Kumakogen to Shirokawacho 2023
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/44637465?privacy_code=Ja55837Eskkps457wXDZGTfR1eol6DYv
As you can see from the elevation map, this ride was an awesome breeze! We took the time to look around, take off on unmarked roads and just relax a bit. The scenery was spectacular as we pretty much rode together as a group. A couple of notes on things we discovered:
Ah! Vending Machines!!! They are everywhere and sell many items – the ones just sitting alongside the road are the best. Coca Cola, all kinds of drinks (who knows what they are) Hot Canned Coffee!, cigarettes, and even beer!
And then just the odd assortment of strange items, for example, the picture below was, once again, in the middle of nowhere:
The roads sometimes got a bit, well, rustic:
And this bridge thing – it was hard enough riding a bike across, these are built for cars and trucks!
Most of today’s ride was along the Shimano river, the only one in Japan that isn’t dammed (literally). While we were able to discover this bridge, the Shimanto is unique for its lack of them in many areas. To cross the river, locals and visitors often use traditional “tarai bune” boats, which are round wooden tub boats that have been used for centuries.
Made it close to hotel, but took in our first view of the coast, and it was quite nice:
Then off to dinner!!! This was simply incredible. Sushi and cooking at your table, some new items, like mini conch, which you had to wrestle out of there shells, Tasty? Hmmm…
Oh, and of course, the pre-dinner beer – here you order a beer and get this for a presentation:
Bridger & Doug's Foreign Biking Adventures 