Well, we thought it might rain, and boy did it rain, it rained hard all night long. The other problem we had, which could have been avoided….was that our tent was positioned directly below a light that shone brightly through the night. As seasoned campers, we can’t figure out why we missed that. I guess the view and proximity to the ocean coloured our judgement!
We noticed when we arrived that one of the tents set up next to us was a Mountain Equipment Co-op tent. Being detectives at heart, we thought…okay, must be Canadians.
And here they are…three Canadians on a cycling tour and they are from Vancouver. Small world!
This fellow, who is travelling with two friends, dropped by to check out our trikes and have a visit. He and his friends are from Kong and are also riding the Shimanami Kaido. We were intrigued by his Irish accent which comes from being raised in Belfast. Such a great sense of humour….much laughter during our visit.
This cat is wild and spends much time in front of the Konbini next to our campground waiting for food. We contributed to a fund at the Konbini which is used by the staff to feed these cats. Despite the eye, the cat was in good shape. He seemed to want affection which he would accept briefly.
The Shimanami Kaido attracts visitors from all over the world. We have met riders from China, Indonesia, Hong Kong, etc. A majority of riders rent a bike and we see hundreds of bikes available for rent.
The popularity of this route continues to grow. We see more people than on our previous trip and the services for cyclists are expanding…like this sign offering support.
This couple are from Canada and they stopped for a visit. They asked where we are from and we said a small island, Saltspring Island….but you probably don’t know it. She quickly responded…yes, I do - my mom lives in Crofton and I went to Cowichan High. Small world.
We stopped to visit the amazing Kosanji Temple on Ikuchijimi Island. The entrance fee is 1400 yen and it is well worth visiting. Mary Ellen decided not to go in as her knees couldn’t handle the hundreds of steps.
This vast area is made of Italian marble.It features many abstract statues, including a statue called Tower of Light. It took an Italian sculptor 16 years to create the marble garden. There is even an Italian restaurant at the top that made entirely out of marble.
The suspension bridges are built very high and route to access and leave the bridge is quite lengthy. In keeping the gradient low, the route is quite long with countless turns. This length of this descent is 1.2 km.
This dinosaur is an unforgettable sight…visible from afar. When we did this route a couple of years ago, we couldn’t find accommodation and wild camped in this park. We arrived at dusk and had no idea that it was so large.
To reach Onimichi, the city at the end of the route, you must take a ferry as the bridge is only for vehicles. School had just gotten out and there were so many students taking the ferry. Somehow we were able to fit.
