Day 30: Kyoto to Nara

October 25, 2024

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I used to avoid naming places we've stayed, unless they were exceptionally wonderful, or really bad, or simply bizarre. We've stayed in so many different rooms and campgrounds over the years that only a few stand out. Often it's less about the place itself than the circumstances surrounding it: a warm (or cool), dry sanctuary after a grueling day, feeds the soul like nothing else can.

The lodging we've chosen on this trip have been consistently good. The staff, especially, have been very accommodating. If I were British I'd say we're chuffed about that. What we'll remember from last night's stay is that they had self-serve samples of eight different brands of sake. We've been sticking to beer, with the very occasional glass of wine, this entire trip. It was nice to have something a little different, and something "local". We tried all of them! Just a sip or two of each.

Last night's sake didn't slow us down at all this morning. We retrieved our bikes from the outdoor parking area, loaded them up, and headed south at 7:30.

The route was divided into three rough sections. The first ran underneath, and briefly along, the expressway running between Kyoto and Osaka. This was interesting, albeit a bit slow due to the traffic lights. At first we spent a lot of time on the street.

Once these large signs appeared, we were guilted into taking the right side of the sidewalk.

When bridges appeared, we would sometimes get confused. The goal was always to end up on the sidewalk for the crossing, but it wasn't always easy to find.

Here's a good reason to use the sidewalk

There were often shenanigans involved in simply crossing the street! Here's one that's a series of ramps leading to an elevated loop. I wish we could've gotten a bird's-eye view of it.

The second, and longest, section of the route was a levee trail. It was great, but we didn't have the easiest time getting to it. From the expressway sidewalk, there was only a stairway leading down to it. We had to go further, double back on a side street, ride a dirt farm road for a short distance, then switch back on a rough concrete road. Once on the levee, it was all smooth sailing.

In a moment of prudence, we immediately stopped and looked for the nearest konbini. We were very close to one, and it was the only one within easy riding distance for the rest of the route. So we found another (much better) way off the levee. Time for second breakfast!

A park across the street from the 7-11. What luck!

There were some twists and turns, all welcome departures from the monotony of the levee. "Monotony" isn't the right word, because the view from up top was always stunning. This was the kind of levee that wouldn't be tested unless a once-in-a-century flood came along. So there were tea plantations and other crops being grown inside the levee wall, as well as outside.

We did have one complaint, which is pretty common worldwide when riding a purpose-built cycle path: barriers!

This kind sucked, but it could be finessed after slowing to a crawl

After a while, we were unceremoniously dumped onto a road, but we were still on an official route that continues all the way to the port in Wakamaya. If we had more common sense, we'd follow it and catch the ferry from there to Shikoku. So convenient!

We reached our destination hotel before lunch time. They were kind enough to keep our bags for us so that we could ride to Nara unencumbered.

The trees and their shadows are pretty sights as we ride to see the sights.

Since we were heading for another Buddhist temple, I had hoped for another vegetarian lunch. We found one very easily. This restaurant focuses on pickled vegetables. And get this: it's a buffet! We got our money's worth.

We'd seen videos of Nara Park, and the deer everywhere, and the crowds, so we weren't too surprised by the scene in front of us. We were interested in Todai-ji and the Great Buddha statue, but to get to it, one had to run the gauntlet of smelly deer, their droppings, busloads of unruly schoolchildren, and busloads of unruly adults. I felt bad for the deer. Most of the males had had their antlers cauterized, and they had picked up odd begging behaviors from being surrounded by and fed constantly by tourists. Can I say something honestly without being seen as a curmudgeon? It was disgusting.

We did find an official spot to park our bikes. We removed anything we thought the deer might chew on. Then it was off to the temple.

The gate and the main building were impressive in their own rights. And the Great Buddha was awe-inspiring. Almost enough to help one ignore the carnival atmosphere transpiring around us. I'm a layperson. I'm not beyond having desires. What I desired was peace. This isn't the place to seek it.

Thankfully these guys are labeled, or else I'd never be able to tell them apart

That's a pretty substantial bundle of offerings

We picked up our bikes and walked away from the throngs of tourists and deer. We didn't realize we were walking towards Kasuga Taisha, an almost 1300-year-old shrine. That sounded cool. We were looking forward to it. So were a bunch of other busloads of people. And a bunch more deer. We made it most of the way there, past many many stone lanterns, before we decided to call it a day and head back to the hotel.

This is probably the nicest hotel room we've had yet, and we got this place for not much more than a camp site normally costs us. I was convinced that it's another converted love hotel, but now I'm not so sure. It's very tastefully constructed. It feels more like a European lodge than a Japanese inn. Jazz wafts through the hallways. Not smooth jazz, either. Clifford Brown, Max Roach, the classics, the masters.

We entered the room, and it's the same thing! Suddenly it had become a liability, because I had no idea how to turn it off. Once I figured it out, I felt relieved, and left it on. I eventually switched it to a channel that has more of a Great American Songbook playlist.

I bring this up because I hear a lot of jazz in Japan, and it reminds me of my youth, when I'd hear a lot of jazz on television, from Mister Rogers to Johnny Carson. I'm often disheartened by the lack of interest by Americans in what is arguably its greatest contribution to the world of art. I've long known that Europeans and Japanese appreciate it much more. When I first visited Europe in the nineties, jazz was ubiquitous. Miles Davis was on French television, John Tchicai was playing just down the street from my friend's house in London, and Sonny Murray was hanging out at the recording studio I visited in Paris. Maybe bike touring has taken me out of the urban centers, but I just haven't seen or heard much jazz in my subsequent trips to Europe. I'm glad it's still a thing here in Japan. If I went out of my way to look for it, I'm sure I'd find plenty of live jazz in Tokyo, and probably in Osaka too. Heck, I found some in Akita. That was a real treat.

Tomorrow, we're heading to Horyuji, a Buddhist temple dating back to the 7th century. Maybe it'll be mellower there. Then it's off to the Shimano Bicycle Museum. Quite a study in contrasts.

Today's ride: 54 km (34 miles)
Total: 1,886 km (1,171 miles)

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