Hiroshima – Shikoku
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The day dawned gorgeous and sunny. Somewhat slow getting going and getting out of Hiroshima to the breakfast-conbini was an excercise in frustration. However, we soon met up and got onto the highway to get to Shikoku Island. The highway was, apart from a brief section, relatively free of traffic and we could mostly do 100kmh. Eventually we peeled off onto the E76, the Shimanami Expressway connecting 5 of the Geiyo Islands just east of Hiroshima. Despite being a highway it was very scenic, and we stopped off at a viewpoint of one of the bridges to stretch our legs and take some pictures.
Eventually we reached Shikoku and stopped at a conbini, where, as well as having another coffee, we chatted with a german girl called Laura who was doing the second half of a pilgrimage walk around Shikoku. Crazy! But in an awesome way. She’s mostly camping, including staying at shrines, which I didn’t even know was a thing.
After the coffee break we headed off up the 494, also called the Ishizuchi Skyline, which is an epic ride circling the southern half of the tallest mountain on Shikoku. It starts of two-laned with great tarmac and fantastic sweeping bends but then narrows and climbs steeply up to its highest altitude of 985m through mostly pine forests, on the way giving some great views onto the surrounding valleys.
Route 439 followed, again, absolutely stunning roads and we were very lucky to have almost no traffic. It was a bit sad to see that most of the area seems to be in a bit of a decline, with many villages looking semi-abandoned. In fact, our lunchtime stop was closed and there was nothing around for nearly an hour in every direction. We did eventually find a little cafe/restaurant in a small village called Ikegawa and had a great Nanban chicken lunch. I spoiled myself and had a custard-cream puff and a coffee for dessert.
Of course now that we’d had lunch there were quite a few places on the continuing route. After Ikegawa the roads generally were wider and also a little bit busier. Our next stop was a Nikobuchi, a very deep rock pool fed by a waterfall. Very stunning. I was very tempted to go for a swim, but firstly we did not have that much time and secondly it’s not allowed as the pool is considered sacred.
This was pretty much our last planned stop for the day, now it was just a stretch to our accommodation in Oboke Gorge. Enroute we passed a large reservoir and when I spotted a small suspension bridge over it I parted ways with Ben, did a quick U-turn, and went back for a couple of pictures. I then tried to catch up again, but after doing some mental arithmetic, I gave up, figuring the 10 minutes spent at the bridge during which time Ben was doing 50-60kmh would have given him too much of a lead. So I continued on, stopping for petrol, and eventually got to our hotel, the Sunriver Oboke onsen hotel. Again, the roads and scenery leading up to it were just breathtaking. This area must get even more picturesque during autumn!
While checking in I asked if my friend had already arrived, and just as I did I got a message from him – he was still 40 minutes or so away and was just taking a breather. So I hopped into the onsen to wait for him before dinner. By the time I finished with onsen Ben had arrived, so we went down to have dinner at the hotel restaurant. While the hotel is very nice, the restaurant was offering up fairly standard meals at surprisingly affordable prices. I ended up having a tonkatsu set meal which wasn’t anything special but something I always enjoy.
Now it’s time for second onsen, and bed. Oyasumi!
Drive: X km
Stay: Sunriver Oboke onsen hotel; no undercover parking for the bikes, but set very nicely in Oboke gorge next to the river and a railway bridge. Very picturesque view from the window, and a nice onsen and sauna.
