The Scary Tunnel I've decided to give each days description a title which will become clear in the script. Today started well as the breakfast was a buffet so I had the choice of what to eat ! A lovely warm morning saw me get the limbs out as I deployed full lycra - at last I saw the top of Sakurajima across the bay and inland where I was heading had some impressively vertical outcrops. I stopped after 4 mikes as I had forgot to put suncream on - quickly solved ! I had cleaned and oiled the bike yesterday and the roads were now dry and smooth, it was almost like I was gliding, there was almost no road or bike noise at all. As I reached Kirishima I turned left to follow the Amori River which cut its way through a fabulous gorge rich in vegetation. I made extreme slow progress as I was stopped at every bend gobsmacked with the next view. I wanted to get 35 miles on before noon as I had a big climb near the end of todays ride and wanted to give myself plenty time ... I managed 15 with all the dawdling! Eventually I left the valley after 19 miles at my turn for Yasui and immediately I hit the first of about half a dozen steep climbs, I was getting worried as I needed good legs for that big climb at 40 miles. At Yasui I dropped off a climb on a small forsst road and tgere were roadworks. I think I gabe a poor Japanese guy with a flag the shock of the day as I appeared and he officially gave me the ok to do a right turn onto the main road. Another 300ft climb and I realised I should ha turned off the main road and I now had a no cycling tunnel in front of me. I could see the other end about half a mile away so I did what youd expect ... went for the tinnel onstead of doing the 300ft climb again. In Ebino I planned a coffe break before the big climb and I was perplexed when the coffee shop turned out to be a farmstay house. Eventually a lady opened tge door and explained she was having lunch ! I got the coffee and a nut cake (little choice) and we chatted, mostly via google translate. She said she had lots of English and cyclists and she was impressed when I showed her my route ... She kept saying with disbelief Cape Soya, Hokkaido. I thanked her, paid and hit the climb and as expected the little backroads to get to the climb were steep but the climb itself was nice and steady at 5%. It was breathtakingly beautiful and quite unique, once I saw it on the map I had to route myself this way. The road did two full loops around itself withthe higher loop out on stilts in places above the lower loop. You could feel tge whole carriageway sgaking when the wagons went by ! But after a surprisingly easy 11ft climb I reached the top .. and the title ... Scary Tunnel. Tgere was a tunnel just over a mile long, despite tgere being a new motorway. a lot of wagons were still going this way. The tunnel had a path, raised with about an 18 kerb. It was only about 3ft wide and my bije with panniers is about 3feet wide ! I carefully tried to ride the path, every wobble felt like I would end up on the road, but with extreme concentration and a grip pressure of a million on the bars I steadily progressed. At halway two wagons passed each other ... Big Wobble but I stayed on the path and negotiated the remainder safely, emerging at the far end a very relieved man ! The followed an extremely fast descent down the double loop on the other side. My speed apparently peaked at 35mph which apparently is 56 kph ... 6 above the 50 speed limit ! With 3 miles to Hitoyoshi I was in a forest with no sign of the city when I spotted a monkey about to cross the road. I stopped to try to get a picture but he was away, then another shot across the road 100 yards away. They were very timid and I didn't catch one but Im sure I'll see more as I continue. I arrived at my Ryokan ( Family run guesthouse) at 5pm having stopped to see the shrine on the way in to town. All in all a fantastic days cycling !