8:05 am. Hirase Onsen bus stop: It's not what it sounds like. I left the bicycle in Shirakawa y'day evening and am now looking forward to our reunion. The front clerk checked the weather forecast for me and came up with "cloudy in the morning changing to rain from 3 pm". I resisted the urge to ask him to find a "better" forecast. Probably no international humor there.
This is a beaut of a bus shelter: lovely cedar wood construction, wide bench within and overhanging eaves that could shelter several bicycles. Perhaps I should consider making another bicycle journey soon: "Sherwood's Complete Guide To Bus Shelters In Japan" would be its offspring. Arthur Frommer look out! That's my age showing, Anna.
A bit more about y'day. I left the michi-no-eki outside Hidafurukawa in something of a bad mood not just because I had to balance myself on a bench, but because of other home-related matters, i.e. a child who hates to study and lets everyone know it. I reckon the bad vibes caused the flat or was it the thin metal staple that had penetrated the tire and pinched the tube? Tube changed I bought some coffee milk to wash down some choco-pan, two mini-salamis and two string cheeses eaten unstrung. I soon left Rte 41 and followed Rte 471. Not long after I reached another junction in the mountains and got on Rte 360. I saw the possibilities of a good joke immediately. There was a small gas station just after the bridge so I stopped to see what I might do about the rear brake. Making no progress I pushed over to the station office where I asked an attendant if he knew anything about bicycle brakes. That lead to 15 minutes of prodding and applying a lubricant in consultation with another older man. In the end no soap. I asked about continuing on Rte. 471 but they advised against it urging me to stay on 360 after the next junction. When I asked about the road grades the older fellow compared them to the Iro-ha grade at Nikko. It's famous for its many switchbacks and monkeys. In my typical fashion I asked if I might see any monkeys to which he replied with a matter-of-fact "No".
The long march to Amo Toge is now history. All I can say about it is to recommend a name change to "Non Amo Pass".
About to arrive back in Shirakawa. Shine on you beautiful golden orb, shine on!
8:30 am: Shirakawa. Yes, the sun was shining. Arriving at the Shirakawa bus terminal I crossed a foot bridge and went to retrieve my bicycle. Upon entering Shiraogi I asked for the woman who had helped and she soon appeared happy to see I had made it back from Hirase.
Photos taken, a "morning coffee" given to me by Matsuyama-san, I walked down the main street to a second public convenience I'd spotted the day before then changed into riding clothes, packed, attached the bags (to which I added the vinyl umbrella I purchased as it seemed to present a more dignified image when entering a restaurant rather than a stained rain jacket) then took off north on Rte 156.Breakfast near the small Hachiman Shrine just outside town completed I rode forward only to feel a terrible headache and constriction of the throat minutes later. Rather than risk finding no help ahead I turned round and stopped at a small fire station which I had passed moments before. I asked the 3 firemen for the location of a clinic or hospital. After relating the symptoms and answering a few questions I actually started to feel much better though they brought out a bench for me to sit on. I assured them the pain had passed and, reflecting, attributed the discomfort to a muscle cramp. Photo taken I departed.
Rode on for maybe 10 km under a sunny sky on a road generally going downhill. I stopped long enough at a michi-no-eki to avoid a sudden shower. Following 156 north I passed a number of gassho (thatch-roofed farm houses) until I came to the junction with Route 304.
Pushed uphill for only 40 minutes or so, passed through a few tunnels and headed downhill a considerable distance into a green Toyama-ken valley and through Johana and Fukumitsu. I entered a shop and left with a bunch of plump, juicy purple grapes. A legend may have been born as I distributed the seeds as I rode the rest of the way to Kanazawa.
It was a few minutes after 6 when I approached the turn off Rte 159 for the youth hostel. However, as there was a "business" hotel across the street I decided to end the day's cycling there having covered 80 kms. That put me about 15 minutes away from Kanazawa center and Kenrokuen, one of the three most famous gardens in the country which I intended to visit the next day.
A more detailed time line:
More photos of the Ogimachi section of Shirakawa:
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