Onomichi
Day 5
From Hiroshima to Onomichi...
What: cycling the Shimanami Kaido way
Where: Onomichi
No. of Nights: 2 (Days 5 & 6 of a larger trip)
Today I travel to Onomichi. I’m in no particular rush as it’s not a massively long journey. I take trains from Hiroshima to Fukuyama, then Fukuyama to Onomichi, taking around 2 hours in total. You can read about my trip to Hiroshima here.
But the difficulty in buying this particular train ticket cannot be emphasised enough! One guy I ask, who is already at the ticket-machine, barely speaks English at all. The thing is, he (as they all do out of sheer goodwill and generosity) insists on helping me until the problem is solved…but the problem is, he's not 100% clear on where it is I’m trying to go to, because I have a suspicion that the ticket he is on the verge of buying for me (with my own ICOCA card) is not the right one!! The other problem being that he is using the machine in Japanese and not in English and so I don’t even really know for sure!! I am worried about ending up with a ticket to Tokyo rather than Onomichi, so I need to tactfully stop the process right away and kindly explain to him I will go to the info centre – this takes a good while because at first he continues to select the buttons for me, and then when I eventually literally have to intervene to press the red cancel button whilst indicating I have to walk off (followed by literally walking off!), he must think he needs to come with me! I now need to politely shake him off, but doing this tactfully is as difficult as trying to separate a piece of plastic that's sticking to your fingers from the static charge! And I feel really bad because he's just trying to be helpful.
I reach the ticket centre, and the plastic has fallen away! But after seeing the massive queue, I return to the machines for one more go! This time I ask a ticket officer to accompany me for help, and although his English is not great either, and although he misunderstands me initially, we do indeed get there eventually! The people here are very friendly and SUPER helpful!!
Ahh on the train at last! I sit back and relax. This is now the second leg of my trip, early days but exciting to be on the go!
Once I arrive I’m told I need to get a certain bus, so I jump on this local bus and the bus driver kindly tells me when to hop off! Now I’m in Onomichi! It seems dead!!?
In search of my hotel...
I walk through little streets, lined with dilapidated houses, shops with their rusty shutters down or their dirty plastic broken shutters also down, restaurants that are closed and dark inside, and no one is about!? I do come across several people and try to ask them where 'SIMA' is but
they have no clue what I am trying to ask. They smile and politely shrug their shoulders and I say “arigato” and because they naturally would like to try to help, I say “it’s ok, thank you” to which they reply “ok bye bye” walking away smiling.
I spot an old woman walking my way, and although it’s all rather unlikely, I stop her out of desperation – not overly optimistic! Astonishingly she seems to know exactly what I’m looking for and she explains several times, and then proceeds to take me half way there! Incredible! Here now, I re-read the instructions telling me to go to one of the two restaurants around the corner in order to pick up the keys (which restaurant depends on what day it is today – typically Japanese, typically elaborate and cryptic!)!
I was hoping this would be simple, unfortunately it does take a further 20 mins of walking about this strange place as I again get lost within the criss-crossing little empty streets and alley-ways. I am half expecting to see a zombie jump out and bite my arm off. Thankfully that doesn’t happen and a nice old man points me in the right direction. Don't get me wrong, at the same time I'm loving the whole experience!
I walk inside and the owner of SIMA greets me. He’s friendly and I pay him in cash. He provides me with the codes and I walk back to the hotel without getting lost! By now I’m expecting very little, because surrounding my hotel is a long-forgotten building project, a residential property built with a mismatch of materials; timber (some of which is rotting), concrete and plastic, and other buildings which look like their walls are built out of plaster board
and which could fall down with the flick of a finger!!
