Third Time's a Charm - The Idiot Returns to Japan

[Noel Mugavin]

10 days before I take off, 3 years between drinks. Bit on the road less travelled this time round; Shikoku, cycling the Shimanami Kaido, wandering the southern tip of Kii Peninsula, ryokan-ing in Yamagata Prefecture, driving the Sanriku Coast, and a visit to a couple of little towns in Aomori. Looking forward to being back on the horse.

 

[elanshin]

That's one epic sounding trip. Hope you have a great trip. Shikoku is the last major area that I haven't travelled to in Japan having ticked off a lot of Tohoku recently.

 

[drron]

Sounds wonderful except for the cycling. I have had no balance all my life so a 2 wheeler was a waste of money. As an older kid I had the largest tricycle around.
All the best. It is best to get off the usual tourist path which is why we drive around quite often now.

 

[VPS]

Always enjoy your TR

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Hasn't taken long for the idiocy to appear. Booked Qantas to Tokyo, which includes an overnight in Singapore, all on the one ticket. Stupid me, thinking on the same ticket/booking, bags would be checked all the way through to Tokyo and no need to enter Singapore. Booked the Aerotel for 8 hours as I'm way too old to sleep on an airport floor.
Check in at Perth, agent tells me can't book the bag through to Tokyo as it's on a different carrier, will have to pick up my bag and enter Singapore. Too late to cancel my Aerotel and get a refund. Looks like I'll head to Jewell and either try Yotel or try and find a corner to get a few hours.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Made it to Singapore, filled the online entry form on the way to picking up my bag. 2 minutes to get through immigration, bags out in 5, then straight through customs. Landed in Terminal 1, so spat out straight into Jewel. Half hearted effort to research hotels, in the end, got myself a room at Yotel $244 for the night. In the mean time, Aerotel replied and thanked me for my kind understanding that they weren't going to refund me anything.
Back to Perth and rather a sad International Departure area on the Qantas side. 1 duty free shop, 1 coffee shop, couldn't get a coffee as their coffee machine was knackered, and a convenience store that opened about an hour before boarding.
Uneventful flight, drink runs were quite frequent.
Jewel is impressive, however it is just 1 huge shopping centre.
Photos at some stage when I get to reduce their sizes.
Early morning departure tomorrow on JAL.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Pre-Departure, the boss knew something was up.


All good when I let her know her kelpie friend would be staying over for a couple of weeks

 

[stm1sydney]

Booked Qantas

Fingers crossed that was your only mistake. Best wishes for the trip.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Qantas International Terminal, not much there

Don't remember much about the flight to Singapore, was on an A330, had an aisle seat, so all good.
Scramble to do my electronic entry requirements to Singapore on the walk to immigration. no dramas, 2 minutes through immigration, then about 5 minutes until my bag came out.
Bit of a wander around Jewell


Booked a room at Yotel, on the 4th floor I think. Very small, very comfortable, about 250 for the night.
Went out and had some dinner, then a not of exercise by walking between the 3 terminals, then off to bed

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Up at about 5, checked out, grabbed a coffee and got my 10 000 steps in walking between the terminals before a 8.00am flight,



JAL 767, leg room was extremely generous, so much so my albeit waif like Japanese Seatmate was able to move out into the aisle without me having to move.
Arrived at 4.10, and the Captain announced the Sakura were currently blooming in Tokyo. I had nil interest in sakura, however something triggered in my brain after gearing the announcement and i was suddenly determined to view sakura.
Immigration was a nightmare. Over an hour in line in the little holding room, snaking line hardly moving, Once you got to the gates, was very quick and easy with the QR codes. Bags had been stored neatly by the side of the baggage claim, customs was quick and easy, however the frustration wasn't over yet.
Firstly to pick up my Sim card, extremely pleased with myself, asking for directions from the information desk entirely in Japanese. A long way from my first trip where i was armed with just arigato.
20 minutes gone by, then to pick up my JR Pass. Well over an hour in line. More than frustrated by now.
On the NEX, which unbelievably was delayed. Finally got to Shinagawa Station at 8.38. Not much going on.



Shinagawa Tobu Hotel, picked due to it's proximity to the Shinkansen. Comfortable bed, brought my own pillow with me.



Pretty knackered by this stage, grabbed a konbini chicken breast for dinner, then hit the sack.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

On the Shinkansen at Shinagawa at around 7.30. Plenty of leg room.





Most of my time was spent trying to spot sakura out of the train. Fuji was hidden behind dense cloud, so no go there.
Change at Shin-Osaka to Okayama, then another change to a local to Kurashiki
Views form both entrances




Strolled down to the historical quarter, quick stop for some fried chicken on the way. This place was doing a booming trade. Little 2 person operation, quick, cheap and delicious.


