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| Hanami, blossom viewing in a park, where the locals feast, drink and carol beneath the blushing petals. |
After spending 2 days and nights in the hidden Iya Valley, we continued our wanderlust towards the 3rd highlight of our trip in Naruto 鸣门 (1st highlight was The Shimanami Cycling and the 2nd was Iya Valley). We saw more glorious sakura trees along the way and couldn't resist risking a fine by parking at some private property to visit a park teeming with the young and old alike, enjoying a picnic under the awesome trees. Apart from the gaiety mood, the air was also perfumed by the fragrance of the pretty flowers.
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| Even our friend who doesn't enjoy photography couldn't resist snapping some stills and videos of the charming blossoms |
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| She was the only one amongst us who truly enjoyed the hanami the way the locals did while we were busy capturing the gorgeous views with our cameras |
After the eye feast, we headed for the Renaissance Naruto Resort to seek advice for a good sashimi restaurant for lunch. We never seemed to get enough of the ultra fresh seafood sashimi while in Shikoku....what with the abundant fresh supplies and very affordable price.
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| Naruto is well known for its fresh seafood, apart from the renown swirling whirlpools. Just a sampling of a myraid of food we had for lunch |
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| The sudachi (akin to calamasi) is a popular produce of Naruto and is commonly used to flavour many edible products like this mild sake drink, chips, tea, miso, etc |
For one who doesn't like sake, I actually carted home a few small bottles and a big one! In fact I like the yuzu flavour more than the sudachi, perhaps somewhat bias as I am a great fan of Japanese yuzu.
After satisfying our hunger pangs, we proceeded to visit The Onaruto Bridge 大鸣门橋hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous twirling whirlpools. As the forecast for the big swirls was around 4.30pm, we decided to check out the nearby lookout deck and was rewarded with some spectacular sights of the Naruto Straits.
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| Built in 1985, The Onaruto Bridge 大鸣门橋 is a 876m long suspension bridge that connects Kobe in Honshu with Naruto in Tokushima, Shikoku |
In anticipation of big crowd in the specially constructed floating observation gallery under The Onaruto Bridge, we arrived there early (forecast of High Tide=Big Whirlpools was 4.30pm) after a long walk across the bridge. The wind was exceptionally strong, which was no good for viewing the whirlpools, we were subsequently told. Perhaps except during Summer, one should always visit with at least a windbreaker. We walked around the square platform and lingered around the strategic location on the far right for almost an hour before giving up our hope of witnessing the churning waters in action. We would attempt to go visit the waters at close proximity in a boat instead the next morning, thereby trying 2 of 3 ways of catching the clashing waters. The last method is via a hiking trail which we felt is too far away to offer a good view of the natural phenomenon and also because we didn't have the luxury of time to do the 3rd attempt which is more time demanding.
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| View of 3 types of ferry circling below The Onaruto Bridge where the whirlpools were supposed to occur |
We opted for the medium-sized ferry the next morning (I decided to include the next morning's view of the whirlpools here so as to present a total view of it rather than to base it on a daily account of our travel pursuit). Though the biggest vessel has glass bottom for viewing the waters, due to its size, it will not be able to get close to the churning whirlpools. On the other hand, while the smallest ferry can actually linger on the edge of the clashing waves, we were told that it will be very choppy and scary. I am paranoid of motion sickness and therefore it was an obvious choice for me to go for the medium-sized ferry.
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| Thank God our prayer was answered and we were rewarded with some pretty awesome sights of the natural phenomenon the next morning |
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| It was actually quite unsettling to feel the churning waters below the ferry although it was stated that the tidal waves pose no danger to the ferry |
After the dismal wait on the bridge for the whirlpools, we returned to check into the Renaissance, rested for a while and repeated our onsen ritual. It was for once an unhurried dip, as we could only secure the last time slot for dinner (8.30pm) at the popular French restaurant in the hotel. But we were not disappointed with the exquisitely presented food and impeccable service. I would strongly recommend the Renaissance Naruto Resort to anyone planning to visit Naruto. For those who wish to buy some local produce as gifts, the hotel's lobby has a shop that sells a great variety of perishable and non-perishable products. We were only too happy to lighten our wallet here with goodies for self, friends and loved ones.
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| Some of the french food served during dinner . It's more fusion than authentic French cuisine but we were not complaining. |
The next morning we all agreed that we will strictly spend not more than 30 minutes at a nearby park to admire the cherry blossoms knowing that we will be easily carried away by the clicking cameras and might miss the more important task of catching the whirlpools in close proximity on board a ferry. That was our chief purpose of visiting Naruto anyway.
There was a light drizzle in the morning which enhanced the attraction of the enchanting flowers. For once we were really disciplined as we hurried around the park and left exactly 30 minutes later.
