Kyushu Japan. Day 6


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Asia » Japan » Kumamoto » Amakusa
April 21st 2015
Published: April 21st 2015
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Day 6 Amakusa to Kushikino
Distance 68 miles. Ave 14.2
Ascent. 1104 m Temp 13-24 deg.
Today was a ride south following the coast and involved a ferry ride to the mainland and culminating in a train ride to Kushikono. Due to the distance and the ferry and train timetables we set off at 7am on a cool morning after a 6am breakfast. This was a set menu of Japanese food again, fish, fish and then fish soup to finish. It was really good food and stoked us up for the day ahead. The scenery was stunning all day passing through fishing villages and through farmland with small fields growing a large variety of crops. Rice, onions, soy beans and a varity of vegetables. Once on the mainland after the ferry the soy changed to potatoes. The coastline on Amakusa was very flat with just the occasional hill whilst the mainland was lumpy from the word go and shot us over the 1000 m level. Luckily the wind was from the North East today and was generally in our favour which is a cyclists dream, sun on you back and a tail wind with beautiful scenery. Every time we went round a corner a new amazing vista appeared and knowing what to photograph became a problem. The farm tractors are still small and small rotavators are a well used machine. The rice paddies have just been flooded and planting was taking place. For the first time I saw it being done by a machine, unlike China where it is all done in backbreaking fashion by hand. The rice planter driver loaded trays of seedlings onto a chute sloping down the back and as he drove forwards small wheels were turning and stripping a seedling of the tray and planting it in the wet soil so quickly I was amazed. The ferry journey was spent on the deck watching the islands and boats go by in the sun. Upon arrival at the train station at Origuchi we loaded the bikes onto the van and trailer for Ken to take to our hotel, whilst we took two trains along the coast to get to our destination in Kushikino. We changed trains a Sendai without waiting - superb timing. A taxi was then required to take us to the Ocean Resort Hotel in Eguchiya where we went to the Onsen to clean up and relax in the very hot tub. It was so hot I dripped for 20 minutes after I came out. Serious stuff. What an amazing day.


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