Bicycle: 63 km
Train: 70 km
Total ascent: 924 m
Average speed: 15.9 km/h
Riding time: 4:00 h
Weather: surprisingly cool and rainy in the hills, dry in the valley, 20 C
For this last day I was considering various options between riding all the way back to Tokyo or riding more into the mountains. Finally I decided that I would stay here in the mountains and take the express train back from Chichibu to Ikebukuro. After all, cycling on boring Arakawa I could do anytime (but I don't), while cycling in the mountains around Chichibu I can do only when here.
In the night it had rained, but by breakfast time the rain had stopped and just left atmospheric clouds in the mountains across the road.
The ride started downhill, first on a road with a bit of traffic, but soon I took a turn and traffic became lighter. After a while I came by a temple, that wasn't on my plan... but hey, it was right at the road side. It wasn't anything special, but the guardian deity looked dutifully scary.
Soon I turned on a much smaller street with practically no traffic, so my fear of bears set in again. And up and up it went.
Until reaching on the very top of that street above the village of Minano (皆野 - literally: everyone's field) a overpriced (at least for a rainy day) BBQ place. This was huge, specially in Japan. A huge outdoor terrace (and actually no indoor part at all) with a live music stage, a woodfired outdoor oven (where my sausages were grilled), and places to have your own BBQ. On a weekend this place must be teeming, specially with bikers. However it was Monday and rainy so I was the only customer. I say rainy, because, well it was wet... but it wasn't really rain. It was simply that I was in the cloud, so it was wet. But further down the valley there wasn't any rain.
However the main waterfall was right at the street. Per their self advertisement it has been selected as one of 10 best waterfalls in Japan. I have no idea who voted for this waterfall. It isn't bad, but for making it to the best 10, the voting must have been rigged. Kind of confirmed by the list of the other 9 waterfalls, which didn't contain Nachi Falls or other very famous waterfalls. Anyway, this one seemed to be famous enough. It had a good sized parking lot (for being in the middle of nowhere), a public toilet, a ice cream seller (on weekends only) and a tea house and souvenir shop (also on weekends only I presume). And there were even other visitors apart from me on this wet Monday. Someone who seemed to dress up to shoot some special photos.
BTW, note the Buddha figure on top of the waterfall.
Now finally to temple #34 of the Chichibu pilgrimage. I had done several other temples in the past, but last time I gave up on cycling up to temple #34 as it was too hot for me. Although it was October!
Now looking at my pictures, I realize I didn't take a single picture of the actual temple #34. But I did take a picture of a buddha on the grounds. Frankly, the temple itself, seemed pretty average. The monk was kind of expecting me to want a goshuin, but I actually don't collect them.
Down into the valley and then through a secondary valley full with poppy fields (and potato fields), I cycled back to Chichibu station. I was resting on the wayside when a local farmer came home with a big cart full with freshly harvested potatoes. A short time after, she went back to her field, but did bring me a freshly cooked potato, which was very tasty.
At Chichibu station a few years ago an onsen opened annexed to the station. Which for a cyclist is kind of ideal. The onsen is a new supersento and I can imagine that on weekends it can be quite full, but not so on a Monday early afternoon. It had several pools outside, however they decided to fill most of them with brightly pink coloured water. Artificial onsen water with the best qualities (per their description) and evoking the "shiba-sakura". Call me a traditionalist... but I am not fond of pink coloured water.
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