Omishima to ferry terminal (by bike, 10km): We talked our guide into a slight change of the day's route. Instead of going directly back to the bike path, we stopped at the ferry terminal.
Gina, using a futon as a desk to write some e-mail |
most hotel rooms had giant closets full of extra futons |
teacup with a decorative wooden saucer (sadly no coffee, though) |
close-up: tatami floor |
this excellent bowl was full of tea and teacups |
a modest banquet-style breakfast for one (1) person |
Tsuruhime (more about her in a second) |
art which is possibly a small fossilized tree |
manhole covers of Japan: dragon fruit |
manhole covers of Japan: persimmon |
watchtower by Tsuruhime Park |
Sadly, if you actually translate this, you'll get the tragic and probably apocryphal story of Tsuruhime's suicide by drowning after the death of her lover. |
Actually, Tsuruhime was a warrior who took over after her father's death in the 16th century, and won multiple battles by the age of 17 |
Given the translation, this second woman is possibly Tsuruhime's mother. Unclear |
Anyway, she has this nice statue with a sword, and the park is very reasonable, so let's set that other business aside, shall we? |
the front of Chaume Ryokan, where we are still milling about |
a high-quality tree |
Gina and Sarah, ready to roll |
No photo stops; we did the 10km ride at a race to make the 9:05 ferry, but here we are |
ferry terminal |
the ferry is arriving |
Omishima to Okunoshima (by ferry): We caught the morning ferry to Okunoshima, colloquially known as Rabbit Island
the ferry is very decorative |
the ferry pulling into the dock |
the ferry is docked |
view from the second floor: many platforms connect the ferry to the land |
we continue to study the kanji for 'fire' |
this must be the pointy building we saw yesterday; it turns out to be the J-Power Takehara power station |
the ferry is decorated with cartoon rabbits |
the coast of Omishima |
tree-covered Omishima hillside |
nice house |
Rei (our intrepid van driver), on the ferry |
islands of the Seto Sea |
Omishima coastline |
approaching Okunoshima |
wood block next to car tire on the ferry deck |
two loops around Okunoshima (by bike, 7km): The island was used to manufacture poison gas from 1929-1945. After the war, it was turned into a park, and taken over by wild rabbits. They have no natural predators on the island, so they are fearless and extremely aware of the ferry schedule (ferry brings tourists, tourists bring lettuce and kibble).
stones next to the dock at Okunoshima, where we are immediately greeted by a rabbit |
they were very much everywhere |
power plant ruins on Okunoshima |
dangerous premises, do not enter |
Catherine, exiting the tunnel to the power plant ruins |
Sarah and Dana entering the tunnel |
graffiti on the tunnel wall |
some visitors have correctly brought lettuce for the rabbits |
two rabbits sharing a lettuce |
determined trees, growing in stone |
fallen cherry blossom leaves: walk bikes here |
David, looking around |
Catherine and Sarah, walking bikes over the fallen cherry blossom leaves |
a rabbit |
ferns and water |
black rabbit on stone |
rabbit looking for food |
three rabbits |
my bike, near some ruins |
curved ceiling interior with vent |
black and white rabbit |
Gina observing a rabbit |
map of the island |
partial history of the island's use in war |
three more rabbits |
this rabbit seems small |
part of the northern gun battery ruins |
baby rabbit (Gina on bicycle for scale) |
rabbit searching the grass |
rabbit (left), Gina, and Sarah, along the coast |
islands of the Seto Sea |
a court with bamboo stick bundles, lined by trees |
view north along the coast towards the mainland |
a sleepy grey-and-white rabbit |
a burrow with baby rabbits |
baby and adult rabbit |
three baby rabbits |
Imabari Shipbuilding again |
fallen cherry blossoms, tree roots, and one rabbit |
tree branches and a view across the water |
we embark on another attempt to take some photos of the baby rabbits in this burrow |
look, a baby rabbit! |
it's good, right? |
baby rabbit on its own |
a small truck approaching a visitor's center |
rabbit ears |
good question |
we finish biking, and wander around the park by the ferry a bit |
more rabbits |
anti-skid treads (i think) |
burrows carved by rabbits in the hillside |
a determined tree, with rabbit for demonstration |
back to the ferry, with two last rabbits to see us off |
leaving the Okunoshima ferry terminal |
edge of the island |
deck of the ferry |
returning to Omishima |
Onomichi to Imabari (by bike, 35km): After the ferry back, we got our bikes and rode the second half of the Shimanami Kaido. 14km got us from Omishima over our first bridge of the day to Hakata, where we stopped at an okonomiyaki with vegetarian options. Then we took a second bridge to Oshima, where the route went straight across the island and included a bit of climbing. We finished with the most iconic part of the Shimanami Kaido, the 4km suspension bridge to Imabari on the island of Shikoku.
