Hello!! This is Taku.
Have you read my previous Touring Blog Part 1? If not, please go ahead and read that first. With that said, in this blog post, I would like to share the sequel, covering the journey from day two to day four.
Starting day two from Kyoto
On this day, I first headed towards the Osaka area. I basically chose a route along National Route 1, but there were many sections like bypasses where cycling is prohibited, so it was hard to ride smoothly. The truth is, I hadn't really thought through the route for day two, assuming that I’d be fine just sticking to Route 1. That was a shallow way of thinking. If any of you know a good route, I’d love for you to tell me. I’ll keep it in mind for next time (if there is one).
Despite everything, I arrived in Osaka. Since I had some extra time, I decided to visit a few bike shops I had on my list. Because I was riding a track bike, I stopped by BROTURES OSAKA. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me despite being busy.
Next, I went to BICYCLE STUDIO MOVEMENT. I ended up having a quite long conversation here. Staff member Mr. Hori gave me plenty of MAEDACRACKER WAY TO GO energy snacks, and cheered me up while I was grumbling about how far the finish line was. I also spent a lot of time chatting with Nishikawa-san and their friend, who happened to be visiting the shop at the same time.
I was truly looked after at every turn... thank you all so much!
Aiming for Wakayama Port
My next destination was Wakayama Port! Why head there?
Because for this touring trip through Shikoku, I planned to take the ferry from Wakayama Port to Tokushima to reach the island. It’s about 70km from Osaka to Wakayama Port, and the ride took me through beautiful natural scenery of mountains and sea.
Finally boarding the ferry
To board the Nankai Ferry, it costs 2,200 yen for an adult, plus an additional 700 yen for a bicycle. The ride took about two hours. By the way, the bikes are secured to the wall with ropes, so there is no risk of them falling over or getting damaged.
Starting day three from Tokushima
I’ve finally made it into Shikoku. Reaching Shikoku makes me feel like I’ve come such a long way, but it’s only day three—the journey is just beginning. On day three, I rode along the outer edge of the island, aiming for Takamatsu in Kagawa. Since the distance for the day was short and I had time to spare, I decided to go see the Naruto Whirlpools.
I found this sign along the way and just had to take a picture. If you’re from Aichi Prefecture, these place names should look familiar, right?
To find them here in Shikoku! And two of them, no less!!
Anyway, I got closer to the Naruto Bridge. The weather was perfect that day, so it was a beautiful and pleasant ride.
I arrived. The famous Naruto Whirlpools. Being a huge fan of large-scale structures and steel frames, I found myself more interested in the bridge than the whirlpools. This was my second time seeing it, but it’s still exciting.
Heading for Takamatsu
Anyway, the scenery on the Naruto Skyline is amazing. Just look at this. Cherry blossoms, fresh greenery, and the blue sea!
However, contrary to the heavenly view, the slopes on this Naruto Skyline were incredibly brutal... This is the only place on this entire trip where I had to put my foot down because it was just too hard. It’s so frustrating...
Day three sub-quest
Anyone who read Part 1 already knows what this is about, right? That’s right, Ie-kei ramen. Takamatsu is home to Takamatsu-ya, the only restaurant in Shikoku that is directly affiliated with the famous Yoshimura-ya.
I forgot to take a picture of the ramen itself... sorry about that. I was so hungry I just dove into the meal without thinking about taking any photos. Like all the directly affiliated shops, the soup at Takamatsu-ya has a powerful impact from the soy sauce and is very satisfying. The soup is top-notch, but what I really want to recommend here is the chashu pork. It’s smoked or something, as it has a very rich flavor, and because it’s coated in the soup, it doesn't get monotonous—you never tire of it. The combination of this chashu and white rice is exquisite. I could go on and on about ramen, so I’ll leave it at that.
A pleasant surprise at my accommodation on day three
For my stay on day three, I was in the city of Takamatsu. Leaving your bike in the city overnight can be nerve-wracking, right? But the hotel I stayed at was revolutionary. Who would have thought there would be a bike rack and a bike pump right at the front desk of a city hotel?
By the way, the place I stayed was a hotel called We Base Takamatsu. If you’re ever cycling to Takamatsu, I highly recommend staying there.
So, that wraps up this Part 2 blog!! I still have over 500km to go to reach the final destination, Shimonoseki. There’s still a long way to go, but I’d be happy if you’d read the next one as well. See you in Part 3!!