The Ramen Run in Kyushu: Back to Kumamoto via Misumi

26 February 2017 (50 km) 

Today was to be the last day of cycling. Target was to cross the islands and get to Misumi for the train into Kumamoto.  The first part along the coast was quick, but the traffic was building.  Then the exit to the toll road and we lost them all. The cars rejoined later and we kept off the road as much as possible.

We popped into the small coffee house and met the couple who were so kind on our first day.  Good coffee and a slice of cheesecake helped us fly across the last bridge.

The station manager did not seem too fussed about the bikes which we had just dropped our bags across without removing the wheels.  We sat next to the driver and a little girl (probably 5/6 on her own taking the train). 

Checked back into our hotel and they had already put our left luggage in our room.  Now thinking how we shall fill the next two days.

Similar huts are scattered around the islands.  They dispense rice.

Lovely couple from coffee shop on Oyano Island.  They roast their own coffee.

The Ramen Run in Kyushu: Izumi to Hondo

25 February 2017 (62 km)

It was a day of island-hopping.  The first section to Kuranoseto Bridge was very busy.  After that, it went smoothly, less hilly than expected.

We arrived at the ferry point well in advance and had hoped that there would be a place for some lunch or a snack. "Nushing", said the chap selling tickets, so we had to content ourselves with the vending machine.  One thing about Japan is that you are never too far from a Lawson, Family Mart, or 7-11.  All of them are spotlessly clean with a good selection of bits and pieces.  They also have bathrooms.  When these are not around, there is always a drinks vending machine with a vast selection of hot and cold canned drinks.

 Ferry ride was short but a delightful crossing of the Indigo bay which has fish farming and more than 120 islands.  The villages are small and cling to the coastline, a very isolated existence.

The ride to Hondo was short and fast.  We made use of the onsen and went out in search of early dinner (we had no lunch).  Found a young sushi chef and his mother who opened up for us - first class nigiri sushi made on the spot  by him and served on the lacquer counter.  Perfection!

This is our last night on the cycling part of the tour. Tomorrow we retrace our tracks to Misumi for catch the train back to Kumamoto.

Satsumas are everywhere 

Shimenawa are lengths of rice straw or hemp rope, frequently encountered strung across torii, Shinto gateways and are used to demarcate the boundary between the sacred and the profane.

The islanders of Nagashima have developed a unique art of making giant statues out of straw, cans or styrofoam.

Fish farming and drying of seaweed

Fisherman's trousers, Japanese style, worn with split toe shoes

Interesting juxtaposition and colours in the ferry

The Ramen Run in Kyushu: Kagoshima to Izumi

25 February 2017

We had few hours to spare and decided to potter around, pavement cycling the waterfront in order to view the volcano which we were able to do with our feet in a public hot spring foot-bath.  Then a visit to the small  but very impressive modern art collection at the city museum.  There were works from Matisse, Picasso, Dufy, Derain, Warhol, Kandinsky and other 20th-century European artists.  There was even old Mrs Bonnard in the bath once again.

Following a light lunch, we made our way to the station.  This was a bit of a trial and stress as to how to load and unload the bikes onto the Shinkansen within the very brief time it was in the station.  We were lucky the train wasn't too full, with no Americans or Chinese with their massive suitcases. Talking of foreigners, we have only seen one non-Asian in our whole trip and that was for a brief second, he was getting into a car.  

We arrived in Izumi and found our hotel within just a few metres of the station. With the train running at over 300km/h, it took less than half an hour, a journey which would have taken us a day on bicycle.

Mt Sakurajima

Having a foot bath while admiring Mt Sakurajima 

Japanese purity

A rare portrait of Mrs Matisse in Villa Le Rêve

Bicycle safely stowed away in the Shinkansen

The Ramen Run in Kyushu: Birthday in Kagoshima

23 February 2017

It was David's birthday and an overcast day. So we decided to take it easy.

We went early to the Fish Market which is second to the one in Tokyo.  Massive tunas and loads of busy men with massive sharp knives.  We took an early breakfast there of sashimi and rice.  It was full of workers coming off shift.

We then took the ferry to the volcanic island of Sakurajima in Kinko Bay.  Cloudy, so no real view of this active volcano.  Maybe better luck tomorrow. 

The rest of the day, we walked around the town and had an early supper.  The speciality, in fact it only sold, unagi - eel which is sweetened and grilled on an open charcoal grill.  Washed down with an excellent sake.  The day was complete!

Now to pack up the gear and prepare for the shinkansen train journey tomorrow.  Bikes must be packed up in a bag.

Birthday breakfast

Tuna and Tako at the Fish Market

Roadsides honesty box on Satsumajima.
The Satsumajima mikan is the smallest mandarin orange. We bought a bag and they were  very sweet.

