Good morning! Today I am in a great mood because I get to cycle along my favorite route, the coast. They'll be some mountains too by the look of the squiggly lines on the map, so good times along the south east Wakayama coast for sure.
Cycling mountains in Japan comes with one word attached to the peak: tunnels.
On the one hand, tunnels are a good sign. A tunnel tells you that the ascension is over for this section. Go up, through the tunnel, and go back down. I call those things without tunnel summits, hills.
Mountains are another story. And with the name right there in the Prefecture title, Wakayama is in no short supply of yama (mountains). Today I start my way North along the East coast of the peninsula. I can say only that the route today is punctured with tunnels and lined with the sort of views I came to Japan to see.
Here is one. Not especially perfect place to camp, even a shore where fisher-people seem to come to try their luck in the sea. Yet the small uninhabitable islands, the colors of brown and green of earth contrasting the dark blues of the water make for a really nice visual from where I'm traveling.
A little further down the way some koyfish kites hang along the long stretch of this small town's coast. They are the classic symbol of boyhood in Japan, used to mark the 5th of May - which, in Japan, is Boy's Day.
Special note: Boy's day on May the 5th and Girl's day on March the 3rd are also respectably called Children's day and Doll day by some translations. Or, perhaps, there is a too a struggle for gender equality in Japan.
This is the kind of tunnel that is not made for big trucks. I was captured my the look of this tunnel as soon as I saw it, doesn't the unattended nature of the scattered leaves, overgrown moss, and dark entrance make you want to believe that this tunnel will lead you into another dimension?
Perhaps I have emerged into another dimension, a place where the homes are built but no people seem to live. I couldn't see why. An ocean view where the fog still lingers over the mountains at mid day in front of unoccupied houses and air so country you can smell grass and flowers everywhere you go.
Do you remember the Japanese word for recommendation? Its osusume おすすめ . If you have the time or are simply around this part of the Japanese countryside, the 311 route through the Wakayama coastal hills is a route I cycling path I highly recommend. Not only are the sights beautiful, the hills are challenging (in a good way)! A nice pattern of ups and downs that really made me work for the summit, left me satisfied upon reaching the top crest, and never left me without a scene to view. That, and considering that today is Saturday, only one car was spotted along the entire way. Although, you don't need my recommendation for the 311. If you are going this way by bike, you have to take this route, as the highway bypass is for motorists only.
Along the way of the 311, you'll find a beach to camp. Two or three tents lined the beach as I passed housing hikers, or bikers, or both. I would have stopped by too, if the day was any later. But I felt good, great, and took on the challenge of more mountainous tip tops.
I should say here, too, that these mountains are nothing short of a good cycle. With each ascent and descent, and there were many, I had to pause and ask myself if climbing another was truly a good idea. Or, should I rest? With each ride down the mountain, the sweat on my back and neck cooled instantly and a slight shiver comes over me. With each climb, these Wakayama hills push my gears to their lowest, and soak my clothes once again in good ol' hard earned sweat and tears.
I couldn't stay here, that is for sure. The mountain sides, although extremely beautiful are incredibly scarce in available food. My whole day, I found one store that sold liqueur, and what tasted like two day old packaged bread.
Another set of lake beaches, again unused. You can tell that the mountains I am climbing are high enough, since the afternoon sun has come to warm up the air and road, but the foggy clouds that hang around the top of the mountain peaks don't care. They're are comfortable up their, and don't pay much mind to the rays of the sun, asking the clouds to leave.
Another climb and tunnel. At this point I counted seven completed ups and downs for the day. I was not done, I knew that, but a luck seven is always good luck and worth a quick picture. You'll notice still that these tunnels are small, tiny. Too tiny for big rigged 18-wheelers to get through. This way, the passage through the half cylindrical cement tubes was enjoyed exponentially more than any other time.
