Friday 18 October, 2024
Missed the previous post? Check it out here
Today was an unintentional massive day on the bike. Normally Karatsu to Imari would only be a 25km trip, however we decided on a more scenic route not realising we would be adding 700m of elevation to the ride.
As we set the bikes up we notice it’s a lot warmer than yesterday, with the weather forecast to be 30°c.
We departed around 9am and stop into Family Mart for a quick breakfast.
It’s a really nice day with clear blue skies and lovely weather conditions, although a bit humid.
Our first stop is the Hanaboura Terraced Rice Fields.
After departing the rice fields it was one hill after another after another. At one stage we had been cycling uphill for about 90 minutes straight when we decided to stop and look at the maps. It’s hot, we’re exhausted and we just don’t want to keep cycling uphill for another 20km, so decide to backtrack and change routes.
As we descend, another cyclist passes by and asked where we’re headed. We all pull over at the nearby Family Mart for a chat and he gives us some advice on the best route to take into Imari.
We part ways and decide we should get some lunch before continuing. We were pretty tired, sweaty and hungry. Family Mart to the rescue!
Feeling 10 times better after a quick feed, we continue on and there is really only two more small hills for the rest of the ride.
By the afternoon the clouds have started rolling over as it’s forecast to start raining overnight.
You can notice the building up in traffic from around 10km before you hit the city. We stick to the footpath as the traffic gets busier.
We arrive at our accomodation around 2:30pm. We are a bit early (check in is from 3pm, Japan are usually pretty strict about check-in times) so we chill out on the lounge area and make use of the drink station.
The room is a decent size and has a nice view of town.
Even though it was a shorter day that yesterday, it felt 1000 times tougher. We decide to head out for a walk and stretch out our legs.
The town is fairly quiet, with no tourists and has a river that runs through it. It was very pretty looking at sunset.
Most of the shops and bars seemed to be closed with only a few small food places open.
We head to MaxValu, a giant supermarket chain, to grab some dinner, dessert, breakfast and snacks.
We were also very excited to discover plant-based Coolish! (to go with our many other desserts)
Tomorrow will be a shorter day on the bike, but it’s forecast to rain for most of the day so we will see how we go. In the meantime, check out the elevation from today’s ride!
Next post: Day 7 | Imari to Huis Ten Bosch
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