Anyway, when I step inside, it's sweet!!! It could be a tranquil oasis of zen set amidst this decrepit old creepy village! I take my shoes off as instructed by the notice and put on the shoes provided. I walk up the stairs and over to my room. Seems like I’m the only one here. It’s sweltering inside! The floors sound like they are made from a thin layer of chipboard (scary!), and the walls are as flimsy as sheets of paper hanging between floor and ceiling! Worryingly it feels as if you could at any moment simply fall right hrough the floor! There is naturally almost zero sound-proofing... Naturally I must share a toilet (although i do have my own bathroom which is a bonus). Unfortunately there's no natural light in my bedroom (the middle room of three rooms), but I'm nonetheless very content!
Oasis of tranquility...
So, it’s an unusual set-up really. It kind of grows on me rather quickly though. It is very hidden away, perhaps somewhat of an oasis in the context of the general run-down, almost forgotten about, surroundings. From certain angles it does look quite neat, and I like the simple style. So the negatives are juxtaposed against something quite unique with a great feel to it!
Ropewayto Mt. Senkoji
I drop my bags off and manage to get the last ropeway up to see the Senkoji temple. It’s probably only about 165m high, more of a hill than a mountain? The observation platform offers some really splendid views across Onomichi in one direction and in the other, some of the outlying islands and the Sedo Inland Sea. This is set against a backdrop of mountains which are contrasted against each other in different hues of green and blue as they fall further towards the horizon layer upon layer - and I sit here for half an hour doing a little sketch….
I then stroll down the path (which you can walk up if you have the time) and come across what I first believe to be a film set but turns out to be a genuine rescue mission!
This is followed by pretty little shops, cafes, shrines and many very nice looking dozy and chilled-out cats.
Back at the hotel, I meet two girls from Tokyo who are super friendly, but speak little English (albeit still more than my Japanese – my Japanese vocabulary consists of a grand total of five words now). I keep saying the same thing: the Japanese I meet speak little English (this I had anticipated) but their English is much better than my Japanese (also anticipated!)
Evening out in Onomichi...
This evening I venture out into the dark depths of Onomichi to get some dinner. But to my surprise it in fact has a remarkably nice, warm feel to it. There are more people about now, lively happy school children on their bikes, friendly-looking elderly people strolling back with their groceries from the market, a tourist here and there (few and far between though – which is fine by me!).
It’s dusk and I love this time of day, especially on a spring evening. So the town has a certain charm to it, hard to put my finger on but it’s got it. And so I’m feeling in harmony now. And by a stroke of luck, I stumble across the bike shop where I’m to pick up the bike tomorrow morning! Well this is great because now I know exactly where to go tomorrow morning, stress free! The girl at the shop is really helpful and she shows me the bike I will be taking and importantly, gives me a good idea of the Shimanami Kaido route I will take from start to finish. I decide (with her help) that I will cycle about half of the Shimanami Kaido, to then take the 45 min ferry (with my bike) back here to Onomichi - to drop the bike back off before 7pm with no worries! She gives me a good map too... I’m now brimming with excitement!!! Whooohooo!!
After 45 mins of more walking around checking out at least a half dozen restaurants, I happen upon a nice-looking restaurant which is almost full up and looks lively (a good sign, especially here in Onomichi, because so far, a lot of places look pretty worn-down, and are either closed, look grim or have few people inside). The waiter is most welcoming and asks me to wait
until the next available seat, which happens to be right as he’s speaking! He helps me with the menu and I eat a good hearty meal.
I then head back to the hotel to get prepared for tomorrow’s biking before getting ready for bedtime.
About the fan in my room! I literally have no idea how to work it, it’s all in Japanese and it’s hot in my room, moreover these rooms don’t have phones to call reception, and anyway, there is no reception! The Japanese girls who could have helped me are probably asleep or out, so I get ready for bed and then hit the sack (or the futon in this case, which is on the floor, as futons are by nature). My room’s actually pretty cosy and after having daydreamed about my day’s adventures, I sleep well!
Day 6
Cycling the Shimanami Kaido Way
I wake up and I’m pretty excited to get going. I hear the fellow guests next door and by the time I’m leaving they’ve already upped and left! I eat my bread and drink my Starbucks coffee. I’m not feeling 100%, slightly unwell with those flu-like symptoms I sometimes get, albeit they’re mild. But I won’t let this get in the way of the great Shimanami Kaido!
