Bicycle touring southern Kyushu: Ebino to Miyazaki

As with my ski trip to Hokkaido a couple years ago, I was grateful for Keiichi’s help in planning this bicycle tour in Kyushu.  He lives in Kagoshima now, and I was looking forward to visiting him there.  However, with our detour to Usuki and the days spent there at the bamboo lantern festival, Ferda and I ran out of time.  Being a fair bit out of our way we ended up skipping Kagoshima.  Thank you, Keiichi, for all the help and sorry that we weren’t able to get together.

Our crossing from Kumamoto to Miyazaki Prefecture was through the scariest tunnel of the trip.  As I mentioned in my last post, we hadn’t planned on crossing those mountains on such a busy highway, but the little road we wanted didn’t go through.  The 1800m long tunnel was pretty narrow.  We started the tunnel on the very narrow sidewalk with quite a high curb.  I keep hitting the periodic reflectors with my right front bag (we were riding on the left as always in Japan), scared that I’d lose balance and crash into the highway.  I had to stop part way through to calm my nerves.  It was good timing as a fast truck zoomed by followed by the typical swirling wind.  When the road started obviously going downhill, I got off the sidewalk and sped the rest of the way through the tunnel with no vehicles passing me.  We rested in the sun on the other end, again needing to calm down.

An 1800m tunnel to take us from Kumamoto Prefecture to Miyazaki Prefecture by bryandkeith on flickr

The rest of our days in Japan were characterized by the wonderful people we met.  We coasted down to Yoshimatsu, and an outgoing woman on a bicycle with two kids and good English gave us a short tour of the sites in her neighborhood: a spring and a shrine.

I'm afraid I don't know any of their names, but this woman and her two kids took us on a short tour of a nearby spring and shrine by bryandkeith on flickr

At first her son was a bit shy, but he warmed up to Ferda by the end.

IMG_20191112_163820 by bryandkeith on flickr

We rode along the flanks of the Kirishima volcanoes, up and down, through corn and tea plantations, to get to Kirishima Shrine.

People write their wishes on these wood blocks.  People who wrote in English universally supported the protesters in Hong Kong. by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191113_135035 by bryandkeith on flickr

As the days went by, the fall colors got better and better.

IMG_20191113_143230_6 by bryandkeith on flickr

Check this out!  One wet afternoon Ferda found an awning where we could wait out the rain for a bit.  There were vending machines, and one even had beer!

A nice shelter from the rain for us and our bicycles and a beer vending machine to boot! by bryandkeith on flickr

The sun came out the next day.

IMG_20191114_094134 by bryandkeith on flickr

In Miyakonojo we stopped for a sento (public path) and lunch, and friendly Tuyuko invited us to spend the night at her house.

IMG_20191114_144723 by bryandkeith on flickr

Tuyuko, Ferda, Bryan -- Tuyuko invited us to stay at her house and made a yummy breakfast in the morning by bryandkeith on flickr

Communication was a little difficult, but she is warm-hearted and put together a great breakfast for us in the morning.

IMG_20191115_065414 by bryandkeith on flickr

The road from Miyakonojo to Nichinan is so beautiful that a number of potters have been inspired to set up their workshops in this area.  Ferda bought a couple cups, and the potter filled up a bag of mushrooms for us from where he grows them behind his shop.

IMG_20191115_121725 by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191115_122836 by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191116_072121 by bryandkeith on flickr

Behind a pottery place (http://www.miyatoo.co.jp) where we bought a couple mugs, they grew mushrooms on these logs.  The man filled a bag with these yummy mushrooms and gave them to us.  We cooked a tasty dinner with them that night. by bryandkeith on flickr

Miyazaki Prefecture is famous throughout Japan for its surfing.  When we got to the coast, not only did we start seeing surfers but we also saw more sportive cyclists than during the entire rest of our time in Kyushu.

IMG_20191116_110412_5 by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191116_114501 by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191116_110847 by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191117_092534 by bryandkeith on flickr

Most people who visit Udo Jingu (Shrine) will want to buy five clay balls and throw them over the cliff with the goal of landing in the circle below, defined by rope.  If you succeed, well, you’ll get good luck.  Men must throw the balls with their left hand while woman throw with the right hand.  Since most people are right-handed, women have an advantage here.  However, both Ferda and I throw with our left hands so I had the advantage.  Ferda had the skill though ’cause she stuck one of hers!

IMG_20191116_130547 by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191116_124807 by bryandkeith on flickr

According to the sign, "UNDAMA  Men throw clay pebbles with left hand.  Women throw with right hand.  5 balls 100 yen.  If the ball lands in the rope circle, you will have a good luck." by bryandkeith on flickr

At the campground that night, we were cooking dinner at a picnic table next to a fire pit.  Ferda said, “I wish we had a camp fire here.”  Less two minutes later Take showed up and, worried about smoke, asked if it’d be alright to light a campfire.

IMG_20191116_165809 by bryandkeith on flickr

Wow, those clay balls work fast!

Take and his friends, Shoji and Takashi, are all local long-time surfers.  That evening they were celebrating the kick-off of their new venture together, Aloha Garden.  They all spoke good English and were happy to share their soup, kimchi nabe, noodles, and perfectly cooked Australian beef with salt and raw garlic.  For drink they shared their beer, French wine, and shochu with us.  It sounds like Shoji is a fantastic windsurfer, and Takashi goes to Kauai every year to go surfing.  What a fun way to spend our last evening camping in Japan.

Shoji, Ferda, Take, Takashi by bryandkeith on flickr

The next day in Aoshima we left our bicycles in front of a shop to visit the botanical garden and shrine.  When we came back to the bikes, the shopkeeper waved us over and showed us photos from his trip to Turkey 20 years ago.  He had visited Efes, Kapadokya, Istanbul, Troy.

IMG_20191117_113016 by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191117_114031 by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191117_122849 by bryandkeith on flickr

It was a short ride from there north to Miyazaki where we had a couple days to pack our bicycles and say goodbye to Japan.  Our celebratory dinner was at an izakaya where we were lucky to sit at the counter next to Yumi and Sanji.

IMG_20191117_185126 by bryandkeith on flickr

Sanji, Yumi, Ferda -- we all enjoyed our evening at the izakaya by bryandkeith on flickr

The ice breaker at the beginning of the evening was that first thing Ferda and I ordered was Miyazaki’s unusual specialty, tori sashi (raw chicken).

Tori sashi (raw chicken) at an izakaya by bryandkeith on flickr

The white pieces were soft and almost melted in your mouth, our favorite.  The thin red slices were chewy, almost crunchy, our least favorite.  The orange-yellow cubes (in front of the lemon slice) were organ parts, I think — amazingly custard-like, not at all what you’d expect.

Sanji then recommended we try this raw egg dish.

IMG_20191117_195347 by bryandkeith on flickr

By the end of the evening we were buddies.

IMG_20191117_212130 by bryandkeith on flickr

Sunset from our hotel room on our last night in Japan. by bryandkeith on flickr

So long, Japan, and thanks for all the fish.

IMG_20191118_132623 by bryandkeith on flickr

IMG_20191120_101605 by bryandkeith on flickr

screenshot-www.gpsvisualizer.com-2019-11-18-20-29-09-874 by bryandkeith on flickr

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3 Responses to Bicycle touring southern Kyushu: Ebino to Miyazaki

  1. Mike Painter says:

    Catching up. Nice travels through beautiful scenery and meeting great people!

  2. Kristin Turner says:

    How is it safe to eat raw chicken? Just super fresh?

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