Trip 2 - Day 13 - Awaji to Arima Onsen

We woke this morning in our beachside onsen hotel to more sunshine and a beautiful sea-breeze. Unfortunately it's our last day on the bikes and we have to have them back in the Kobe region by around 2pm #sadface. Lucas and I have booked a place in Arima Onsen just behind Kobe, so the plan today is to do a little seaside ride up the coast of Awaji, burn down the freeway to the Rokko mountain road and then finish up at Negiya Ryofukaku in Arima.

Just a short morning route for our last day.

We jumped on the bikes around 8am and after filling up with petrol (hi-oku!) we made our way through rice paddies and onion fields to the west coast of Awaji island. Here we took a leisurely cruise up the coast; the western horizon across the straights just a brown haze that marked the position of Honshu. As we got closer to the top of Awaji, buildings and other industry became discernible in the haze.

Riding the west coast of Awaji Island

Soon we'd reached the north end of the island. As we came around the point, the massive Akashi Kaiko bridge loomed into view, spectacularly large compared to the Onaruto bridge of the previous day. No sooner had we reached the headland we were passing underneath it and then onto the freeway on-ramp.

Viewing the Akashi Kaiko Bridge from the Awaji coast

When we finally crossed the bridge it was amazing compared to the rainy morning two weeks ago when we passed this way in the opposite direction. Nothing but blue skies and a cool breeze. One of the great bridges of the world, and pretty cool to be driving over.

Riding the Akashi Kaiko Bridge

Once over the bridge we sped on the expressway towards Rokko mountain, the highest peak in the Rokko mountain range behind Kobe, and host to an amazing motorcycling road. The road is so popular and so dangerous with its tight switchbacks, no shoulder and power poles on the edge of nearly every corner, that access to the road by motorcycle is banned on the weekends. But hey, today's Friday baby!

Riding Mt Rokko.

We took the spin down the Rokko road and loved every minute of it. I'm sure the road has claimed multiple lives in the past - the corners are very tight with no room for error - but it was a really exciting ride. In the end we survived and lived to tell the tale, and that's all that matters.

Rokko completed, no fatalities

With Rokko bested, it was time to make our way to our accommodation where Shin would meet us to pick up the bikes. We motored over to Negiya Ryofukaku in Arima Onsen (very close to the end of Rokko) and Shin was dutifully met. There seemed to be no problems with the few scrapes the bikes had collected along the way.

Meeting Shin at Negiya Ryofukaku to hand back the bikes

It was then time to say goodbye to Richard, who is spending another week here in Japan while Lucas and I return to the 9-5 grind in Sydney. Richard took Lucas' MT-09 onward, so hopefully he'll have just as much fun on it as Lucas did.

Saying sayonara to Richard

With Richard riding into the sunset it was time for Lucas and I to check into our onsen accommodation and get settled. The nice girl at the desk showed us to our room, made us tea and fitted us for yukata. Negiya seems to be quite an old onsen hotel that has that old-world beauty and charm that newer buildings don't have. Our room is large and the staff extended us every politeness despite being gaijin. I do dearly love traditional Japanese hospitality!

Our welcoming tea at Negiya Ryofukaku

We chilled for an hour or two in the beautiful room watching the sumo on TV. Oh the decadence - lying on tatami watching sumo in the late afternoon. They were really great matches too. Soon it was time for dinner. When the nice girl was pouring the tea, Lucas asked her to recommend a local eating place. She suggested a local izakaya place near the train station. We dutifully accepted her recommendation and walked there around 6pm.

Izakaya dinner with the friendly locals

Much beer and food was consumed in the fine establishment, and we made friends with the couple of twenty-somethings sitting next to us. Kanpai! I'm now back and a little pished trying to write this post, so if it seems a little iffy you know why. We're thinking strongly about heading to the rotenburo now to double down on our inebriated states. Sounds like a great idea.