rest day in the town of onsens!
115km
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