10/16 - Day 12

 October 16, 2026

Our last day of riding. It is a short but challenging ride. 34 mles, 2400' of climbing!

Here are the stats: https://www.strava.com/activities/20608436136

Check out the profile.

The hotel was very nice, but we didn't fully appreciate how luxurious it was until we spent some time there.

This is our hallway. There were tatami mats everywhere which meant taking off your shoes.

Slippers provided.

There was water everywhere.

At breakfast, we were met by a young woman who directed us to a private room where there were five places with what I have been calling bento boxes. She is lighting little grills for grilling tofu.


The contained boxes contained items that have become familiar: fish for grilling, sashimi (raw squid today), tofu in various forms, pickled items, rice, clam miso, green tea.

This place was prepared for an international crowd because they had plaemats with a map to what was in front of us and what to do with the items.

Mike was happy to know there was also a buffet in the main room.

With prepared boxes, we did some trading. I passed my fish and sashimi to Walter but when I got up and returned to my spot, she had replaced my squid with more.

The ride was a loop, climbing, then descending. The high point was at an overlook for an area flooded by a dam. I'd tell you the name of the dam and lake if I could read a Japanese map.


The descent was fast and cold. It might have been more enjoyable if I remembered to pull my jacket out of the van.

Lunch was in a little town that was coming back to life. There was a public bath, a spa, and this cute little cafe.

Like most places, it was a one-person kitchen.

I ordered a Mapo Burger. It was the best veggie burger I have ever eaten. I told the chef so, and promised I'd write him a google review (which I did).


It was a slab of tofu dusted with potato starch and fried. But the sauce he concocted was a taste explosion. It wouldn't be fair to compare it to a black bean burger.

I also ordered a roasted cocao. It was not the usual mocha latte sugar bomb I would get in the states but it was delicious.


I wasn't hungry, but Romain encouraged us to order dessert, so here is a buckwheat crepe with honey and fruit.


The chef grew up in Chicago and he was not only bi-lingual, he was bi-cultural as well.

Side note: being able to speak the language is a start, but it does not guarantee bi-culturalness. This guy was clearly bi-cultural.

In the 1990s, I went to Bejjing with my mother and daughters. My mother was born in Shanghai and traveled to the US for school and never returned until 1972. And yet, when we got off the plane, not only was she able to speak Chinese fluently, she became Chinese. Her body language changed, her manner of interacting with other people changed. It was like she went through a metamorphosis while on the plane. It was a great learning moment.

The cafe was near the spot where the Great Explorations gear got stored. Romain had to take the bike rack off the top of the van before returning to the rental company. It was at least a two-person operation. He had the help of three other people to put it on.

We were between courses, so I volunteered to help. The van was so tall, that it required ladders and at one point, Romain was standing on the roof.


Here's the beast off the van and in the storage space.


Great Explorations has about a half dozen hybrids in storage. That's why we had to pay an upcharge to rent road bikes. The same is true for ebikes. The ebike in this picture belongs to someone.


Work done, Romain is a happy guy. He still has to return the road bikes to the bike shop.


Our ride almost over, we passed a quarry. Quarry sites were sold by the size of the mouth, so they went deep into the mountainside.


Our final stop was at the Natadara Temple.




Here are our guides, Romain, the lead guide, is on the right. He is from Belgium but is now married to a Japanese woman. His story of how they met is very sweet. Peter is on the right. He is originally from the UK but now lives in Provence. He was not officially a guide although he rode with us every day. His job was to take video of riding in Japan for the website. He often used a drone.

They actually had not met before this tour. 

Tonight was our farewell dinner (although we saw them again the next morning). It was also downtown from our hotel so we walked down and back.


Shrimp cooked over a hot rock. Tails were left on the stone and were crispy after 20 minutes.




Chicken meatballs. No telling what parts of the chicken.


The proprietor/head waiter? Loved this guy.


All night long, it was noisy at the bar. Japanese don't seem to go out often, but if they do, there were at this place.


We had another onsen and it was great!

Stats for the day: https://www.strava.com/activities/20608436136

34 miles, 2409' climbing





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