Day 1061-1077: To Kobe, Japan

 A typical morning routine... enjoying sun rise

 Rain is on its way...I can smell...don't feel like going any further...never mind that I've only made 6km progress today since I found a perfect shelter by the sea I decided to call it a day...

 While sitting here having my moment and doodling some stuff in my note book, a lady came over to have a chat... went away and came back with a bag of food for me...

later in the afternoon, another lady who was passing by in the drizzling rain came over to have a chat and shared one of her two imagawayaki with me.. we ate it together, watching the sea and somehow let ourselves get lost in the rhythmic percussion of waves

Have you ever offered food to a complete stranger? Would you?

This... is kindness of strangers!

When nature speaks, all you have to do is to watch and listen

Roadside groceries

Yeah! Mountains, mountains, mountains

++++

My secret valley - Iya valley, an area I fell in love with

The pissing monk - believed to be a location for travellers to test out their bravery by peeing off this cliff in the old days...

The view you'll get if you dare to stand up there

Chop, chop, chop... lots of trees being cut down

Nicely done up board in the village showing the hiking routes in this area..

++++

Enjoying the tree lined quiet road

This was my second pitch location in one night ''big yawns''...
my first location last night was at a sport park... I was about to sleep when a voice woke me, he was on the other side of a gate where I pitched and he tried to have a conversation and asked if I was 21 etc gut feeling tells me something is not right but I was too reluctant to even bother to get out of my tent to chase him away... then he kept calling out for me to look.. ''Look'', 'Look'' he said repeatedly.. so I peeled open my tent to ''look''... he had his ''dick'' pulled out and I almost wanted to laugh....
still he kept saying 'look, look'' and all I could think of is I wanna go back to sleep
I went back into my bag and aimed a spray bottle at him and told him to 'F' off..he was so scared that he ran away with his pants half hanging off his ass.
Thanks for the entertainment kiddo but I just wanna sleep and thanks to you I have to pack and choose another sleeping location

++++

Checking out a popular bike friendly hostel before crossing back to mainland and indeed there were many cyclists here

This is the biggest pot I ever see any cyclists carry... wonder how big a stove are these young girls carrying 😁

Photo by Cyclo no ie before departure

Onwards to Onomichi via the Shimanami Kaido cycle route linking over 6 islands from Shikoku island back to mainland

Nicely built bicycle 'highway'

Crossing bridges after bridges between islands

++++

Met Kohei who is touring round Japan..really cute guy in his early twenties... I looked at his slipper and asked 'Ain't you cold'... he paused and gave me a silly big grin replying 'a little'...
pity we are cycling in different direction.

He carries a wild boar skull at the back of his bike

++++

A glimpse of Onomochi castle.. a castle which bears no historical value

Welcome to Kurashiki

The old town

Lined with preserved old warehouses

Its empty cos I arrived at a time when most of the shops are about to close

 

Kurashiki's specialty - taste like pancake

++++

Satoru, another cute bubbly guy I met in his early twenties - touring Japan and going towards Okinawa

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Gloomy...

 Himeji Castle - one of the most beautiful castle in Japan
Though not my favourite but it was indeed spectacular

 This view will even more beautiful when the cherry tree blossom next month

 Hiking with Masa via a less known route up to the temple at Mt Shosha where the Last Samurai was film

 Photo credit: Masa - the curious backview

 Went for a night hike with Masa family... heard from Masa that it was the first time ever that his folks initiate to go for such walk 😊

 Delicious meals with Masa and family... and celebrating Hinamatsuri (Girl's festival) which falls on 3rd March every year. Very sweet of Masa's mum to buy a cake back... feels like celebrating birthday in advance.

Thanks for rearranging your busy schedule to host me and big help for receiving the post for me!

++++

Last stop in Kobe. Thanks for letting have a good rest!

 Onboard the ship to Shanghai! Gonna float on the sea for 3 days *horror*

Last treat - ice-cream wrapped in mochi (recommended by Masa)

Sayonara Japan! 3months flew passed very quickly...although you have been very wet and cold, full of rules and ettiquette that I sometimes wasn't sure how to function properly... I still had a blast... so safe, beautiful, convenient and pack full of sweet lovely folks.