We have been at this hotel by Shirahama Beach for 2 nights. We have enjoyed the opportunity to spend time at the Fish Market, just a few km ride away and at the beautiful Shirahama Beach. Today we will have a ride of many big hills, yet we will follow the ocean.
Plums are such a popular treat and garnish. We have begun to change our minds on how tasty they can be after our visit to the Fish Market. The sample we had there were delicious.
We have had a wonderful stay here. Being in one of the annex buildings, we are in the budget side of the hotel. The good thing is we are welcome to take advantage of all the amenities of the main building..like the foot bath, Onsen, entertainment area with ping pong, foosball and billiards.
Our building’s decor is minimalist in an industrial style. Their philosophy is to provide common areas like this lounge and the fully equipped kitchen in the photo below. Every space in the building is at the ocean with a view. Our building is very affordable, whereas the main building is way out of our range.
Bikes are welcome here. Our bed room had racks on the wall to hang our bikes, but the problem was…no elevator and the door wasn’t wide enough for our trikes. We got to park with the cars in the garage.
Our room was quite large with the beds on the left. The best part was the wide windows as we are perched above the shore of the Pacific Ocean….a touch of home in a way.
These two women hail from Osaka and are also enjoying visiting this area. The one on the right was so excited to make our acquaintance. She spoke English well and wanted to know everything about us, what we have enjoyed and where we will go.
Adventure World is close by. It is known for having the largest number of pandas in captivity outside of China. It also has Safari Land where you can take tours in a vehicle through areas with various African animals…lions, etc.
A Giant Bike Shop is part of the Hotel. Being positioned directly on the Pacific Cycle Route, 1400 km Osaka to Tokyo, it is encouraging to see a hotel like this which caters to a wealthy clientele, make it a priority to accommodate cyclists and their trikes or bikes..
One of the first of many tunnels we I’ll ride through today. We have differing opinions on the tunnels…I like it as it is always cool (very humid lately) and it relieves us of climbing a monster hill. Barry is more practical and is concerned for our safety.
We appreciate these Pacific Cycle Route signs which are in Japanese and English. In order to follow this route, you can simply follow the painted blue stripes at the side of the road. Nonetheless we still have a map on a phone as we like to know where we are.
This sign tells you a Michi no Eki is coming. These are road side stations and they focus on the local community selling local produce, crafts,etc. and best of all, there are always bathrooms. We like stopping at these and often take advantage of their cafe featuring Japanese food.
Today we rode along Route 42. There was little or no traffic. A new express highway has been built which has taken most of the traffic away from Route 42. Unfortunately, without the traffic a couple of the Michi-no-Eki (rest stops) along the route have closed down. Also, we encountered only two convenience stores in 50 kilometres. Yikes!
It is great to follow the coast…always interesting. Winds aren’t too bad today but the hills continue. Route 42 has spectacular scenery with little traffic.
It is a joy to ride along the Pacific Ocean. But it is sobering to see signs frequently along the road warning of a tsunami and escape routes.
Came around the corner and 3 cats were sitting in the middle of the road. Indeed, this is a quiet road. These wild kitties all have issues and untreated injuries from their wild lives. After watching these cats we have resolved to carry some cat food with us.
And then we were confronted with this sign…we were almost back to the main road. Nonetheless, we turned around and retraced our route. Not so sure about the Google translation.
