What a Helmet ! Tunnel Count = 15 After yesterdays awful weather today's forecast wasn't any better. suggesting a cold northerly wind with a max temp of 10 C and potential fog again. I left Oshamanbe on the pacific coast heading west to Suttsu on the Sea of Japan only 20 miles away over a small rise. I had 4 layers on - A base layer, a thermal cycle top, a gilet and a waterfproof. I also had a thermal skullcap on and gloves. After completing the coast to coast by 10am ! I was in pain, was my body finally feeling the miles ? ... Not at all - the pain was like brain freeze in my sinus and forehead. Now it was a bit chilly but that was all and I couldn't understand why I felt in so much pain. After 24 miles I stopped at a shrine straight across the bay from Suttsu - it was on a headland and there were views back into the snow capped mountains. I realised as I put my helmet back on that it was too tight because of the skullcap and once loosened the pain immediately stopped ! That northerly wind had turned out to be westerly so the northerly ride along the coast should be OK I thought. I needn't have worried as probably half of it was underground, in tunnels. Some massive ones too - they were old tunnels with paths far too small to cycle, so I was on the road. Tunnel 4 was 2 and a half miles long, which meant I was in there for over 10 minutes, the lighting at the start and end was very good but the middle section was poor, lighting 100 metres apart with very dim areas between, My biggest problem was the dust - it was really bad - I needed my sunglasses off but the dust was peppering me and stinging my eyes. There was a succession of about 11 tunnels between Suttsu and Iwanai and most were over a mile long. The coastline was volcanic rocky and these tunnels buried themselves deep below the cliffside mountains along the coast. At Iwanai the road turned Northeast and now the wind was actually an advantage - I flew up an almost 1000ft climb and I was soon in Yoichi back on the coast and .. Repeat ... A series of tunnels but these were newer and had wide cycle paths - I was stopping between tunnles to get photos of the seaside before also diverting to see the coast at Otaru ,,, There wasn't one, just some docks and cargo handling - I did spot a German styled local Brewery which I visited for tea and a very nice Weinerschnitzel after showering and changing at the hotel !