So 6 solid days of riding/climbing brought a very needed rest off the bike….698km (434 mi) and 9,100 metres (29,856 ft) climbing. For this flatlander who had only been outside on a bike twice since Jan 1st, I was ready to lay low.
From a cycling standpoint, what I’ve found amazing are the Rindos (forest roads). These are a myriad of narrow, steep, winding old paved roads that have been forgotten for the most part since the building of major highways in Japan a few decades ago. So with very little vehicular traffic, these lanes are wonderful for cycling. However, they have not been maintained, so there can be areas full of pine needles and debris, or sections of broken up concrete, making descents dicey. We have had one rider go down receiving a severe sprain/ hairline fracture on a wrist.
But no, after a nice breakfast Japanese style, a full day of sightseeing with 3 fellow riders, Moyra from Ottawa, Seth from NYC and Tom from Australia.
We decided to take the tram car from the hotel to a stop close by the Matasuyama castle. The castle sits high on top of a hill in the centre of the city, and 8 of the eighty-eight temples in the Shikoku Pilgrimage are located in Matsuyama. Pilgrims are a common sight. We were fortunate to be in Matsuyama today for the annual Spring festival and parade…lots of tradition, fanfare and brilliant colours
To access the castle we had the choice of walking up a steep path, a cable car funicular or an open air chair lift…we opted for the latter.
The cherry blossoms on the way up to the castle were just a taste of what was to come once into the castle grounds. The following photos help describe what we experienced
lychee ice cream!
what samurai do on a day off…
A 360 degree view of the city can be had from atop the castle.
Inside the castle has many artifacts and art, like these samurai uniforms.
Coming down from the castle we were in the midst of the festival and had some lunch that many food trucks provided, and enjoyed the pageantry
Wandering back to the hotel…
Another main highlight of the many in Matsuyama is a visit and soak in the oldest and most famous onsen, the Dogo Onsen.
It is a wooden public bath house dating back to 1894, and is a frequent visiting spot for the Imperial family. And today the Bike Odyssey samurai will be dipping in!!
The interior of the Honkan is a maze of stairways, passages and rooms, all of which bustle with bathers and staff. This was a fabulous way to end our walking tour of the city. It was also a very different experience to be sitting in a small hot springs pool with 18 Japanese men, and of course bathing suits are prohibited!
One stop after the onsen was to a orange juice bar. 20 different varieties of oranges to choose from, each juice rated as to sweetness, acidity and bitterness…you make up a flight of juices of your choice…if only I had some Copper Rose vodka to slip in!
Thus far on this tour we’ve been to a few ‘capitals’:
Fukuoka….the Ramen capital of the world
Okuhita…Apricot capital of Japan
Aso… the largest caldera in the world and most active volcano in Japan…let’s call that the Hot capital of Japan.
Beppu … the hot springs capital of Japan
Matsuyama…sea bream capital of Japan
Back to the bikes tomorrow, well rested and ready to kit up.
Life is good in Matsuyama
Sayonara!
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