May 12, 2017
Kyoto to Nara: An easy day to start things off.
We left the Guesthouse Kyoto Ekimae soon after seven thirty this morning and quickly made our way to the cycle path that runs southwards down the river near the guesthouse. After about 15 kilometers the cycle path turns back in a north easterly direction towards Nara. The path is absolutlely amazing on which to cycle. It is very level with only small dips and rises when going over/under bridges etc. Despite running through Kyoto and Osaka it still has a certain rural feel to it with agriculture vying with industry for prominence.
After about 20 kilometers we encountered a pair of cycle tourists coming from the direction of Nara so we stopped and had a long natter with them. They were Mark and Anita from the UK who were nearing the end of a fourteen month journey that had started in New Zealand and had brought them to Japan via south-east Asia.
After saying goodbye to them we deviated from the cycle path to find a konbini so we could buy some breakfast. Then it was back onto the path, which was quickly filling up with Japanese cyclists (lots of friendly greetings amongst the more formal nods of heads), to carry on to Nara.
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The cycle path ends at Kizu, about seven kilometers from the center of Nara, and here we stopped at a supermarket to buy some rice (as a standby food for when we camp or if we can't find affordable grub) and some grapes as a late morning snack.
We made the small climb into Nara and found our guesthouse but, as with most places in Japan it seems, we could only check in after four in the afternoon. So we used the showers (the rooms do not have their own bathrooms) and set off to find some lunch, hoping for something similar to yesterday. Instead of Japanese food, we eventually settled of Coco's Curry - large bowl of rice and a curry sauce (which might have had a tiny piece of meat in it) for just over 400 JPY.
The guesthouse (Route53 Furuichi) is a fake ryokan but at less than 10% of the real deal I'm not complaining.
After lunch we spent the next couple of hours wandering around the lower sections of Nara Park, where the major attractions are located, so we would have a better idea of what to visit tomorrow.
Supper was cut-price sushi and onigiri from a supermarket eaten at our little table in the guesthouse room.
Today's ride: 59 km (37 miles)
Total: 108 km (67 miles)
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