A moving day allowed the tour riders to freshen legs ahead of the trip’s biggest climb, but that didn’t mean it was an easy day. Riders had a free morning in Matsuyama before assembling around midday to catch a bus to Tokushima. Activities engaged in during the morning included watching a festival, visiting Dogo Onsen hot spring and climbing up to Matsuyama Castle to check out the views of the city. The bus trip to Tokushima was largely uneventful and after about two hours, participants marched on to the Nankai ferry for the journey to Wakayama, leaving Shikoku in their…
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Shikoku’s glorious mountains seemed less and less attractive at times while pounding the pedals to push on upward even higher, but a wonderful descent followed on the final day of riding on the smallest of Japan’s four main islands. Leaving Uchiko later than most starts, it was a steady climb upward for the remainder of the morning. The strenuous efforts of the climbs were rewarded by priceless views across seemingly endless mountain ranges, whose splendor was enhanced by the brilliant sunshine and cloudless skies. More climbing continued after lunch (the day would eventually top 1,100 meters of elevation). An exhilarating…
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Dogo Onsen is a famous hot spring in Matsuyama, the largest city on the smallest of Japan’s main islands, Shikoku (an island that many Japanese say is shaped like Australia). Dogo Onsen’s traditional bath was said to have been the inspiration for the bathhouse that is the main setting for Japan’s most successful movie, Spirited Away. Related posts: A Little-Known, Bizarre Australia-Japan Christmas Story ‘Single Men Only?’ – Early Japanese Migration to Oz 日本人の豪州への初期移民は「独身男性限定」? Aussies Exposed to Radiation in Japan – 65 Years Ago Sexism Sells…Aussie Princes and Arresting the Great Japanese Tourist Decline AFL – Modern Australia’s Religion and…