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| The weeping cherry trees (shidarezakura cherry blossom) have branches that droop like a weeping willow bearing cascades of delicate pink flowers |
After the happy sighting of the famous twirling whirlpools, we went looking for the well-known 88 Temple Pilgrimage route. Enroute, we chanced upon cherry blossom orchards of yet another variety and colour. No wonder it is said that the sakura is the soul of japan! The cherry tree represents more than just asthetic beauty, but also transcience and melancholy. Alas, the brief burst and beauty of nature and springtime! This turned out to be an eventful day of enjoying the popular cherry trees which are native to Japan. Many had been given away to other countries as a symbol of peace
We had to tear ourselves away from the orchard in search of the #1 Temple on the renown 88 Temple Pilgrimage 四国八十八ケ所巡 りwhich turned out to be just about 10 minutes away from the sakura orchard. However, we had to first satisfy our growling stomach and was duly rewarded with the best soba in Shikoku
http://youwanu1.blogspot.sg/2015/04/shimanami-kaido-cycling-epitome-of.html
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| Outside the famous soba shop |
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| We ordered a few types of soba and some side dishes. The Asahi beer was very good and refreshing. |
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| A surprised complementary dish from the stall owner in appreciation of our enthusiasm for their excellent soba |
After the refuel, we continued on foot for another 50m or so to the #1 Temple, Ryozenji 靈山寺, where a great majority of pilgrims would start their pilgrimage here. It is a 1,200-year-old, 800-mile long route that encircles the whole of Shikoku, the smallest of Japan's 4 islands. The pilgrims, called henro 遍路, are dressed in a white garb, a distinctive sedge hat and a thick walking stick called kongotsue
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| Location of the 88 temples all over the island of Shikoku |
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| Ryozenji 靈山寺, temple #1 where most pilgrims commence their 800-mile pilgrimage |
As we were leaving the temple ground after a brief visit, a large group of pilgrims arrived and we were lucky to steal a group shot of the posing henro
After a near mishap while looking for our next ryokan in a dark and narrow area in Kotohira, we were awarded with an elegant modern ryokan perched on top of a slope! It has beautiful landscape and a variety of accommodations. The interior is very zen like.
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| The lift to the rooms is located on a raised platform outside the ryokan's entrance |
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| View of the indoor and outdoor onsens. |
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| The serene and peaceful Kotohira Onsen Kagawa |
After a restful night and an oishii breakfast, we hit the road again for the long drive back to Matsuyama 松山. It was a delightful drive. We were greeted on all sides by the cheery sakura trees that adorned the canals, rivers, roadside, hills and mountains. Despite being hard pressed for time, I decided to turn back to look for a park on a slope that we saw from a distance as the fluttering flowers seemed to be calling out to us! It was the best decision I had made! The largely deserted park was so picturesque with freshly fallen pink petals carpeting the grounds. And when the wind blew and shook the branches, the falling petals were like flying snow flakes......It was the prettiest sight ever seen on this trip in Saijo and for that matter, the prettiest sakura scenery that I had seen in Japan!
Japan Calling (Day 3)
We made a detour to Kiro-san Observatory Deck for a sweeping view of The Shimanami Cycling Route and then arrived in Matsuyama, the largest city in Shikoku, with just ample time to visit the famous Matsuyama Castle. Parking is very expensive in the city where our hotel is located but we were to learn later from the concierge of a reasonably priced automated car park opposite our hotel. It was quite a long walk to the ropeway station to ascend to the castle. Our timing was pretty good in that the entire surroundings were framed by the captivating flowers.
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| The parking and retrieval were all self-automated! |
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| Short chairlift ride to Matsuyama Castle |
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| It is not uncommon to see locals dressing up to enjoy the hanami |
WE missed the last chairlift down to the city but it was quite a short nice walk on foot instead. We struggled for a while in the high tech carpark trying to figure out how to pay at the unmanned atm-like machine so that our car can be freed from the clamp-like device. A lady passer-by helped solved the problem and off we went in search of one of the oldest hot springs (3,000 year history) in Japan, Dogo Onsen
道後温泉. The Honkan building was erected in the Meiji Period from 1894 and the interior is a maze of stairways, passages and rooms, all bustling with bathers and staff. The magnificent 3-story castle-like wooden structure is the first public bathhouse designated as an important cultural asset in its 100 years anniversary.
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| The Honkan and the distinctive red glass window, a watchtower on the roof |
The Honkan also has a special bath called "Yushinden" which is exclusive to the Imperial Family and is the only kind in Japan where a sightseeing tour is provided.
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We were indeed very blessed to witness the alluring albeit transient flowers in full blooms throughout our trip in Shikoku except for the day of cycling.
On our way back to Hiroshima, we had tea at Andersen Kitchen, supposedly the best bakery in Hiroshima, especially well known for its Danish pastry. Our biggest Japan fan on the trip bought us a treat here for a happy sojourn through Shikoku. Andersen is an institution in Hiroshima, a gourmet food court, casual-chic dining and bakery all rolled into one. The renaissance style building is the last building still standing in Hiroshima that survived the atomic bomb of the city in 1945, just 360m from the centre of the blast. It is the flagship store for Andersen bakery and had the very first self-serve bakery in Japan
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| Top selling bread |
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| Very good sandwiches |
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| They even provided rain shield to protect the precious bread and pastry from the elements when it was raining |
Famous 5-coloured soba in Matsuyama. The soba are naturally stained by the fruits or vegetables' own colour.
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| As the colours are more prominent in the cold soba, I scooped some out just for picture taking. |
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| The hot soba |
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| Taking the express train back to our hotel 40km away after returning our rental car |
A special note of caution to all who intend to drive in Hiroshima. Don't be deceived by the seemingly short distance from Imabari to Hiroshima (<50km) or for that matter from any other road leading to Hiroshima. The traffic is very slow moving and there's alot of congestion even on the only highway leading to the city. And to top it all, the time taken for each traffic light to change is approximately 2 minutes and we must have waited at a dozen or so traffic light junctions! I was totally shocked that it took >1.5hours to drive 40km to our final destination to return our rental car! Fortunately I called the rental company while topping up gas and asked the staff there to help speak with the staff at the car rental company to wait for us! The irony is that it took us just 11 minutes to return to our hotel by express train!
In spite of some heart-stopping moments on our trip, we all had a wonderful time discovering the lesser known Shikoku of Japan. Near perfect weather, surprising sights, gorgeous food, nice onsen baths and to cap it all, sakura delights!
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Click the link below to read the other blogs on my Shikoku and other Japan travelogue:
http://youwanu1.blogspot.sg/2015/04/shimanami-kaido-cycling-epitome-of.html
http://youwanu1.blogspot.com/2014/11/japan-calling-day-3.html
