[BACK] [NEXT]
Letter 46
Thursday 26.09.13 98,97 km
I was in the middle of the last chapter in "Kafka on the Shore" (That's the
correct title I now know), when the light was turned off, and there's no reading
spots here as there use to be. So as the light had come on when I awoke, I
finished it.
The scene of the book is modern. The boy runs away from home and take the night
bus to Takamatsu. Hoshino, as is the name of one of the other characters, is a
truck driver and wears a ponytail and a Chunity Dragons cap (baseball team).
There's reference to Indiana Jones a.s.o. but never the less also demons, or
whatever they are, enter the stage, in different shapes...
I set off in the morning traffic. All the schoolchildren in their school
uniforms and all the map men in their dark trousers and white shirts are on
their way. Here in Takamatsu they've tried to eliminate some of the waiting time
for the cyclists. At 3 of the big crossings you can go under the road. You're
ment to get off and walk the bike and people obey this. But for me and my load
it brings on the sweat when I have to push the bike up.
Road 32 is a lovely road. Nice and new. It should be fairly flat for the first
part and that's true. It's not until I reach Kotohira that something is
happening. First a minor pass, where I race down afterwards and then comes
another: 417 m and then down in the east-west valley where the expressway runs.
Here's a town, Iwada, which is the last possible shopping place. I can't bring
pre-prepared dishes for so long, so it has to be: bread, bananas, some tins of
fish, a big yogurt and a glass of orange marmelade.
After Iwada the Route 32 turns off to the left and I follow it until after Oboke/Keboke,
where Route 45 should lead me to the Iva valley.
I idiot haven't looked carefully enough in the map. I could have gone all the
way up the Iva valley, now I have to cross a pass. I don't realize it until the
road for several km's keeps on inclining. And it's 10% and more on several
parts. 5 km/h.
It turn out to be a hard afternoon, but I do get up there and through the tunnel
and down again on the other side. And then suddenly I'm at the "vine bridge",
and it really is an attraction even it's reinforced with wires.
First meeting with the vine bridge.... ...and the Biwa-no-taki
And a moment later I'm at the waterfall Biwa-no-taki, that splash 50 m's down
and the camp site is only 600 m's ahead....
I get down there by a steep narrow winding trail. Up at the road it said it was
only for people with a reservation. It looks closed, but as I knock gently
a man turns up talking about reservation... Stop please. I can see there's
nobody there. Doesn't he want the extra money?
And he will of course, especially when it's two nights. There is one already.
The car that's parked it's the owners but a lady from - I think he tried to say
Switzerland. She must stay in a cottage because there are no tents.
So here I am in the light of my head light, writing, and the sound of the river
down below. It's almost at the end of the world, the road doesn't go any further
on this side of the river.