Day 31

“Rest Day” in 中野方町 (Nakanoho-chō)

Today was what we called a “rest day,” again anyone who knows us by now understands that means more movement than resting. We are based just north of 恵那市 (Ena-shi – Ena City) in the quiet mountain village of 中野方町 (Nakanoho-chō).

The morning began slowly with our first breakfast: toasted sweet bread and coffee. Then a little lounging, a little laundry, and soon enough it was time for our second breakfast of cereal with strawberry milk and another cup of coffee. By mid-morning we were on to our third breakfast, the best one yet: a ham and cheese omelette with orange juice, Aquarius sports drink, and yes, still more coffee. Clearly we are trying to live like hobbits in 岐阜県 (Gifu-ken – Gifu Prefecture).

I spent some time planning a short “rest day” route while Lisa caught up on work. My masterpiece was a 10-mile ride up to 中野方ダム (Nakanoho Dam). The dam itself wasn’t large, but it came with a perfectly paved 1 km loop. Of course, we joked about creating a Strava segment and racing laps like kids. From there we meandered through the village, spotting chestnut and persimmon trees heavy with fruit. The climbs were steep and short, and we laughed about how rest days never really feel like rest. At least our bikes were light without luggage.

The villagers were wonderfully curious about us. The owner of our guesthouse had told us that for many residents, foreigners were almost unheard of until recently, so our bicycles rolling through the hamlets felt like something unusual. School children stared wide-eyed as they walked home, and even at the local Buddhist temple, I felt confident we might be the first American cyclists to stop there.

Lisa kept asking me if my carefully crafted route would pass the famous giant roller slide we saw in the distance as we came into town the day before. I teased her to have faith in my route planning. Sure enough, we rolled up to the playground, climbed to the top, and both gave it a try, laughing and filming ourselves like kids.

Eventually hunger caught up with us, and we stopped at a tiny riverside restaurant. At first we thought we weren’t too hungry, but once we saw the menu, we ordered the set meals. Lisa had 焼うどん (yaki udon – grilled udon noodles) while I went with 焼きそば (yakisoba – fried noodles). Both sets came with rice, miso soup, salad, fruit cocktail, and the obligatory wobbly Japanese jelly. We washed it all down with glasses of hot 麦茶 (mugicha – roasted barley tea). The married couple running the place were cheerful and welcoming, and we had the whole place to ourselves while we ate outdoors with a mountain view.

We thought we might order some takeout for dinner, but our phones refused to translate. After some confused attempts, I realized our 30-day eSIM had expired, and without Wi-Fi we couldn’t renew it. With our broken Japanese, we managed to find out that curry rice wasn’t available for takeout anyway, so we paid our bill and headed toward the grocery store. The first time we arrived it was closed, but given how stuffed we were, it didn’t matter. Later in the evening we returned, and the owner, who had already met us yesterday, greeted us warmly again. This time we gathered pasta, a simple bag of spaghetti sauce, and dinner rolls—just enough after a day of three breakfasts and a huge lunch.

Somewhere between all of this, I also recorded voice clips for the Japanese TV crew that is preparing their documentary. It was short, fun, and just a little robotic, but it felt exciting to be part of something bigger that will air later this year.

By 7:30 PM we headed down to the shared kitchen and met a sweet young Taiwanese couple who had just been married seven days ago and were on their honeymoon. They offered us a package of ramen from Taiwan and kindly showed us how to prepare it. Lisa cooked up our pasta with tomato sauce and cheese, and we all sat together at the long table, mixing Japanese, Taiwanese, and English to share stories and laughter. A young traveler from Israel was also cooking her meal nearby. She had unfortunately lost her bag on the 新幹線 (shinkansen – bullet train) the day before, but with the kindness and safety of Japan, we were all confident she would get it returned. To top it all off, the guesthouse owners surprised us with a sweet chestnut treat from the local harvest, and we all enjoyed it together.

It was the kind of evening that reminds us why we love staying in guesthouses. Simple meals, new friends from all corners of the world, and the shared joy of being travelers on the same winding path.

Rest days like this are a reminder that the slower pace of rural Japan has its own charm. Sometimes the best discoveries come not from long rides, but from noodle shops by the river, curious schoolchildren, and even a roller slide in the mountains.Read more