And then, a post not about video games!

As I mentioned earlier, we've reached Kochi, which is regrettably our last stop before we wind down the trip in Tokyo!
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To all you Matt Peterkin fans: yes, he is still alive, he's sitting next to me eating peanuts and drinking a bottled latte or something.

In any case, the days since Kyushu have been some of the most exciting, cycling-wise, of the trip. In a previous post, I mentioned the active volcano Sakurajima, which, in my own words, "supposedly dumps ash on you now and then."
Our day started with a ferry ride across Kagoshima harbor and a ride around the foot of the volcano.



It was a pretty enough ride as it was, however, when we got to the "lava observatory," things got interesting.



The mountain rumbled, and smoke began to pour out the top! We observed this for a little while, until we actually started to feel flecks of ash hitting us from above.



Figuring it would be prudent to leave before the ash-fall became too heavy, we departed. Naturally, the ash-fall then became too heavy.



I had to tie a towel around my face to keep the ash out, but the going was still slow due to poor visibility. (Matt, who is too cool for even sunglasses, had a less enjoyable time!)

Fortunately this was not the city-destroying type of eruption and we managed to escape the mountain without being incinerated by lava or cooked via pyroclastic flow.

Arguably the alternative wasn't much better, as I then proceeded to take us up the absolute steepest hill I could find on the island. (Check point B on the map in terrain view for an idea.)

Exhausted, caked in sweat and ash, it already seemed like a long time since we'd woken up fresh in a business hotel that morning. Fortunately a Japanese bath awaited us at the campsite!
Here we met Eric and Kayoko, veterans of a far more impressive Lhasa - Kathmandu bike trek, with whom it was a joy to hang out with for a bit. (I'm absolutely doing that some day!)


The next morning found us in an incredible landscape - a volcanic plateau (called the "Ebino Tableland") which somehow felt (and was, really) miles above the rest of the landscape. Clear, cool air, a stark blue sky, and low, scrubby vegetation; completely different than the typical Japanese landscape we've seen so much of.


After scrambling around on the rocks, checking out some of the caldera lakes and taking in the view, we screamed down the other side of the mountain and soon found ourselves on the coast once again.
We found a beautiful free campsite by the water, and the next morning I got up super early to watch a Pacific Ocean sunrise. A uniquely Japanese sunrise, accompanied by music...

I can't really explain why the town would play music on an empty beach at 6 in the morning, but there you have it.

Further on up the coast, we tackled another ridiculous hill, this time with the road looking more like a paved hiking trail than a national highway..


and when our planned camping spot turned out to be ON TOP OF A FREAKING MOUNTAIN we elected to move on, and instead found a beautiful little park in a tiny fishing town. Another chance for a sunrise...



The best part about getting up so early and watching the sun rise is that you easily pass out from tiredness by 8:30pm. Life is good!

Anyhow, a short ferry hop landed us here in Shikoku, and after the usual beach sunrise/sunset combo, here we are!

Kochi is a nice, laid back city with an absolutely beautiful castle dating to the 17th century. A good place to take a break before the final leg of our journey.

Hard to believe, but a mere 3 days of riding (only two nights camping!) remain to us before we hop on another ferry (this one not such a short hop) and head for Tokyo!

Thus, this may end up being our final entry from the road (unless Matt posts tonight!) after which point this blog will focus on the various Japanese toilets and convenience stores.

Thanks again to all for reading and so long for now!