Was aiming for the canal area, took a wrong turn somewhere, wasn't such a bad thing

 

[Quickstatus]

different carrier, will have to pick up my bag and enter Singapore

Thanks for the TR

Not because it was a different carrier. Likely because you were overnighting.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

The canal









Back to the station, luggage out of the lockers and on a local on to Onomichi. To be honest I hadn't really felt the Japan vibe yet, however that all changed as coming out of a bend and sighted Onomichi. Beautiful setting on the coast.
Green Hill Hotel, directly on the waterfront


Had spotted a ropeway on my way in, and that was the plan for the next couple of hours, so dropped the bags and started the walk toward the base station


Start of the Shimanami Kaido, the reason I was in Onomichi

 

[rbjhan]

Last year I was in Kurashiki and the whole canal area felt like a big theme park...a very nice one but still!

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Headed over the railway line to a set of stairs, thinking was go up a flight, then go laterally until I get to the ropeway station. Major flaw in my plan, the stairs just kept going up, with no opportunity to walk laterally to the ropeway. Just went with it and kept climbing upwards. Some very nice views along the way












To the top, where the ropeway finishes







And the highest point

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Some nice views from the top, green roofed building is the Green Hill Hotel







Headed down, and having read all of Chopper Reid's books, though I was well qualified to head down the Path of Literature













Having made my way down to street level, Onomichi was now quite deserted. Continued wandering, grabbed a chicken breast and salad for dinner and had an early night.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Up for an early morning walk around and a couple of soft boiled eggs from 711 for breakfast

At 8.30 headed to the shopping street and the Ta-q-bin store to forward my bag to Imabari
Back to the hotel, checked out and off to start the cycle of the Shimanami Kaido.

Bike rental place was next door to the hotel, had pre-booked my bike via their facebook page. To get to the bike drop off point in Imabari, would be about 80km, and had planned to do the ride over 2 days. Cost of the bike for the 2 days was 4000yen, plus a one way drop off fee of 1100 yen.


To get from Onomichi to the first island, Mukaishima, need to take the ferry which departs from the jetty which is about 20 metres from the hotel. Cost of 110yen

My trusty steed


Ferry runs about every 20 minutes

View back to Onomichi and the hill top viewing deck that i scrambled up to the day before


Mukaishima dock

Ferry going back

And away I go. First 10 - 15 minutes is amongst a pretty busy street but the traffic soon filters out to virtually nothing. Blue line keeps you on track throughout the the trail.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Traffic becomes sparse very quickly, and the busy street is replaced with serene water views.


Citrus is a mainstay of most of the islands on the ride

Quite a bit of bridge cough in this report

1st bridge and the first climb. In a few of the you tube clips I had watched, many of the riders really struggled with the climbs and commented how difficult they were





Signs along the way let you know your progress
Bike lane is under the roadway on Innoshima Bridge. And as for the difficulty of the climb, the you tubers I watched spend way too much time on their backsides editing video. Very easy climb.


Beautiful views on the other side of the bridge. Bit of a yarn with an American fella, just retired and on a trip with his wife to visit their son at one of the US Air Force bases. Did insult me at first when he mistook me for a South African.

Quick toilet break, then headed along the coast of Innoshima Island.


Flat and easy ride, little traffic, bit of agriculture and a bit of industry, interspersed with a few little villages. Stop to take my jumper off, bit of a mixed English/Japanese conversation with an old Japanese bloke intrigued by the bike.
The next bridge.

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Was a nice casual ride, took about an hour until the next bridge.



Viewing/rest stop along another very gentle climb

Water was a stunning blue

Across the Ikuchi Bridge into Ikuchi Island, and on to my day 1 stop in Setoda

A bit more traffic on Ikuchi Island, however there was a footpath you were able to get onto and ride quite freely. After getting through a somewhat built up area, the beaches appear again

I was a couple of hours early for a 3pm check in, so the plan was to chill at Sunset Beach. I had the Go Pro on the bike and had to stop to change the battery at some stage. Having made it to the next bridge, I realized I had missed the sign to the beach, probably while I was messing around with the camera.

No dramas, went back the way I came, this time with the increasing wind behind my back. Was only a couple of km's back from where I was.
Grabbed a coffee and sat under a shelter with a feeling of total contentment

 

[Noel Mugavin]

Still had about an hour before I could check into the hotel, so back on the bike to Setoda and a bit of a ramble on the pushie around the town







Time-lapse photos of Setoda in the ferry terminal


Kosanji Temple is one of the major attractions along the route, so though I would have a look and kill some more time. For 1600 yen though, I wasn't that keen to see another temple

Back on the bike and through the shopping street. Did manage to get a magnificent potatoe croquette for 100 yen


3 o'clock came about and I made my way to the hotel Yubune. Asked where I could store my bike, directed to a car park at the back of the hotel


Very formal check in procedure, where I was directed to sit down and all forms etc were brought to me. Spacious room.