Cafe On y va... morning came and yes, I had to go. Man I felt good, a bed, great great food, clean dry clothes - I think I even dried my sleeping bag and bivvy. Chocolate cake for breakfast :) fresh coffee... don’t get me wrong the hot coffee from the vending machines was okay... but you know... I pack my bike well, and off we go. CP6 - easy peasy.
CP5 was brutal, the others were okay, maybe CP5 was unique...
Ha! …I hadn’t hit CP6
So I started, I was backtracking. I needed to get up over a small pass (450m or so) then up to CP6. It shouldn’t be too bad, 100kms or so, lots of climbing but I should knock it out by early afternoon... I shouldn’t get lost. I’m doing okay, my power banks are charged, my phone, bike computer, lights, camera, action... (oops, sorry no action) all charged. I also feel like I'm beginning to understand/know what I am doing with this navigation game.
I ‘shouldn’t’ get lost... I shouldn’t. Of course not, cos if I did get lost I may find myself on the side of a very steep, grassy mountain, six hundred miles from civilization, trying to climb said mountain in road shoes (and cleats... these don’t work well... in case you are wondering). And if I did get lost I may finally end up in a six foot deep, concrete culvert, carrying and pushing rather than riding my steed... And if I did get lost and that happened I probably wouldn’t ‘knock it out’ by early afternoon... it may even be late evening...
Or around 7pm… 7pm (ish) I hit CP6 - 1516m elevation... in November, pitch black... dark, misty, or foggy, or cloudy... whatever, it was cold, damp and dark. And lonely too, I had not seen a vehicle, or for that matter, any signs of life for what felt like days... It was only hours but you know... I’m doing my exaggeration thing. But no vehicles for hours... I wonder why...?
But it was done, CP6 was done - I thought CP5 was tough, CP6 was tougher. But done and then it was down hill.
Two things. One, I discovered why I had not seen any traffic - the road was blocked, roadworks, big machines and an 8’ deep ravine to navigate. Should be easy in the pitch black with my 50lb bike and road shoes... muddy too… everything helps.
The second thing was wildlife - I discovered the famous 'Devil Goat' (I made up the name), black, black eyes, black horns, didn’t move, just stared at me. I'm not afraid to admit it freaked me out as it slowly materialized out of the mist... then these two slinky things - like big ermine... a deer - tiny with antlers almost the length of its body, and of course raccoon dogs - Tanuki, tons of them - built like corgi dogs.
Eventually I get to civilization, and around 9pm another hotel — shall I stop? It is late, I am cold, I’m gonna need to bivvy up in a hour or so anyway. Hotel…? Well why not? And yes two in two nights. Getting soft? Nope, I started out soft.
And it was an Onsen hotel - Onsen being natural hot spring baths. Apparently this hotel is famous - if you are ever, ever going to have an Onsen this is the way to do it. And... I will provide instructions... cos that is the way I roll. Yes Sir.
Step 1. Put on the traditional Japanese robe - the one that makes you look like a samurai warrior... a warrior getting ready for mummsy to tuck him in for beddy byes.
Step 2. Grab your facecloth sized Onsen towel and walk through the changing rooms.
Step 3. Go out of the building to the tram car. Press button.
Step 4. Ride tram car to outdoor Onsen.
Step 5. Take off provided Onsen footwear, remove warrior pj’s, shower, put facecloth on head and step completely naked into the female outdoor Onsen.
Step 5a. Get kicked out of the female Onsen and sheepishly go to the male Onsen. (Didn’t really happen.)
Step 6. Relax.
Step 7. Reverse steps 4 through 1.
Step 8. Drink two large beers and collapse into bed exhausted.
Step 9. Sleep like a sleepy Samurai Warrior.
End of day seven.
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