🇯🇵🍘 Day 13 🍘🇯🇵

28 miles / 3,705 ft / 3:25

One of Lisa’s favorite things while touring is to wake up and make coffee for me, and I love it! Today was no different. Our cozy backpacker accommodation made for another good night’s sleep, and this time none of the other guests were up and about. We had our whole morning routine to ourselves: coffee, bananas, yogurt, and a sweet roll.

Although it wasn’t part of the original plan, we decided to detour down to the ocean. The shore of Suruga Bay (駿河湾 – Suruga-wan) was misty and nearly deserted. We wandered for a while, looking for shells, sea glass, and unique rocks. The only other person around was a fisherman in the distance, who didn’t appear to be having much luck.

Knowing we had short mileage, but a lot of climbing ahead, we eventually turned our wheels inland. Clouds hung heavy, and Mount Fuji (富士山 – Fujisan) stayed hidden all day, but our route carried us into the mountains and small hillside villages. It’s rice harvest season, and we passed farmers gathering their golden stalks in the paddies. The road wound past shrines, roadside parks, and scenic overlooks with sweeping views of the valleys and the Fujikawa River (富士川 – Fujikawa) below.

As lunchtime drew near, and with the humidity pressing down, we stopped for an “emergency” onigiri (おにぎり – rice ball) and a cold drink. The real treat came after the next climb, where the road dropped us down to the river’s edge and a welcoming mountainside café. What an incredible feast! Lisa ordered a hamburger–spaghetti curry, while I had a hamburger–omelette curry. As is common in Japan, the setto (セット – lunch set) included salad, pickles, a little quiche, rice, and a drink.

We shared a table next to four Japanese women clearly enjoying a long-overdue catch-up. Their laughter filled the café, and they seemed as intrigued by us as we were by them. When we finished, we lingered over coffee, then thanked the chef. Proud to try his English, he walked us out, smiled, and said, “気をつけて (ki o tsukete – be careful, take care).”

With just five miles left, we made one more detour to a convenience store (コンビニ – konbini) for dinner snacks and tomorrow’s breakfast. Soon after, we rolled into our Fuji-view guesthouse, kicked on the air conditioning, showered, and settled into the evening in our Japanese-style pajamas (浴衣 – yukata). None of the other guests seem to wear them as faithfully as we do, but we chuckle at ourselves, and no one else seems to notice.

Not all was easy today. Some of the climbs pitched over 20%, and with moss-covered pavement, our tires spun out searching for grip. Still, the views and quiet mountain roads made it worthwhile.

Today’s ride took us through Fujinomiya (富士宮市 – Fujinomiya-shi) and into Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県 – Shizuoka-ken), southwest of Fuji. Mount Fuji itself is shared between Yamanashi (山梨県 – Yamanashi-ken) and Shizuoka, and of course there’s the eternal debate: which side is more beautiful? Having lived in Yamanashi for two years, I may be biased—but today’s rugged Shizuoka scenery gave that argument some competition, even without Fuji showing her face.

By day’s end, we had left the bustle of the industrial city edges and begun to slip back into countryside quiet.

The climbs today were brutal. We logged nearly double our usual 30-day elevation average, and our pace slowed to about 8 mph. No surprise with grades hitting over 20% and slick mossy Shizuoka’s mountain roads.

Something very interesting is going to happen tomorrow… stay tuned!もっと詳しく