Shimanami Kaido

Although I grew up around Boulder, biking is the one stereotypically Coloradoan hobby I wasn't really into. Nothing against it, just wasn't my sport or at least the one I wanted to focus on. Despite that, I've always enjoyed doing bike tours in new cities with Rachel, so I thought I'd look into options in Japan. Rather than a city tour, I found the Shimanami Kaido; a 60 mile bike route between the island of Shikoku and Honshu (mainland Japan) via a continuously marked bike path along a series of small islands in the Sentonaikai National Park. I headed from Hiroshima to Imabari, and stayed overnight at hotel that must have been the crown jewel of the town in it's heyday, but was showing it's age and largely empty. Somewhat of a Japanese Grand Budapest Hotel. I rented my bike in the morning, and headed out, following the blue line on the ground. It was like travel by map in Indiana Jones; a solid continous line that showed me the way. Each island had a beautiful bridge connecting to the next, and the bike path would wind in these large roundabouts to gradually get you to elevation and then cruise across in a protected bike section. The island scenery was consistently stunning. It was surprising to see bamboo on small islands right next to the water. First day was ambitious... 45 mile ride with a nice stop for Bento and Coffee along the way. That's the furthest I've ever ridden, and my butt could tell. The traditional Japanese room I stayed in had plenty of futon mats for me, but man I was wanting a normal bed for how sore I was. I then set off the next day for a more reasonable 15 mile ride, continuing to wind along the coast line, the ocean breeze keeping me fairly comfortable despite the humidity. I finished with a short ferry to Omonichi, and returned my bike. I loved seeing the smaller side of Japan, and found the people and the food to be lovely. But, after a big ride, a bento wasn't going to cover it so I looked up the nearest burger joint to satiate my American pallete.

Oh! And as a fun bonus, I saw a highly rated barbershop near my hotel and took the plunge. I knew I needed one for work, and figured it would be nice before my upcoming hike. Pretty big language barrier, but a few pointing at pictures and a "osusumeru" (recommendation) left me with a solid haircut.Les mer