A great ride and a ferry….but when will it get warm?
Yesterday, we had quite a ride to get here…a ferry ride, cycling the massive hills of Nagashima Island with cold windy weather and finding our way to Akuna on backroads. We arrived so cold and were glad to have the hostel to ourselves. We cranked up the heat pumps, made some dinner and called it a night. A good day.
This beautiful rock with a Tori gate, in the sea south of Akune, is a memorable sight. However it looks like it is also appealing to birds judging by the amount of white bird guano. Clearly this bird on the Torii gate is taking no responsibility….he’s just here for the view.
One can never tire of the beautiful coastline of Kyushu. For us it has come with winds and cold weather this trip. This hasn’t dimmed our appreciation of the beauty around us. Perhaps the challenges we have faced have given us a deeper appreciation.
At times we feel like we are on a memory tour as this coastal area is very familiar to us from previous trips. As we were pulling in to this Michi, we remembered the tiny business here that specializes in slow pour drip coffee. As you can see, we are indulging and the coffee is as good as we remembered it.
The rituals involved in making slow pour coffee is time consuming and painstaking. Each cup is made individually, with the water boiled to the proper temperature and then it becomes a slow dance with gradual pour-overs of hot water.
Karen PoretThis is the best way to make coffee! I do this every morning. One cup is enough to start and save my day! Verve Coffee Roasters in Santa Cruz started this trend and continues to serve it ONLY this way to everyone. Reply to this comment 3 weeks ago
Having a chat with her and telling her that when we come to this area, we always stop for a cup of her coffee. I haven’t been drinking coffee for most of this trip, so having a latte was a major treat for me.
We are out of practice sitting on a conventional bike saddle, even if it is a Brooks saddle. We took our coffees and donuts from a shop next door to a sitting room at the Michi. And by the way, the donuts are from a shop that is just as tiny as the coffee shop…and they are excellent, freshly made.
It is such a beautiful place with low tide adding the charm of making it walkable to explore. These outcroppings remind me of the Maritime provinces in Eastern Canada and the Tofino/Long Beach . area on the west coast of Canada.
This closer photo shows how the weather and the passage time are eroding these spectacular features of the coast. Imagine having a home at this prime location with this rugged beauty and a massive breakwater at your front door.
Karen PoretThis is reminiscent of what is taking place now, here in Santa Cruz, CA where parts of the 100 year old pier has collapsed and swept away in the Monterey Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Mother Nature Rules! Reply to this comment 3 weeks ago
If you have read our journal from the first time we travelled in this part of Kyushu, you may remember that we were caught in a heavy rain storm, the cars were deadlocked and moving slowly in both directions. Barry rode as close to the edge of the road by the rice field as he could. The result being that his rear tire caught in some mud and he promptly did a complete rotation off the road flipping over and down a slope. Ultimately he was in the rice field upside down in his trike. As a TV commercial said (decades ago) “l’ve fallen and I can’t get up!” The remarkable thing is, all of the cars in both directions stopped and some men ran to right his trike and pull him out. It appears from this photo that he is reliving this painful and embarrassing moment. A bit of PTSD perhaps?
We have arrived at the city of Ichikikushikino…what a great name. Imagine that used in a spelling competition. It is famous for its seafood, and smoked tuna.
We have often ridden by this hotel and wondered what it would be like. It is an aging property, situated in a beautiful location and has seen better days. Hotel Axia Kushikino is another property in the “Fawlty Towers” trend we seem to be on lately. What comes with that is charm, an aging but very hospitable staff, an Onsen and a pretty location.
We have a western style room and I am off to the Onsen.
Most communities have a ground ball field and their enthusiasm is not deterred by the cold weather. They are bundled up. This is across from the hotel entrance.
Christmas is coming soon. It is so festive wherever we go in Japan. You can see through the lounge windows that the hotel is situated directly on the water.
A games area. As with other older hotels where we have stayed, the scale is large. The lobby is enormous with a sitting area, the games/manga room, cafe (closed). It is a step back in time, pretty tired, comfortable, yet lots of character.
