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Letter 44
Tuesday 24.09.13 69,70 km
I poured dressing in my coffee!! It wasn't deliberately. There was a small
plastic bottle with something white. It looked like milk, but it didn't blend
with the coffee like milk would have done. Just disappeared down to the bottom...
I still have much to learn in this country...
"The Castle", as my friend from yesterday told me about, hasn't opened yet, when
I stop there. But in 10 min....
The castle......
...and its guard
After the humble Shrines, hidden away in the bushes, are these massive castles
what I love most about Japan.
I'm the first visitor today. Two minutes to nine I'm let in. They have some
wonderful armours and the story of an archery competition, that last from
sunrise until sunset the following day. The record is from 1686 by Daihatiro
Wasa, who hit 8.133 out of 13.053 targets. That should mean 9 shots pr min day
and night. The record still stands...
The timing is perfect, The ferry leaves at 10.30am and 9.55am I am in the
waiting room with my ticket. It's around 30 degr. and here's no aircon. Not much
in english here. Actually nothing except "tickets". But it should be right,
we'll arrive at Tokushima on the other side.
There are lines for the cars on this side of the traffic light, but you have to
cross over to get to the ferry, so when some of the cars start going, I go too.
Now I'm waiting with 3 other cyclists and some motorbikes. An eagle? float over
the ship and disappears. Later I see it again when it land at a telephone pole.
And there's even one more...
Is this really an eagle?
The departure is for some reason delayed 10 min. That's very unlike the japanese!
And now I see in the schedule, that we were SUPPOSED to leave 10.40am. It's just
me....
In the ferry there are as usual these areas, where you can lie down - as long as
you take off your shoes. Even the sea seems quite calm the ferry rolls a bit.
When we've landed I go north towards Naruto on Route 11. As usual the cars
disappear up onto a bridge, while we bicyclists have to stay down and there is
ends apparently... You can spend hours on this. First you have to set your eye
on the stairs going up to the bridge - and then find out how to get across the
river and to the stairs...
When I have dragged the bike up the stairs and rolled a bit further, there's an
exit for Central Naruto. I haven't given up on finding a T.I. so I go there.
Well, when I see the hill I have to climb I change my mind... Is it possible at
all? But then I get stubborn and changes my mind again. Up I will go... And up I
come. It's a little more than 10% I guess, but there's a plateau before the top,
where I just about get my breath under control again. And then down the other
side.
I should have turned right when I got to the big road, but it didn't say
anything about Central Naruto anymore. Now I get on Route 42 to Takamatsu and
when I pass a sign saying "Kita..." 3 km, I choose that. There should be some "whirl
pools" when the tide comes in, it was those I wanted to hear about in the T.I.
But in Kita... there are no whirl pools today, but it's a charming road tossing
and turning along the rocks with houses on one side.
High up above is a bridge. That's "Naruto Skyline". When I've been out making a
u-turn - the road continued up into the rocks - and come back, I decide to go up
to this skyline. It was maybe 80 m up and on a 8 % incline, you only have to go
one km, then you're there... So that's what I do, and the distance is almost
right I think.
"The Skyline" seen from the ground.... ....and the view from up there
When I'm up there I still don't know if the road is leading anywhere, but
luckily there's a sign saying Takamatsu 61 km! It's a wonderful road without
traffic and down it goes again. Then we join Route 11 again and follow it, but
it has lost most of its traffic. It's a nice afternoon here along the coast.
At a time there's a 6 km "Romantic Road". It's not very romantic with the
afternoon sun in your eyes, but even the cycle track has been improved. It's the
best I've seen until now in Japan. But it doesn't last of course...
I'm aware I won't make it to Takamatsu, so I'll have to find something in Hikata
or Higashigakawa. It's going to be in Higashikagawa. I stop at a Lawson after
having searched some of the small streets down to the right.
All employees and customers are discussing... There seems only to be one hotel
and it's called something ... Royal. It doesn't sound good. They draw a map and
I find it. Looks expensive. More than 8.000 Y and breakfast is more than 1.000
extra. I ask if there isn't anything in the neighborhood...? No, I'll have to go
to Takamatsu, but THERE will be plenty... Thank you, I'm aware of
that.
She's gone and comes back with a new price: 7.500 Y without breakfast, so I go
and find a supermarket and sit now in front of a 40" Sony TV and MORE space than
I'm used to. There's also a small armchair and a small round table and fridge
and internet.
It's called Sanbonmatsu Royal Hotel and I am King of the Road...