Japan Summer 2024 - Day 27

June 24, 2024

Kushima to Nejime 112 Km

Start 6:51 AM Finish 5:38 PM

Total Duration 10:47

Moving Time 7:23

Stopped Time 3:24

Ascent 1,488 m

Descent 1,488 m

Tour Total 2,839 Km

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/194429228

I slept well under the pavilion at Fukushimagawa Kasen Historical Park on the banks of the Fukushima River in Kushima. Last night it got hot inside my tent, and I didn't need my sleeping bag or my silk liner. Both fly side flaps were open to allow ventilation. It rained during the night and a few sprinkles made it inside, but I was mostly protected by the pavilion. Sunlight started streaming in early and I was able to sleep for another two hours. I used the picnic table to fold my gear, and there was a truck with a driver parked nearby.

It was windy again today. The sky was filled with thick gray clouds and the sun was somewhat shining through. The roads were wet and I wondered how much it had rained last night.

I stopped at a Family Mart for a Craft Boss latte, a piece of fruit cake and a doughnut. It was really balmy. The atmosphere was thick, and I felt like I was in a steam bath. I removed my jersey to ride in only my bib shorts.

I was on route segment number 38 which would take me to Cape Sata, my final destination. I was riding along the coast passing beaches with waves crashing. I noticed surfers in the water. It was beautiful.

I entered the Shibushi city limits and Kagoshima prefecture, the last prefecture of the tour. I passed a Ferris wheel and amusement park at Daguri park.

I was on highway 448 and there was a lot of motor traffic. It happened so quickly. I was approaching a gas station and swerved away from the traffic. There was a thin steel channel that separated the gas station entrance from the highway pavement. It was filled with water and didn't register.

My wheels got locked inside the channel, and I lost control and went down. My head slammed into the pavement. Thank goodness I was wearing a helmet. My right thumb was bleeding, as well as my left knee and elbow. My sunglasses were laying on the ground without the lenses. My rear left pannier had come off and was on the ground. An attendant came running over to see if I was OK. I was mostly concerned about the sunglass lenses, as I'm blind without them. I found the right one pretty quickly. I stood my bike up and moved it out of the way. I kept looking for the other lens as a second attendant came running over. The first attendant found my missing left lens, and I was able to clip them back into place. The left lens was badly scratched and my vision on that side was now fuzzy. There was water and soap at the gas station where I was able to clean my wounds.

Down the road I stopped at a Family Mart for some bandaging. I checked myself in the mirror and could see that the skin hadn't broken on my left shoulder blade. My entire left side was covered with road rash. I patched myself up and re-donned my jersey. My ruptured right thumb would surely affect my phone usage. It began to rain.

This is what happens when designers and engineers don't consider cyclists. It was a trap. I was on a busy road with motor traffic. The shoulder was narrow with little space for riding. The gas station entrance was wide, with an opportunity to get away from the traffic. I've taken to riding on the sidewalks here, as that's what cyclists in Japan are directed to do. Gas stations and business entrances frequently have channels to divert rain water, but they always have grates that accommodate a bicycle wheel. Danger is always lurking out here, and the road surface is hard and abrasive. One wrong move and it's over.

The route eventually took me away from the busy highway, and I was glad to be rid of the motor traffic. I was led to the coast where I rode through bushes and scrub on a one lane road with no cars. There were ginormous mountains ahead.

I began climbing and it started raining. The showers got heavy and it became ridiculous. The water was warm and I kept riding. Everything was secured in waterproof bags and my rear light / radar was flashing. The sun later appeared again at 10:30am.

I then came to outskirts of Uchinoura, home of the Uchinoura Space Center and Japan's space coast. I could see large radio dishes up on the mountain, and I stopped at a pair of curious colorful objects, which were ostensibly antennae. It started to drizzle again. I rode down a hill and paused at a vending machine underneath an enclosure to enjoy a Minute Maid grape juice.

It continued raining and I finally made it into the center of Uchinoura. I went to the New Rocket restaurant for a rocket lunch and a beer. The meal consisted of breaded shrimp, onion rings, a piece of cutlet, a hamburger patty in tomato sauce, pasta, salad, a bowl of rice and a bowl of miso soup. I located an outley and charged my phone and Wahoo Spokane Jeff style. It was air conditioned inside and my kit was soaking wet. When I returned back outside I realized how nice the AC had been. I then began climbing up out of town.

All of the highway markings in Uchinoura were space themed. Riding up the hill I crossed the Mars bridge, and then the Jupiter. I was climbing up a steep ridge to cross over the spine of the small cape. I then crossed the Saturn bridge, and shortly afterwards, the Uranus. I finally reached the top and the JAXA headquarters. I took another photo of a radio dish, and then continued down the other side of the pass.

It began to rain again, and it got heavy. Rain showers here during Tsuyu (rainy season) are on another level. I've never witnessed such a volume of water dumping out of the sky. Thunder began to crack. It was by far the heaviest rain I'd ever ridden through. At one point the drops were like sharp pins. It would lighten up and then get heavy again. I was listening to music from my phone which was snug in my handlebar bag. If not for my Wahoo there's no way that I could navigate. My glasses protected my eyes from the rush of rain, but the lenses were covered with drops. Sometimes I would watch the road through the slit above the glasses. I kept climbing and climbing and the views were extraordinary. During one leg I noticed a large monkey sitting on a guard rail. He jumped down as soon as he saw me. I then came to a tunnel where I could jot down a few notes.

At one point I stopped for cool spring water flowing out of tubes on the side of the road, and I enjoyed the refreshing water. I summited the climb at 2:18pm. I began a short downhill, and then took a left before Kinko town. I was heading towards a large park preserve and following a brown river.

The rain finally ended, and a few patches of blue appeared in the sky. Large puddles checker-boarded the pavement and I was completely drenched. I stopped at a restroom and vending machine and removed my gloves. My hands were shriveled from the water. I took another look at my scrapes from earlier, and they were entirely up and down my left side

I came to a turn off for Highway 68 which led straight south to Cape Sata. The route I was following would take me to the east west, and then down. I then stopped at the ginormous Ogawa waterfall. It was on overdrive from today's rainfall. I then passed another sign for Cape Sata, which was now 43 km in the distance on my route.

I decided to go off route and take a straight shot to Nejime. I also wanted to visit the Ogawa waterfall from below. Why I wanted to be underneath a waterfall after riding through showers all day long is a good question. I climbed back up through the narrow valley towards where I had just been. Large sheer rock walls were to either side of me.

When I arrived at the parking area an attendant explained to me that the path to the waterfall was closed. Because of all the rain it was now a meter underwater. This was the second time this has happened to me. Maybe it's best not to come to Kyushu during rainy season. At least I got to see it from the top.

I was now back at sea level and I entered the port town of Nejime. I passed three cyclists clad in spandex who were getting ready to go for a ride. The wind had picked up and was blowing in my face.

Crazy Guy reader Ron had recommended the Nejime Onsen, where I went for a soak. It was the most comprehensive spas that I had visited here in Japan. It had hot tubs, cold tubs, out door tubs, saunas, a reading room, and even a fantastic dinner. Had my phone not been charging I would have documented it. Along with a draft beer I enjoyed a large cutlet, salad, sashimi, and bowl of miso soup. Unfortunately they didn't have any rooms available to stay tonight, so I elected to sleep in a neighboring park. I edited this report from a picnic table in the dark as a noisy truck idled nearby.