Little bays from the sea surrounding the actual coast line formed within mountain inlets, making for small nook neighborhoods where homes lined the sides of hills for a view. Think forests over them until the hill tops. No stores, no post offices, no police or fire stations around. It didn't look as if this town saw any action, and it didn't look as though it cared.
Small fishing farms on the inside of a random mountainous valley bay.
I enjoy this photo oh so much because it captures the conditions of what I experienced all day. Main road cycling with no bumps, holes, or cracks. smooth curves over a pavement half wet from yesterday night's rain, hill trees providing shade and wind cover, no sense of time, and no cars. Just, go.
The last tunnel I made it through. At this point, I counted eleven tunnels I had gone through for the day. this would be the last, and one of the tallest climbs of the day. After exiting this final long cut through the inside of the mountain, I found a city on the inside of the coast, where I immediately started looking for a grocery store to eat some long over breakfast and lunch.
Mmmm, and I found it! Luck for me too that there were some picnic tables available just around the corner that I spotted on my way in to the grocery store where I cooked up this hardy breakfast.
Side note: they say the worst time to go shopping is when you're hungry. True enough. That would be one disadvantage, if but a small one, to cooking by stove, as I have recently converted to. I almost alway now tend to buy more food that I can eat in one time. This may also be that food comes in sizes intended for more than just one meal. Eggs for example, I cant eat 12 eggs in one sitting and I wouldn't dare carry uneaten raw eggs with me along the day the way I could carry around some extra toast bread.
Fortunately some store sells eggs in half-dozens, but this is still too many eggs when making omelets with veggies, meat, and cheese in addition. Not wanting to carry the food with me, and not wanting to waste it either, I force fed myself the extra second and third helping of breakfast.
Since then, I am now carrying a simple Tupperware container with me, so that I don't feel sick from eating too much, and uneasy ridding.
Third helpings of breakfast are always welcome! But, not so much after just putting down two other large helpings just before this one. Can't complain though, too much food is a first-world problem I would much rather have than not enough. Plus, I earned it.
Dang you Wakayama! I thought I was done for the day!
Back along the coast, the island view was somewhat blocked off by white wind guards and railings. If you can make out the small mounds of islands in the sea here, perhaps you too will wonder why or how the tops of the islands appear so round. If you ask me, these small islands look just like the backgrounds to that classic Super Nintendo (Super Fami-com in Japan) game, Super Mario World.
That might be my first video game ever, and one that I have since come to realize in other people, a game that holds a special place in many hearts.
Ok, this is not so much a "tunnel" as the other ones since there is technically one side exposed to the open air. But, I'm including it on this list because it did happen along this long stretch of tunnel entrances and exits which thematically composed my day, and it was wicked cool to go though because of its difference.
Here is one of the tip-top views I reached on a decent ascent. Sweaty, breathing a little fast but not out of breath, I was eager to slop over the crest and take off down the other side of this mountain to where I knew a place to camp for the night. I am glad I didn't rush down at first. Looking back at the day's accomplishments is a good way to end the day. So many times I beat myself up for things I should not be doing, or things I know I wish I had done better. I rarely take the time out of the day to look back positively and reward myself. Thats what this view and photo does for me.
Cycling once again from sun rise to sun set. Beats a desk job.
Dinner that night came simple enough. Just like as if I had a home, got to eat what is left over first. In this case, some udon flavor packets. Udon for dinner it is! And hey, why not through some sweet potato, pumpkin, and shrimp tempura on top there? Yummmmm....
A good way to tell that I had a long day's worth of cycling is to notice that my day's clothes are done, unwearable the next day. As my good friend Chris would say, "Damn man, those clothes are ripe!" (with stank). I think a good pair of cycling shorts can last two or three days, a shirt can at least go three days without a wash. But when these Wakayama hills put you through the ringer and sweating like a fat man at his physical, clothes only last a day. Thats how I know I put in the work to deserve a cold beer at the very end of the day. You can get almost anything from vending machines in Japan!
Frothy Love,
-A
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