Shikoku Island to Kyoto

May 20-21-22 - three days on Shikoku Island before the next rest/bus day to Kyoto, riding mostly through hilly wooded terrain with a variety of villages...

...rice...
...tea plantations...
...recreation...
...temples and shrines...

 


At least half the time every day we were definitely off the most travelled tourist routes, instead being on single-lane quiet backroads. 

One day when we were already en route, the support vehicle discovered that the intended route was closed for construction but our translator negotiated with the construction crew to permit passage of the bikes (and it was all done with very friendly waves and encouragement (by which you can assume it was on one of the steep up-hills). I shudder to think of the difficulty had they not let us through - it would have been many many kilometers of backtracking and re-routing and re-locating the lunch stop.

We had several tunnels - this one, the light at the end of the tunnel is 3 km away, seems so close and yet so far once you're in the tunnel.
...and Japan's own Mannekin Pis high on the side of the hill on this narrow road...
...and a vine bridge constructed by weaving living vines near one of our overnights. Quite a tourist attraction with varying legends as to it being the work of a Buddhist monk to assist remote villagers or the work of defeated Heike soldiers evading Genji pursuers in a 12th century civil war. 
Hot days deserve a smoothie before climbing the next hill.
Evening meals continue to be amazing as we've been treated to formal Japanese fare including the little fish from the local river cooked over the charcoal bed that is part of the tables 


Even breakfasts are elaborate and varied. 
Traffic and bridges and distance being what they are, we were bussed yesterday into Kyoto. Rest day here today.




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