Day 45 - Shimanami Kaidō

Six Bridges, 51 Miles, and One Stubborn Door!

Our first day cycling Japan’s famous Shimanami Kaidō got off to a hectic start. Our Uber never showed up, so we had to run to catch our train to Imabari. Then getting fitted for our rental bikes took longer than expected. By the time we started, we were already behind schedule!

The ride took us across six spectacular bridges connecting the islands of the Seto Inland Sea. The scenery was beautiful in places, although we were surprised by how much of the route followed busy roads.

With 51 miles to cover before dark, there wasn’t much time for sightseeing or lunch. We managed a quick Lawson stop for a shared mango smoothie and ice cream, supplemented by Cindy’s leftover peanut butter sandwich. We also had some fun with the giant lemon sculptures on Ikuchijima, an island famous for its citrus production.

Our final tally was 51 miles, 2,001 feet of climbing, and 4 hours 50 minutes of moving time. Best of all, Cindy’s knee held up beautifully!

After a short ferry ride into Onomichi, we picked up dinner at Lawson and arrived at our accommodation around 6 PM, thoroughly exhausted.

Our little trailer was surprisingly clever and comfortable. We immediately thought it would be perfect on Bruce’s property. Unfortunately, we couldn’t figure out how to open the door! After activating international roaming to call for help, someone arrived and opened it effortlessly. How embarrassing!

We also enjoyed wandering through Onomichi’s atmospheric old streets, where lanterns were being set out for the evening festival. Much of this historic port town survived WWII, giving it a wonderful old-world character.

Tomorrow we’ll explore a little more of Onomichi before heading back across the islands, hopefully on quieter roads and at a more leisurely pace.

And perhaps we’ll even have time for a proper lunch!Read more