Day 4: Matsuzaki to Numazu

Today I wrapped up my tour around the Zijn peninsula and headed back up north again.

Turns out the entire area was formed by a volcano that deposited large amounts of ash up until 500,000 years ago, which explains why it was so green and fertile.

The western part of Izu is quieter than the eastern part but I still saw plenty of motorcyclists and car enthusiasts ride up and down its winding roads.
All the while with me sweating buckets toiling uphill of course. 😂

But the old farmers I found further I land are still the most talkative people I've come across here.

After 5 big climbs I finally made my way to a city called Numazu.
First impressions are that it was quite big in the 80's looking at the architecture. My cheap hotel room also has that distinct smell of 4 decades of cigarettes. 🚬💀

Tomorrow I will be staying here to rest up a bit and do some repairs and gather some supplies.
It's expected to rain the entire day and I feel like my legs could use some rest. I've already climbed over 3500 meters these past 4 days.

I'm slowly planning more of the remaining part of the trip (*spoilers, it's mostly unique bike shops*) and chatting with a few people online about suggestions for the road.

I'll try to capture some of that old Japan tomorrow!Read more