Day 68

June 7th

	Several hours of deep slumber hasn’t come at a better time than now.  As I alluded to yesterday, I was starting to run on fumes. Miles on the road can be exciting, but tedious. Riding along that river yesterday parallels my plight, throughout this whole trip.  Riding downstream through this island country has been rewarding, but has had its share of bumps.  Mornings like this I savor, as those bumps in the road take more time to absorb.

As for today, the plan is to explore the city of Kochi. The main attraction of the city is Kochi Castle, which was built in the early 17th century.  I made the effort to sleep in, as I didn’t make my daily pilgrimage to the vending machine until 10 AM.  The mid-morning saunter to the coffee machine felt nonchalant and relaxed.  For the first time in weeks, it felt like I had a day off. I proceeded to spend the rest of my morning wandering around the nearby markets, haggling for fresh fruit. Fuji apples are extra sweet when you have the time to savor them.

In the early afternoon, I plodded over to Kochi Castle.  As one of 12 remaining castles, Kochi Castle has been recognized as an “Important Cultural Property”.  Of the remaining castles, Kochi’s arguably the most pristine.  Since its inception over 400 years ago, much of it has been standing and hasn’t sustained any major damage from various battles.  For that reason, the detail shown on this castle is unparalleled, compared to its peers. 

One noticeable difference in this castle is how the moat is filled. Unlike other castles, Kochi’s is injected with water from two different rivers, providing a constant flow of resourceful protection.  Upon entering the castle, I’m presented with a 420 yen ($4) fee and a pair of slippers. Like many traditional establishments in Japan, it’s considered rude to walk around with shoes on. 

Another unique fact about this castle is its ability to climb to the top and get a view of the city.  The city planned the route well, as there’s a walkway throughout for the visitors to follow. For a castle rarely touched over the centuries, they found a clever way to allow groups of visitors to ascend the castle, without getting too many hands on the artifacts. Having said that, you better watch your head with some of these ceilings (don’t ask how I know lol).

With each passing level, I’m able to get a better angle of the cityscape.  One cool thing that Kochi Castle does, along its walking path, is that they spread artifacts and displays for visitors to gaze at. There’s a museum at the bottom, but plenty of important items are placed along the route up.  Panoramic views are fantastic here, as the top of the castle allows you to take in about any angle of the city possible.  While I was doing my best attempt at being a photographer, I noticed an amazing detail of the castle below.

There’s these carvings on certain corners of the castle, resembling a mash up of different creatures. I was told by one of the workers that these are called “Shachi”. They are thought to mythical sea creatures.  The one below me looks like a mix between a dragon and a fish.  The latter may decrease the cool factor of the statue, on paper, but the detail of the work is insane.  Not only that, but the fact that this castle has been rarely touched over the decades shows just how pristine these old creatures were preseved. 

I was so impressed with the detail that it overtook the view of the city. Talk about a happy accident. I had no idea that the castle had those kind of hidden details, sculpted along its sides.  As for the view itself, you could see the nearby hilltops and mountains draping the city, acting as its protective moat of soil. The differences between Kochi Castle and the others in the country are obvious, from this viewpoint.

Up here, all of the little details behind the building can be observed. The shade of the tiles, the burgeoning grass growing between them, can be viewed from a superior lens. During my viewing session,  I was told that the castle is best seen during the spring, when the cherry blossoms smother the view.  As cliche as it sounds, seeing Kochi Castle in spring sounds like one of the most picturesque views in the country.  Maybe that will be on the itinerary, next time I visit. 

While descending the uneven castle stairs, I received a text from Jinshu.  He asked how the bike was handling, and if I’d be available in the next week or two.  I did the best I could to reply in a timely manner, but the cell reception was horrid from the castle.  It looks like I found the one red flag about this picturesque location.  I’m assuming that he wants to meet up and try another test with the bike, but it appears that my lagging cell service is causing the answer to wait. Either way, I continue to be amazed at their support of my endeavors. 

The rest of my day was spent fulfilling mundane tasks back at the hotel.  One thing I haven’t talked much about is the chores I’ve needed to do throughout this trip (for obvious reasons).  Like an annoying commercial, nobody wants to stick around to here the details of my underwear drying. 

Kochi has been an even keeled, relaxed city to visit.  Up until arriving here, most of the cities I’ve driven through have had this tension in the air, as if the congestion of people is billowing into the atomosphere. By this point, I had given up on the idea of maintaining a personal bubble.  In many Japanese cities, the idea of such is nullified. However, Kochi has this nested charm.  It’s a functional coastal city, with a fraction of the people. 

 Like many things on things on the island, Kochi appears to be an overlooked gem of stop.  Does it have the most notable array of attractions? No.  Honestly, it didn’t have anything that resembled a flashy, vibrant cityscape.  What it did have, however, was a kind atmosphere and relaxed ethos within the city limits.  Considering my mood over the last few days, I couldn’t have picked a better time to find this place.  Flashy is fun, but relaxed can lifesaving.  

A trip like mine could resemble an aggressive pursuit, of any kind. When you’re in the thick of adventure, you tend to feel like you’re on the hamster wheel.  You feel like constantly spinning your wheels, hoping to see something new everyday.  The reality is, you have to find the beauty in the mundane.  For every Tokyo, there will be dozens of forgettable villages.  That doesn’t make them any less attractive to visit, rather, it just heightens your senses and forces you to find the beauty in the surroundings.  

The beauty of Kochi was that it was the place of rest that I sorely needed.  Fortunately, that mantra will continue into tomorrow.  The plan is to traverse the region and enjoy a nice day at the Dogo Onsen. The old hot spring is one of the most reputable Onsens in the entire country.  Let’s just say that I’m all too anxious to hop into that bubbling water.

Thanks again and I’ll see you soon! 

-Ayden