It has been a positive experience staying at Hotel Axia Kushikino. Much of the staff seem to be life long employees and their high level of professionalism and service make your stay special. The onsen did the trick last night for both of us…restored warmth after a cold day of riding and made us feel more limber.
Nature seems to find support wherever it can. This sprawling old tree has found support from this stone monument. This is on the grounds of our hotel, Axia Kushikino.
We know of Terushima Shrine which is close to the Hotel. It is an incredible place full of cats (at least 10) who are fed by the community. We wild camped here a few years ago. The morning is lovely with sun, but boy is it windy. It is the type of wind that cuts through you and negates any warmth the sun is providing. I guess that’s called the wind chill factor.
You can’t miss this Shrine. In this small town, the huge Torii gate is at the road where you enter the park. All pass through it to access the shrine and the park and this is a very popular space for the community.
The Shrine is located by the sea and an active fishing port. It is a Shrine dedicated to fisherman. An interesting note about this area are the horse races that take place on the beach every April.
After crossing the vermillion bridge, you cross the bridge and then climb up into the forest where the buildings of the Shrine are located.
All shrines we have visited have a unique charm, but this Shrine has a special quality partly due to its beautiful location and the way it leads you through nature to the shrine.
There is a community park adjacent to the shrine as well as a very busy port for fishermen. The white building on the right with the blue bed in front is where the cats love to nap and soak in the warmth of the sun. You can just make out the silhouette of some cats sleeping there.
Life is good for these cats. When I first walked over, a black cat was curled up with these two. There were so entwined that it was hard to make out how many were there. This is tradition as we had the same experience with cats when we camped here.
Fishing is endemic to life in Japan…it can be a passion, a hobby or for many, their livelihood. Either way, fishing and the consumption of fish are an important part of daily life in Japan.
These shrine cats are quite mellow and not bothered by visitors. They live a good life. They are fed…probably some fish, have comfy places to sleep and lots of space to explore. Unlike wild cats we have encountered before, these cats are not afraid of us, a few may tolerate some petting but they are happiest left alone. We can respect that.
The hot dumplings at a Conbini are so delicious and fresh. New flavours have arrived this year…one with maple syrup inside and browned on top to make it resemble a pancake…👍 Another new entry has beef stew in the middle. So far, we have not tried a dumpling that we didn’t like.
We have discovered the alcoholic beverage called Shochu which is made on Kyushu and very popular. On Kyushu it is far more popular than sake. Its popularity is spreading across Japan and has made inroads into North America. It is a distilled product . It is usually made with rice. However, it can be made from sweet potatoes, or barley or even carrots. It is 20-25% proof and makes for a good sipping drink, or it can be mixed with water or sparkling water. We were riding by this distillery and decided to stop and learn more about this beverage. We had a great time with a worker who explained the history and significance of Shochu and gave us a few small samples to try.
This is a distillery that makes Shochu, and of course we dropped in to check it out.
The woman on the left explained about Shochu and gave us a great informal introduction to this popular product. They take drinking and driving very seriously. She was concerned for us. We limited our consumption of the three samples to a very small amount with a full glass of water after each tasting.
We are at a Michi where fresh fish for sale is always available. Locals were visibly shocked by the price of snow crab. It was beautiful but not selling. The price was about $190.
We had no idea what was coming next. We were delighted to come around a bend in the road and see a beautiful beach with waves crashing in and surfers galore. We stopped for awhile to take it all in.
A large community of surfers are spread out along this section of the coast, having a great day.
Each surfer backs their car into a parking stall and with the hatchback up they soak their feet in hot water and eventually get changed. It is a happy community of surfers who seem to know each other well. Lots of smiles and greetings from the surfers applauding us for cycling in their country.
Well, this is delicious. A pastry tart with nuts, whip cream and nuts on top, and this is a Conbini creation. How do they do it? They seem to be creating new items on a regular basis.
The weather is turning with more wind and threatening clouds. The road was dead flat for quite a distance. We really enjoy cycling through rural areas.
This has been a wonderful day of meeting cats. This cat lives at the Business Hotel where we will be staying in Minamisatsuma. The cat is lovely but it was not pleased to have been disturbed to meet us. It was tolerating me while Barry took the photo.
Barry’s meal…assorted tempura with large shrimp, salad, pickled veg, udon noodle soup, and a black clay pot called Kamameshi with rice and Chawanmushi (tea cup steamed egg custard).
Unfortunately Barry had a bad fall while on his way to a Conbini. The sidewalks here are often made of bricks which can be good. Unfortunately, the sidewalk had heaved up due to tree roots. His knee was a bit of a mess and his back took the brunt of it. We are staying an extra night here to help with his recovery.
Today's ride: 46 km (29 miles) Total: 1,548 km (961 miles)