Unagi for supper

The Ramen Run in Kyushu: Ibusuki to Kagoshima

22 February 2017 (53km) 

On paper, it appeared to be a straight run on Route 226 into Kagoshima.  For the first half, the road was single lane, busy with an erratic shoulder.  The Japanese drivers were courteous in overtaking us.

On the outskirts of Kagoshima, route 217 offered us a good alternative, first a lane specifically for two-wheeled traffic, then a reasonable shared pavement.  The urban sprawl seemed to go on forever.  Just a kilometre short of our hotel, David had another puncture.  Fortunately we had just passed a tyre repair shop.  It was fascinating to watch how it is done the Japanese way.

Shortly afterwards, David noticed that his tyre had a split.  We visited the local police station and they were very helpful in pointing out a larger bicycle shop.

We found our hotel, left our bags and went to look for the shop where David had his tyre replaced.  We then went to the train station to get tickets for Friday and a late lunch of ramen at Zabon.  Kagoshima ramen is renowned for its rich pork broth and savoury taste.

Chores done, we returned to the hotel to check-in and do some laundry.  In the evening, we explored the neighborhood, the Tenmonken, which is the main shopping area in Kagoshima.  Had another tasty kurobuta ramen for dinner at a café run by father and son.  The kurobuta is pork from the black Berkshire pig and is bred for its marbling and sweet flavour.  It originated 300 years ago from England.  The pigs in the Kagoshima prefecture are fed on sweet potatoes.

Kagoshima is the largest city in southern Kyushu. It is an important port for liner and fuel traffic. It sits to the side of Sakurajima, a massive active volcano dominating the bay.  Some people liken the city to Napoli - for its individual spirit and sitting in the eshadow of a huge volcano. 

Kagoshima kurobuta ramen

Bike parking at the train station costs ¥100 per day

The Ramen Run in Kyushu: circular ride around Ibusuki

21 February 2017 (44 km)

Watched the TV this morning and saw the effects of the extreme wind yesterday.  

We were called for our breakfast which was an enormous spread of Japanese bits and pieces in our own private kiosk.  The food was kept warm by ducting the steam from the mountain and heating the water in the worktop holding some of our food.

We then decided to climb the steep but shorter route to Lake Ikeda.  It was a tough ride with a 4km climb through pine forests, averaging about 8%.  Then came the fast descent to the huge lake.  Lake Ikeda, a caldera lake, is the largest lake in Kyushu with a depth of 233m.  Large eels which grow to a length of 2m live in the lake.     Just before getting to the lake, we saw a group of young Japanese riders racing up the hill.  We found out a few minutes later that they were the Shimano Pro Racing team as we stopped at their van and asked if we could borrow a pump.  The manager of the team was very friendly and helped us.  He had ridden as a pro in Italy and had completed the Giro d'Italia a few times.  He said that his team was training in the area that day and would cycle for 200km.

We then visited a rather strange restaurant, Tosenkyo Flowing Noodle where the noodles or somen-nagashi are tipped into a swirling bowl of water and you have to catch them with your chopsticks.  The fresh spring water used to prepare the noodles gives it a light and refreshing taste.

We finished off the ride, cycling to the side of Mt Kaimon (known by locals as "Satsumafuji") which looked spectacular on a clear day.  We returned to the hotel for another hot bath and then got ourselves buried in sand for 10 minutes.  It was very hot but soothing.  We were wrapped in yukatas and sand was shovelled up to our chins.

That evening, we returned to the last night's izakaya to taste some more barbecue pork, washed down with a local shochu.  All in all, it was a very pleasant day.

David was aghast at the amount of food at breakfast.  This was not a buffet.

A lovely climb through the forest. "Yama" (mountain), the lady in kimono from the hotel warned us, crossing her wrists to show no-go

Mt Kaimon or the Fuji of Satsuma 

With the manager of Team Shimano

Natural sand bath

The Ramen Run in Kyushu: Makurazaki to Ibusuki

20 February 2017 (42 km)

Today the weather changed.  The forecast said rain but did not mention that it would be horizontal with 50mph gusts.  At one point we had to get off the bikes and hold onto the railing at the side of the road.  We passed through a massive area of market gardening and rode in the direction of the extinct volcano Mt Kaimon which looks like a smaller version of Mt Fuji - perfect symmetry!  We stopped at 7-11 to avoid the rain and then again at Joyfull where we had a ramen.  We arrived at the hotel ahead of schedule but they allowed us to change into dry clothes and wait in the lobby until check-in.

Next, a visit to the onsen, which was the family version, i.e. just two of us, but it included a small hamman which was welcomed after being soaked through.  We have decided to stay here an extra night and plan to cycle up a steep mountain tomorrow with an eel lake on top.  Then we plan to get ourselves buried in the volcanic sand bath.

Green tea plantation - no Tamil ladies picking here, just machines!