Off our wonderful island campsite and into the historic part of town (some buildings real, some new and keeping in character) to a cafe Rachel was keen on. Unfortunately it was closed due to illness, but we were given cookies by the apologetic owner’s husband. Still, nice admiring the architecture and the front of a bike museum before heading on our way.
Off we went, looking back out our overnight island.
Coastal riding all day, but strangely only one tunnel – high bridges being the flavour of a more undulating, and still very hot, day. Often the virgin forest would come all the way down to the sea, the ground cover looking so dense that it seemed doubtful much of it ever gets explored.
Helpful local warned us to turn around here and climb back up to the main road, due to a closure ahead.
This stretch of coast seemed to be one long sporadic wind farm, with more turbines going in.
Unusual hazards for a small golf course.
We’d stopped for a bit of shade near the golf course and were soon joined by a Taiwanese guy on a tiny bike loaded heavily. As he was built like a front-rower, I’m unsure how the little wheels were coping. Also feeling the heat, he seemed to be mostly coping by numbing with a lot of alcohol each night. Fun chat and we got all sorts of tips about touring in Taiwan, intriguing.
Into Matsumae, one of the few parts of Hokkaido settled by the Japanese before the nineteenth century, we were on the lookout for lunch and some air-conditioning.
This does a better job of summarising the area’s history than I could.
We found a curious cafe in a new co-working space, and didn’t have rice or noodles for lunch!
The little wind thingamijigs were rather calming too. Also had free charging from the bench under the tree, so I assume some generation capacity.
Following lunch, Matsumae Castle (replica, as so many are, after original burned down eighty years earlier) was on the agenda. Plenty of shade, it was a nice respite wandering around and admiring the temple and castle buildings.
Spotted our barge shadow again too.
Honshu! The little bit of older Japanese history in Matsumae having whetted my appetite, I was very keen to get over there.
Trying out one of the many camera stands we’d seen.
Found out later in Tokyo that is quite a famous character; I was just there for the chance to dress-up on top of my bikepacking gear.
Back on the road heading for the southernmost point of Hokkaido. Rather inauspicious, especially compared to Cape Soya some weeks ago.
At least there was a lighthouse, I guess.
And a gap in the barrier.
Not long left for the day, we spent a bit of time trying to find a decent spot to camp.
Not that Fukushima.
Eventually we found a neglected park up on a cliff above town – it there solely to mark the spot deep below that the shinkansen tunnel from Honshu reaches Hokkaido. Looking to go somewhere until dark and we could discreetly put tents up, we found the local onsen was brand new and had some cool wooden architectural features. Unfortunately the kitchen wasn’t really open, so fairly meagre rations that night (no konbini!) – but we did mostly miss the rain that came through.