I go to pick up my bike from ‘Better Bicycles’. The shopkeeper is super friendly. Music in the background blares out and brings me back to my youth! Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins (!) and the Cure! Wonderful! I’m feeling better already now! Almost 100% again! He provides me with enough reassurance that my bag is not too big or heavy (actually I don’t think he really understands what I am on about and really I am just lacking confidence because of the impending unknown ahead!)
Anyway, I grab the lovely road bike, which has three internal gears and is super light…and from Onomichi port, hop onto the ferry to Mukaishima island... The weather’s incredible – it’s perfect and I chat to a South American guy who has been living in Onomichi for the past 8 weeks (he’s doing some research project and loves it here!); he helps fill me with that last bit of confidence to tip me over the edge into the land of pure, light-hearted, care-free OPTIMISM! we speak for the duration of the very short crossing to then say adios!
As soon as I hit the road, I feel it, I feel incredibly good. The bike is ever so smooth, and well, the roads are perfectly smooth too! My thought pattern gets transformed into a smooth tranquility too,
from the smooth feel of the road against the tires, tires to rim, rim to spokes, spokes to fork, fork to bike frame, bike frame to me… The route is so simple, there’s a big painted blue line along the entire way and no cars! But before I set off for real, I’m cruising through the small village (which actually seems more sophisticated than any of Onomichi for that matter), and to my utter amazement I come across a relatively big supermarket. I stop by and grab some provisions, including some nice-looking oranges! I hit the road again and I’m feeling very good! It feels extra peaceful as I exit the village altogether … I see the first bridge from a distance, and it looks marvellous. The weather, as I said, is perfect, it’s hot too!
Before the first climb I stop off at a viewing point, I eat one of my oranges and chat to some locals having their snack.
The first climb is fun, taking me 50m up to cross the first bridge, Innoshima bridge. and I do it quickly and effortlessly, overtaking several other bikers with apparent ease?! The bridge is magnificent to cross, along the lower bridge which is beneath the main road for cars.
Within 10 mins I’m on Innoshima island! Almost everyone nods and smiles to say hello, and I speak with a number of people along the way…. at one point I stop off and go to the loo, there’s a fresh produce shop and the sales girl is so sweet and she giggles and blushes when I ask about whether there’s some sugar content or not. It turns out there is, but I buy one anyway as they must be tasty and will give me some needed energy! She has big brown eyes and a pretty smile. Anyway(!), I move on and then stop for a great coffee. The girl
behind the counter seems to find me entertaining as her and her co-worker keep smiling and giggling and looking my way! Maybe I have a funny look today?!
The plan is to get the ferry back from Setoda, but first to perhaps carry on past, then doing a U-turn, depending on how much time is left and how I am feeling. So first I do the next climb to take me onto the next bridge: Ikuchi Bridge – it’s only about an ascent of 40m this time, but in this heat and with the steep gradient it is more tiring than the last one.
Kousanji Temple
Now some 6km in (on Ukuchijima island now), I pass an amazing looking temple and decide to stop by. I pay the entrance fee and walk around Kousanji Temple for the following hour! It is really very beautiful. This belongs to the Honganji sect of the Jodo Shinshu School of Pure Land Buddhism. More info about the temple and on getting here can be found at this website.
During this time, I realise how drained I am, the sun and exercise has taken its toll! And there’s no way I can continue riding any further. In fact, I’m starting to want nothing more than to get back and lay down as soon as possible! I find the ferry terminal and hang around for the next 30mins, feeling rather fatigued and weak!!
Waiting for ferry back to Onomichi...
When I sit in the waiting hall, I notice two girls walking nearby. To me she looks like she may be a Korean or a Taiwanese tourist, who knows, anyway I’m way too exhausted to be thinking of girls right now! I get on the boat and sit down straight away. It’s hot on board, and I am not feeling so good now. Perhaps I’m dehydrated - plus my heart rate is above 100, and this concerns me a bit!
