Good morning! Warm water baths do wonders. From only the quick dip we sunk into the night before, I awoke this morning with new legs! I was, as the song goes, all revved up and ready to go.
The view from the park we camped was one I did not expect to see from having set up camp in the dark the night before. A river, a few eager pink flowers blooming off the tree branches, and a swing set near by. The swings were low enough to crank out some pull ups, so we did. So easy to forget the upper body.
You can see these white cherry blossoms getting out of their buds ahead of the rest.
Since we had crossed the mountains the day before, the day was an easy cycle into the Shikoku mountain valley. Climbing out of them will probably be just as nasty. The river passing through the valley is as wide as the mountains are tall.
Just love the shadow lines and angles in this frame.
Cycling around the valley roads, Kyle called up to me. He spotted something a little off into an unbeaten path and wanted to check it out a little further. He can read a lot of Japanese kanji, but this pillar was indecipherable. We can only guess what the purpose of creating the obelisk is, and why it is lined so beautifully with a view of the city and cherry blossoms surrounding its significance.
Adjustments. Life is all about making tiny adjustments, even when the need for them comes at inconvenient moments, as in cycling up hill.
Kyle is just learning about the cyclist's never ending hunger. But on this day, it was I who was in starvation. We were teetering on a decision as to press on through the mountains west, take up a new route into the mythical Iya valley, or pitch tent and hang up for the day. Not wanting to make an important decision on a hungry belly, I advised we get something to eat and then make a plan. Sure as rain, we talked it out over udon and soba lunch bowls, and decided to backtrail just a little bit in order to see the Iya valley were an ancient Japanese clan fled persecution and sought solitude.
A beautiful damn on the way up the Iya valley. With the Sakura trees coming into full bloom, everything we see along the nature's path is worth stopping and taking in.
Heigh above the mountain path, a statue of a boy pees freely off a steep cliff with his belly fully extended, and a hand behind his back as if to express both relaxing and relief simultaneously.
Me, giving my best pee-freely impersonation.
A little further down the way rests this cool onsen inside a fancy hotel. There are many fancy hotels in this region of hills. This special one built a tram and rail to take you down into the river to enjoy your hot watered bath and soak. I think that if either Kyle or I were rich, we'd take a room and enjoy this treat. Not altogether impecunious, there are simply other luxuries I believe we'd rather send our yen on, like a really good meal. 
Here it is, a crossing of the river. Must have been around 5pm or so, and we should have preoccupied our time with finding shelter, but there was one more very important thing to see and do before camp.
This is the main attraction of the valley, a vine and twine bridge build too many years ago, used by that very Japanese clan seeking certain isolation. It's rumored that the bridge was constructed out of vine to make it easier to destroy, should they not want to be followed, or add time to their would be escape.
From the front angle.
The vines that embrace the pillars that support the bridge.
After a Snickers bar snack and a big climb up the descent we had to take in order to see the bridge, we came across a rest area. More like a roadside gift stop. Alas, there were bathrooms free to use, and a place to sleep. However, upon further exploration of where a particular set of conspicuous stairs led too, we found the ideal location. Might I even say, the most ideal.
Here we were, under cover, with a view of the river that only the top stared hotels could offer. In fact, we could almost see into their rooms from where we camped. A bit raunchy, but nothing illegal, we set up camp and got to sleep listening to a waterfall that poured water from high up upon the mountain tops to the washing river in the great valley that so many people each year come to see. As of tonight, this night makes a strong candidacy for the top three camp spots I've had in Japan.
And that's where I'll have to leave off for today. We're safe but a little cold in the mountains again. We have food and water, and view to kill for. Looks like tomorrow we'll take that mid mountain ridge a little further west before attempting to climb out of the Shikoku valley, and reach the northern face of the island. If all goes well, should be a wonderful climb.
Much love,
-A
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