Moving Day!
I was kinda stressing about this day the whole time...
Need to catch the 8.05am Uwakai No.5 to Yawatahama, then the 10.15am ferry to Beppu, I had already made reservation for Yufuin no Mori No.4 departing Beppu 2.43 pm arriving at Yufuin 3.56pm - there's only 1 Yufuin no Mori starting from Beppu per day, so I really need everything to work!
Dogo onsen is at the northeastern outskirts of Matsuyama, forget about the tram, I took a taxi instead and it went well. Made the first train!
Limited Express Uwakai, Anpanman style.
Inside was just a normal train though...
Uwakai goes on to Uwajima via Uchiko and Ozu, Yawatahama. So mostly inland...
JR Shikoku has a very special sightseeing train - Iyonada Monogatari, travelling along the sea from Matsuyama to Iyo Ozu/Yawatahama.
Unfortunately very difficult to book! Plus it doesn't fit my schedule...oh well maybe next time...
(there's also the Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari...)
When the train went past Uchiko, suddenly there was very heavy fog outside, I could barely see anything...started to question the weather...but once we got out of the mountains it was sunny all over again.
Arrived at Yawataham a few minutes before 9am.
Well, no taxi outside the station!
Luckily there's a bus departing 9.21 to the Minato.
So I got to the ferry terminal about half past 9.
Brand new building.
Uwajima Unyu Ferry runs 2 routes here to Beppu and Usuki in Kyushu. 2nd class ticket to Beppu was 4300. I mean, it's a 3 hour trip, not sure why it's necessary but there's also first class and hold you breath special class, cost 7200 and 10700 respectively.
And we were off!