I see these two girls approaching the boat, as I look at them one of them looks over at me and she waves and smiles and I realise it’s actually the girls from the hotel! What a coincidence! The other one looks over and gives a big smile too. But I'm in no mood to talk and as they pass by they give me huge smiles and go to sit down further upfront. On the ferry I am feeling rather sick and weak and my heartbeat seems to be sustaining this rather high level? 45
mins later we arrive and by now my heart is back to normal and I'm feeling good again! Once I’m off, I stand there with my bike and the girls and I approach each other, and as I’m feeling cooler now and relieved we’re there, I am pretty smiley and chilled. Although I thought they didn’t seem fussed about speaking to me on-board, they are now very chatty, and also quite giggly! We chat a bit and I tell them about my cycling. We say our goodbyes and I then drop off the bike - am feeling really good now. It’s been a really wicked day!
I venture out for some food, hoping to dine relatively quickly as I’m rather hungry!
I find a ramen place, it’s basic inside but there’s two other locals eating here so why not! I order and it’s pretty good.
I’m still a bit hungry so pop into a livelier looking eatery where the girl behind the counter is real friendly! I order some chicken breast, some chilli pepper, some mushroom and some onion skewers, as well as a ginger beer! It’s super tasty!
I feel good and head back. I read a bit, then pass out! Ahhhh what a brilliant day it’s been, I’m feeling really good.
Overall impressions of wonderful Onomichi:
The village of Onomichi definitely has massive amounts of charm, the people are very hospitable - it is indeed a very odd place though. It has a thing about cats, there are many restaurants and shops with the nomenclature ‘cat’ in the name or other signage, and pictures of cats, or actually cats lying inside or nearby! Some of them are very cute though! Unsurprisingly, there are very few restaurants offering an English menu – I’m not saying they should do, but this can make finding a restaurant slightly tricky, unless of course you don’t care and will eat anything you are given! Even where the menu is in English, the name of the dish won’t always tell you exactly what’s inside (but this is rather typical of Japan generally – I talk more about this in the Osaka piece I wrote); so, for instance, it might be called 'beef stew', but could easily turn out to be 'beef-tongue stew' or whatever! Anyway Onomichi is so enchantingly odd! And at times, somewhat creepy – naturally I don’t mean this in offensively any way whatsoever. But it really would be the perfect setting for a scene out of 'The Walking Dead’. In the ‘central area’ (which is where I am staying), it is a little maze of pedestrianised streets, lined with houses, ‘bars’, ‘shops’ and restaurants. I italicise ‘bars’ and ‘shops’ because firstly, the shops are mostly boarded-up or their shutters are pulled fully down (also during the daytime); and the fronts of the bars consist of little more than single doors resembling the front-door of someone’s house, the difference being that there is often a random name displayed by a sticker or a rusty over-hanging sign - and inevitably a notice saying ‘open’ or ‘welcome’ or the likes! …intrigued beyond disbelief, I do carefully peer into several of these places, and they are just as creepy looking as the streets they adorn. Stranger still, no one seems to be inside these dimly lit drinking-holes (although sometimes the owner or barmaid, and if business is doing ‘OK’ presumably, then the odd lone-customer); and they do have a ‘bar’ which seems to be invariably lined with lots of alcohol (sake, whisky etc.) and the walls are clad with old fashioned smoke-stained patterned wall-paper which envelops dated décor and odd bits of furniture (something you might expect to see if you ever have the unfortunate experience of entering the living-room of an elderly French couple in rural France, as I once did as a young boy, to learn French (#scarredforlife ;-) ). Quite Creepy!) But I must reiterate, people here are very friendly, very welcoming and very warm – they are the least bit French you can imagine – not that I have anything against the French for that matter! I really do see its charms and appreciate its laid-back way of life. In reality, there’s nothing to be creeped out about at all. The people here are very sincere and are as good as any person you’d hope to come across anywhere in the entire world. This place will always hold a special place in my heart....