approaching our first bridge of the day |
Gina, riding |
Tom, David, and Sarah, riding |
this attractive bridge will take us to Hakata |
water under the bridge |
bridge disappearing into the trees |
taking a break, surrounded by fallen cherry blossoms |
informational sign about cool things to see on the bikeway, some of which we are seeing now |
caution: do not violently attack pedestrians with your bicycle |
Gina and Paul, rounding a curve heading up to the bridge |
Paul, Tom, Gina, and David, in front of Fuu Okonomiyaki |
the heck with our bikes, there's omelets to eat |
we admire Fuu's potted plant collection while waiting for tables to be available |
menus and condiments at Fuu |
kitchen at Fuu |
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, with squid! |
we are victorious over our lunch |
the restaurant has a small children's book collection for our convenience |
a large rectangular building |
i'm not honestly sure what ISO9001 is when it's a building, but here it is |
decorative lettering |
bamboo! |
David, not menacing any pedestrians |
the group, riding onto the Hakata-Oshima bridge |
after the bridge, the highway goes into these tunnels |
the bike path avoids the tunnels, probably just as well |
looking across the water at the Noshima Castle Ruins |
view south along the coast, with cyclists (us) and ruins |
view north along the coast, back to the bridge |
the water is very clear and many seaweeds are visible |
the interior of Oshima is a bit hilly, so it's necessary to stop and photograph these cartoon animal campers |
Gina, climbing a hill on Oshima |
these round wooden chairs are available for our use |
ooh, what are these exciting ghostly towers in the fog? |
that's probably our last bridge, right? |
well, would you look at that? |
yep, it's the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, a 4km-long suspension bridge you can bike on, and the end of the Shimanami Kaido path |
we bike through a bit of a street fair to get to the bridge entrance |
circular ramp for use in climbing up to the bridge |
Sarah, climbing towards the bridge, in front of a coastline |
more coastline |
Sarah on the bridge |
looking down at the circular ramp |
view of water and islands along the bridge |
Catherine and Gina on the bridge |
my bike on the bridge |
view north, including the town of Yoshiumicho Mukuna |
cyclists and drivers, up in the sky |
top of suspension bridge tower |
looking down at Umashima from the bridge |
the Seto Sea and its islands, in the fog |
view across the bridge |
one last look back across the bridge |
Gina celebrates finishing the bridge |
Paul on the ramp |
bridge sign |
wooden board representation of Shimanami Kaido |
Gina traces our path since this morning on the full Shimanami Kaido map |
Paul and Catherine arrive |
bicycle citrus decor |
one last very touristy thing: the bridge behind the giant Shimanami sign |
it is obviously mandatory to photograph ourselves standing on this sign |
Gina and i, at the end of the Shimanami Kaido |
nice vans, much rectangle |
cheese sand cookie, from the gift shop |
Paul putting our bikes on the van for the ride to the hotel |
The van drove us from Imabari to our hotel in Matsuyama. We spent some time in the hotel onsen, which included a roof deck with a view of the city and a barrel-shaped tub full of roses. (I am not making this up, pity there's no reasonable way to photograph onsens.) Then we had an involved banquet-style dinner, and a quiet evening otherwise.
on the road from Imabari |
Shikoku is one of the four large islands of Japan, and we only get a glimpse of it on this van ride |
rain, a twisty road, a large bush |
a dam in Imabari (possibly near Lake Tamagawa) |
a solar farm in front of mountains, at speed |
road, trees, mountains |
tunnel through the mountains |
roofs and terraces in the rain |
Lake Shirasagi |
a bad photo of the dam that creates Lake Shirasagi |
our first view of Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama |
dishware we liked, at the hotel gift shop |
our hotel room at Chaharu; we enjoyed the table by the window |
view from our hotel room: a building up a curving road |
view from our hotel room: town of Matsuyama |
view from our hotel room an hour later, after we visit the onsen (not pictured) |
our dinner menu |
so it begins |
tofu and roe |
appetizer course, including an excellent octopus with green vegetable dish |
covered bowl |
spring vegetable cream soup with shrimp |
fish course |
less fish, more beverage |
meat course |
rice and pickle course: focus on neat bowl lid |
rice and pickle course: focus on shellfish soup |
tea and dessert |
a place to put your mask while you eat |