May 18

 Nagasaki - Kumamoto


It was a day of ups and downs today  In more ways than one.  Take a look at the profile below and you can see the multiple hills we had to climb and descend.  In addition to that, the temperature was really only going in one direction - up!  It was hot early and I saw 37C on my computer at one point before settling in to the low 30s.  Too hot for this old lady from Calgary (where apparently it was snowing on the May long weekend).  I called it quits at lunchtime and took a ride in the van for about the next 20 km.  My total for the day was about 70 km (vs 92 for the whole route).  I felt like such a wimp, but my body really wasn’t dealing well with the heat.  I didn’t want to get heatstroke and then suffer for the following days.  Hopefully I can bounce back for the next few days.  Tomorrow is supposed to be even hotter.  I was sweating so much on the hills today that my eyes were stinging as the water pooled in them.  Yes, I’m paying good money to have this much fun!

Now - having whined…..  it really was a beautiful ride  I didn’t stop for many pictures, though, for various reasons.  It took a while to get out of Nagasaki.  We’re not in South Korea anymore; no more bike paths.  We were on a wide variety of roads - from major roads with lots of trucks to quiet sea-view farm roads, and everything in between. I did manage to remember to stay on the left side the whole way; a small accomplishment....  We also had a half-hour ferry ride.  We’re still on the same island, though, so the cruise was just across Shimabara Bay.  The agricultural season here is a lot more advanced than in South Korea.  We saw lots of potato harvesting going on  The corn plants are much higher, and many more crops look like they’re ready to be harvested.

A view on the climb up the first big hill.


One pic on the way down.


At the bottom of that first big hill.  Down to river level and through some small towns.


Lots of these beautifully sculpted trees in yards along the way.




Some quiet roads.


It’s always nice when you see light at the top of a climb.  Might (hopefully) be the end of the uphill.


Lots of agriculture.  And one big feedlot (no picture).  









Beautiful views by the water in places.





We passed a few cemeteries.  Which are always interesting to me.


The view from our lunch stop.  I was there a good long time waiting for a ride.


We caught the last ferry.  




They let me out shortly after getting off the ferry so that I could ride the last 10 (ish) flat km to the hotel  Bike path most of the way.  Just stopped for one pic along the way since I was at the tail end and I didn’t want to hold up the sweep any more than necessary.  I know it’s a rule for them but I really do wish the sweep would just carry on without me.


To the hotel and time for a quick shower before our meeting .  Dinner was buffet-style in the hotel dining room.  For a buffet meal, it was very good.  We also celebrated Vince’s 75th birthday with cakes and candles.


We have a later start tomorrow, yay!  I’ll keep rehydrating and hope I feel better in the morning.  


Stats for the Day (approx)

Garmin:  70 km.  4772 feet up.  4722 feet down.

RWGPS:  70 km.  1492m up.  1484m down.


Kumamoto

Population:  750,000

AI summary:  Kumamoto, known as the "Land of Fire" and the "Heart of Kyushu", is a historically rich city in central Kyushu.  Famous for the imposing 17-th century Kumamoto Castle, the scenic Suizenji Garden, and the adorable mascot Kamamon, it is a bustling city surrounded by active volcanoes like Mt. Aso.  


Comments

  1. Lynn CMay 20, 2026 at 12:45 PM

    Take care, Sue!!
    We are on our Eastern Europe trip. Landed in Berlin without incident and thoroughly enjoyed Berlin -- wished we had more time to explore. Stayed 2 nights, then off to Krakow, Poland. Went to Auschwitz-Birkenau today. That was very sobering, too. How could one set of human beings commit such horrors on other human beings?
    Anyhow, we like Krakow, itis a very interesting city...

    ReplyDelete

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