Category: Awaji Island

  • The Reopened “Michi-no-Eki Uzushio”

    The Reopened “Michi-no-Eki Uzushio”

    道の駅うずしお | 南あわじ市

    October 19th marked the grand reopening of Michi-no-Eki Uzushio, and I had a chance to check it out …. by bicycle, together with a few friends.

    Even from a distance, the place looks amazing. The whole area has been redesigned with open decks, and unbeatable view of the Ōnaruto Bridge stretching over the bubbly Naruto Strait. The weather was perfect for cycling, and arriving there on two wheels somehow made the burgers taste even better, and we were able to avoid the traffic jams 🙂

    Burgers and Happy Noise

    Despite the crowds (and there were plenty), we managed to get our hamburgers in about 20 minutes!!! pretty impressive considering it had just opened. We grabbed a spot outside and enjoyed the atmosphere while kids danced nearby and a woman started playing the violin.

    Everything just clicked…… good food, good company, and that Awaji Island vibe.

    And yes… apologies for my photo of the hamburger. It doesn’t do justice to how tasty it was. Local onions, juicy meat , honestly a great burger….. Oh and the Awaji Cola! Wow it was something else …. spicy

    Looking Ahead

    From the terrace you can see not only the bridge but also the future — literally. In a few years, they’re planning to open the Naruto Bridge for cyclists, which will finally let you ride all the way between Awaji Island and Shikoku. It’s going to take around three years to complete, but when it happens, this place will be the perfect starting (or ending) point for that trip.

  • Short Ride with Charinko

    Short Ride with Charinko

    I joined my friend on a cycling ride with the group Charinko (チャリン娘). It’s been taking me a while to get back into riding again… and honestly, I’m still relying on my e-bike for most rides. It’s hard to keep up with the road bike crowd… at least until we hit the hills, where I easily pass them.

    チャリン娘のライドに参加しました。

    最近また少しずつ自転車に戻ってきていますが、まだ電動アシスト（Eバイク）に頼っています。

    ロードバイクの人たちについていくのはちょっと大変💦 でも坂に入ると、こっちのほうが速いんです。

    It was only a short ride, about an hour or so. We went out toward Nadakuroiwa Suisenkyo (灘黒岩水仙郷) on Awaji for a test run and stopped off at Fuku Café (ふくカフェ) to try their curry.

    今回はだいたい1時間くらいの短いライド。

    テストランとして灘黒岩水仙郷まで行って、ふくカフェでカレーを食べました。

    Somewhere along the way, I actually broke a spoke… didn’t even notice it at the time, being the dimwhip I am.

    Still, the ride was all good fun. It felt refreshing to spend a day joking around in Japanese again… something I’ve really missed over the past few years. I’ve been too wrapped up in beekeeping by myself lately, so it was nice to just ride, laugh, and enjoy the day.

    I also got to try the world’s best Coke… that’s Coca-Cola, not the white powdery stuff.

    途中でスポークが1本折れていたけど、気づきませんでした。ほんと自分でも「アホだな」と思いました。

    でもライドはすごく楽しかったです。

    なんか、ひさしぶりにこういう日もいいなって思った。

    ここ数年、ずっとミツバチの世話ばかりで一人の時間が多かったから、仲間と走るのはいいリフレッシュになりました。

    そして最後に、世界一うまいコーラも飲みました。

    Apparently the worlds best Coca-Cola
  • Oh! Deer

    Oh! Deer

    And it happens again just as I’m getting nice and fit, dropping a little bit more weight, getting really used to cycling around, and what happens? I hit a deer.

    またやっちゃったよ。体がだんだん元気になってきて、少しずつ体重も減って、自転車にも慣れてきたのに…シカにぶつかったんだ。

    Yes, I’m okay, but I did crack my helmet. I think I cracked it because I had a light attached to the back of it and the pressure went on there. My head was fine… no headaches, nothing. My groin muscle, though… that’s a different story. I don’t know what I’ve done to it, but I’m a week in now and I still can’t walk properly.

    ケガは大丈夫。でもヘルメットが割れちゃった。後ろにライトを付けてたから、そこに力がかかって割れたんだと思う。頭は平気…頭痛も何もない。でも股関節の筋肉がね…別の話だよ。何をやったのか分からないけど、もう1週間たってもまだちゃんと歩けない。

    Seriously, this time I’m a little bit peeved. Honestly, check the video… that deer was just aiming for me. The funny thing was, after I checked the video, I realized I didn’t know the deer came up from under the guard rail. All I remember is suddenly seeing a deer in front of me.

    今回は本当にちょっとムカついてる。正直、その日のビデオを見てみてよ…あの日は完全に運がなかった。おもしろいのは、ビデオを見た後に気づいたんだけど、シカがガードレールの下から出てきたなんて知らなかった。覚えてるのは、急に目の前にシカがいたことだけ。

    A couple of good things: I wasn’t going too fast, about 23 km/h according to my watch, and I did break my fall, although my head hit the ground afterwards.

    良かったこともあるよ。そんなにスピード出してなかったし（Apple Watch によると時速23キロくらい）、転び方もうまくやったよ。柔道のお陰で受け身もうまくできました…でも頭は地面にぶつけたけどね。