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Shintoku Onsen to Nokubira Onsen
Friday Day 5 66k 40 miles
Today I left the hotel with two indentations in the bedroom floor, where my shoulder and hip bones lived. The two mattresses were no more than 40mm thick each – paltry. Additionally, the human traffic passing by our door to the toilet in the early hours was like the M25 at 8am coupled with the constant flow of high speed water through ancient pipework making a noise like Niagara Falls.
Breakfasted on the traditional rice, noodles and fish we were off on the road again, following last night’s light rain which left the roads damp and the hills covered in low cloud. Let’s hope that we can survive the day without punctures, having two yesterday on the hire bikes, which are actually quite good Trek machines. This is the reason I like to use my own bike since I know the set up is right for me and that I have good tyres and brakes plus having my other paraphernalia such as bar bag for my cameras and a big under-saddle bag for my tools and spare clothing. We have a good group of 16 members, including
one from Canada and three from the USA, who are fun to be with and get on well together.
We started off after our standard,high quality breakfast in overcast conditions and about 18 degrees straight onto a short, stiff climb. The roads were quite straight with both crop and dairy farming to be seen. Most of the large tractors are similar to those seen in Europe such Massey Ferguson and John Deere with the occasional old Deutz. Crops are wheat, barley, potatoes, rice and cabbage etc. The farmhouses looked quite new and gave an indication of a prosperous business. Eventually the climbing started with gradients varying from 2 to 7% and averaging about 5% making us work hard and use the low gears to keep my heart rate under 80% of max. As yesterday there were a few short tunnels, which I think, are to keep snow off the road in winter rather than breaking through the mountains. The mist continued to hang onto the hills so the grand views were denied us today. After the last climb at about 30 miles there was a small shopping area by Lake Shikaribetsu where we had a light lunch before a
10 mile descent of hairpin bends to Nukabira Onsen. Care has to be taken on these bends since there tend to have wet patches part way round and often rough patches and slots across the road. Our stay tonight is in an International Youth Hostel which is of a very high standard with good, clean rooms and washing facilities. The first job was to get a quick wash and slide into the Onsen (Hot Spring bath) in the hostel, heated by natural hot springs. I came out after 15 minutes like a turkey at Christmas. The trip to the town 'open air’ Onsen was deferred due to the start of rain.
As I write this I am just above the kitchen and the dinner smells delightful so I hope that it lives up to expectations, I am sure it will since I am so hungry with all this climbing today. The Japanese people are so polite and keen to be friendly that I think many of us can take lessons.
The forecast is rain tonight again and low 20's tomorrow so we look forward to improving weather in the days to come and see this amazing scenery of
lakes and mountains.
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