Fr 03.24 11h00 Aso-san
After studying the maps, I decided yesterday evening not to go further south, as initially planned, but to hang around Aso-san, in full accordance with Mike's and Peter's plan. The next night we shall stay all of us in the same minshuku again. Relieved from my backpack, I started the climb of the volcano. It was cold. You can say: it was terribly cold. But the sun was shining. Also, a very strong wind was blowing. Climbing makes your body warm, but the rough wind with a temperature below freezing, kept my body temperature nicely in balance. Even my feet did not freeze off. It is fortunate that my shoes could dry well during the night, after yesterday's rain! The climbing job was pure enjoyment. Maybe this was the finest climb of the last decade, with sincere apologies to the Tai Mo Shan in Hong Kong.

Climbing the Aso-san was not something new for me. In 1993 I also stayed in Aso, however in a different minshuku and also then I paid a visit to the volcano. The big difference with then being that now I'm pedalling up on my bike instead of taking the bus. When I asked Peter if he would take the bus to the top, he replied with a serious look in his eyes: "that's against my religion". Also Mike wanted to climb the mountain by bike, but in accordance with our style of touring, we all went separately. Waving a "see you on top", I left first. Mike had to do some repairs on his bike, Peter had neglected to take his wet luggage from the bike yesterday, so he first had a drying job to do. At the crater rim I measured an elevation of 1275 meter above sea level and I haven't climbed that high on the bike since 1965, that's 35 years ago, in the Swiss Alps.

The volcano Aso-san in the distance

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Now I am enjoying coffee and I have a view of the crater, about 3 kilometres away. Clouds of white steam rise to the blue sky. I vaguely remember that I also wrote about the same words from the same place in my diary 7 years ago, I'll have to check that at home. Mike and/or Peter did not show up yet. Maybe they also go first to the crater rim, as I did, and then come back to this place. Here is a volcanic museum and exhibition centre with a number of restaurants. The last big eruption was in 1993, 5 months before my previous visit. After a cup of coffee and a piece of cake that cost me US$ 4, I ordered a $10 hamburger. You really need to have some money in your pocket when visiting Japan.

24.03 20h00 Aso
Today's total: 68 kilometres. The rest of the ride was like the beginning, it continued being a fantastic ride. During the descent I really had to take care for gusts of wind. The cold was not a big problem. After having been fully warmed up in the exhibition centre, it took only 20 minutes before I came down and had to pedal again. On the way back I took a different route. I went up on the north side, but down on the south side and then I encircled the Aso-san anti-clockwise on my return back to Aso. It remained cold, windy and sunny. On the east end I had another climb till 900 metres altitude, so that I became altogether a real mountain ride. Peter started this morning to do the same, but he went back because of the wind and the cold. He congratulated me and suddenly I saw today's ride as an achievement (but Peter succeeded too, the next day). Mike did some riding around the village and fully enjoyed Aso's hot water baths. He told that there is a daily steamtrain running through Aso, included in the regular timetable, without surcharge or special booking when you come along. The locomotive, the carriages, uniforms, etc., all in beginning 20th century style. He showed me pictures on his digital camera. I am sorry I missed that, that would have been great to see.

The steamtrain on Aso station

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Peter drew my attention to a photograph of the Aso-san on the internet; it is about the same view as I described above, when enjoying coffee (return by using your BACK key)

2. Along Shikoku's west coast

Su 03.26
The absence of restaurants and cafes along the road contrast sharply with the situation in Korea. Nowhere I can find even the opportunity to drink a cup of coffee, something I value so much during a ride. The convenience stores and the billions of vending machines in Japan cater for the needs, but what would it be fantastic to sit on a terrace and enjoy the non-riding part of bicycle touring. Today the circumstances are ideal for that, because the weather is beautiful and so is the scenery. The west coast of Shikoku is beautiful beyond description and I dare to call this cyclist's paradise (if you accept to do without a cup of coffee on a terrace). Another thing that strikes me today, is the absence of tourists. I do not mean the holiday makers, but just people that go for a ride on a Sunday. In the few cars that I saw, I did not see families or people who were obviously not on business. Also no tourists on the most scenic spots. Where are the Japanese on Sundays? The absence of restaurants and refreshment facilities will be related to this, back and forth.

A fishing village

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Mo 03.27 14h00 Uchiuma
Yesterday and today's rides are all along the coast. Target of today: Sukumo. The cold has disappeared, there is a beaming spring's sunshine and many trees are blooming. With nature showing it's best and the picturesque fishing villages, you can't imagine better circumstances for bicycle touring. "This was my most beautiful coastal ride ever", Mike declared yesterday and I would like to second that. The roads are sometimes so narrow, that at times I was wondering still to be on the right track. There was hardly any traffic and that, with the weather, was the best thing of all. Today is an equally beautiful day. I have no idea where my friends are hanging around, I have not seen them so far. I am now in Uchiuma and I think I have advanced most. Mike wanted to spend some time visiting interesting sites in Uwajima this morning. Peter and I left together, but after 10 kilometres I advanced, my pace is a bit higher. Because there so many peninsulas along the coast, you can make a ride between two places as long as you like, or, cut off as much as you like. Therefore all of us will probably do a different distance. Here, near Uchiuma, I am in a roadside restaurant (a rare commodity!), eating spaghetti.

rough coasts

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3. On the train

Tu 03.28 12h30 Wakai
The station where I had to change first, is called Wakai (see purple arrow) and it has only one platform, it has even only one track, so I did not need to find out where to go. The engine driver, whom I had consulted before about Wakai, just came out of the train to check if I had got off. There is a bench in a shelter, just big enough not to get wet in the rain. I studied a list with place names and times. But that did not make any sense to me and I asked a boy, who also got off, which train on the list went to Uwajima, my next change. He pointed to a line where the time 13h16 was shown. That's two hours from now!! "two hours wait" he said in English and that confirmed the bad news. Two hours on a small platform in the cold wind, taking shelter from the rain. That was not a nice outlook and I pulled on a sweater. When the rain ceased, I went to explore the village. It is a small country village and I saw nobody. The rainwater dripped from the roofs and the trees and grey clouds raced through the sky. Added the sound of the wind, a grim atmosphere was in the air, an atmosphere of total desolation. With the sun of yesterday, this village, with it's nice little houses with typical Japanese style roofs, would have looked quite differently. I walked through a long street, obviously the only street. Still no human being to be seen but I bet that several eyes will have noticed me from behind the windows. Actually, I was looking for a shop, to buy something to eat. But the street changed into a path and it vanished in a lot with bamboo trees. No shop. So, I strolled back and nearby the station the rain resumed with great intensity, so that I found myself quickly with my bicycle again under the shelter.

The slow train winds along the rice fields

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After the rain cleared away, I ventured into the village again, trying to exchange money for food. I headed into the other direction, but that was also no success, except that I could draw a tin of cold coffee from a vending machine. Also at this side of the village, the street ended. Halfway there is a small road, being the exit to the outside world. Not that it is used a lot; because until now I have seen one car entering the village and that only car left soon after again. In the meantime it's 12h30 and thanks to my village explorations and to this writing job, I have been able to fill up the time. Hey! A train passes by. What a pleasant distraction. It stops and people look surprised through the misted up windows to the foreigner, sitting on the bench and writing (that was at the beginning of the last sentence). Nobody gets off and nobody gets in. The train disappears and I am alone again with the wind, howling around my shelter.

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