Day 29: Friday, August 13, 2010. Echizen to Kyoto.
Koichi made a breakfast of sausages and potato-based noodles for us. Photos, good-byes and Dave and I were away at 7:30 under cloudy skies. I've noticed as the trip has progressed that my departures are getting later and later.
Followed the Hino River on a bicycle path out of Echizen until we joined Rte. 365. The road started rising through the villages making up Imajo and signs announcing a pass appeared. It was at this point with the grades becoming ever steeper that I suggested to Dave that he go ahead. I knew he must have been thinking the same thing. Good-byes and maybe see you in Kyotos exchanged. Started walking. What a relief. A few minutes later I found a bench, sat down, ate one of the onigiri ("rice ball") Koichi made for us and drank 500 mls of tea. Cycling alone has it's compensations.
Up I puffed to the turn off for Rte. 476 which immediately enters a 2+ km tunnel. Though the road was now a decline I walked the bike through then coasted down much of the way to Tsugaru. Picked up Rte. 8 then 161. Five km on foot, a drink and short rest at a michi-no-eki then down towards Lake Biwa.
For Japan, that's one big lake. Tried to stay close to the shoreline roads but eventually got on 161 and passed kilometers of cars slowly making their back west.
Reached Hamaotsu and thought the remaining 11 km to Kyoto might be easy. Wrong. Two passes to cross then busy traffic to weave through all the while watching the hour approach 7, the time I'm supposed to arrive at Uno House. Made it with 10 minutes to spare.
Mrs. Uno was friendly enough and showed me to the room Akemi had booked. It made an old YMCA room seem cheery and spacious but I was there just to recall the old days. Much different than 1978 when I lived there for 15 months. Gone is the tiny garden and open air wash stands. How a dumpy place could go further downhill requires a rare sort of poor planning and neglect. But, I wasn't there for comfort and entertainment, just to remember. This will be one case when the earlier memories are not replaced by recent experience.
I went to the nearest sento ("public bath") paid the ¥410 plus ¥10 for a small towel and proceeded to strip off my sweat-saturated clothes under the eye of the money collector's middle-aged wife. It seems she found some important chore to do within 2 m of me. Well, if that's her entertainment it didn't especially bother me. Tried to hear any "report" given to her husband but was more interested in the bathes. They were: one hot and green, one hot with jets, one deep enough to stand in chest high, one to lie down in and one icy cold.
Bath done I headed towards the area between Shijo Dori and the Kamo River to take photos of the nightspots then found an Osho to have gyoza, mabo-dofu and especially cold beer.
Too sleepy after that to call home. Returned to my tomb-like room - 3 jo? - and fell asleep. Must have cycled about 125 km with no mishaps on Friday the 13th.January 16, 2011: Forgot to mention that I ran into Dave Myers while walking my bicycle through Pontocho. All roads seem to lead to the same place sometimes. He left the next day on his way to Fukuoka. For those of you who know Pontocho - yes, I was actually walking my bicycle along that glorified alley way jammed as it was with every variety of tourist!
Photos taken while walking in Kyoto near Shijo Bridge at night:
Photos of Uno House:
May 16, 2011.
During my bicycle trip through Japan I saw a few animals, but mostly snakes along the side of the road. Some still very much alive. Foxes I've already mentioned. Simians still to come. It was on Route 161, however, that I accidentally flushed out two small wild pigs that ran all out parallel to the road for 20 meters then turned sharply and crashed into the undergrowth. Until I reached the section that ran downhill towards Lake Biwa, these pigs were the highlight of the road - that should give you some idea how un-scenic 161 is.
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