Vaucluse Dreamer

We were a bit tired last night, after our bike ride out along the Shimanami Kaido Cycle Route,  and were asleep by 9pm.

It turned out to be a good move, as we were already awake and watching the sky turn orange with the sunrise, when the Westminster Chimes pealed out of the village loudspeakers.

It was 6am, and I think everyone for miles around would now be awake!

So we had a lovely slow start, and after coffee & breakfast, we set off for today’s destination, the Shikoku Karst and the Tengu Highlands.

What we realised last night, when we started planning today, was that the road network on Shikoku is very different to the roads we have travelled elsewhere. Here there are fewer main roads, and even those twist and turn in every direction, as they wingle their way through the mountainous heart of the island.

So our original idea quickly got shelved, as we realised it would be a very torturous route, in a large campervan, instead opting to head up to the Karst, above the treeline, where there are beautiul views across the mountains.

We had considered heading into Matsuyama, to visit the castle, as we were close by, but last night, it hit us that we are already in our 4th week here, and that the next 18 days will be gone in a flash. There is still so much we want to see, and so we put the castle on the back-burner.

To begin with the travelling was easy, although it was along a twisting, narrow main road, with a wall of forests on one side, and a river on the other. We soon built up quite a queue of cars behind us, as this was the main road towards Matsuyama, so we pulled in regularly to let them pass.

Then below Matsuyama the road changed again and became quieter, passing through small villages and towns along the way. The road was really rather beautiful, following the course of a mountain river, with steep forested hillsides to either side of us.

At times, they were so high that we couldn’t see above them. It was similar to some of the roads we had driven, when we headed through the Southern Alps, at the start of the holiday. Just stunning.

We stopped for coffee (and second breakfast) in a little parking area, and whilst we were there a man came to sit on the tables next to us.

He had walked in, and was wearing a traditional white ‘Pilgrim’s Jacket’ and walking with a bamboo staff, topped with a blue & gold scarf and bells. We’ve since found out that this is the traditional clothing, that marks him as a Pilgrim, and as such he will be recognised, welcomed and receive assistance. 

We chatted with him for a while, and he explained that he was walking some of the Shikoku Henro, a Pilgrimage that covers a total of 1200km, between 88 Temples and other religious sites. He had already been walking for 4 hours, having started at just after 7am. We then found out that he was 82.

He was on an incredible journey, and it was just so nice to chat with him and be part of his experience. He was as amazed at what we are doing, as we were with his adventure. We only hope that we will be able to consider walking like that at his age too.

The plan was to follow the main road until the turning for Tengu Highlands, and then follow the narrow, winding road for a short distance until we arrived. It was only when we were a few kilometres from the turning that I realised the main road was straight, which meant it was in a tunnel, where I thought we would turn off.

In fact, we turned some distance before the tunnel and followed a narrow, winding, hairpinny road, climbing steeply through villages, then woodland for over 12 kilometres. So much for the short little distance, we’d expected.

It was still a beautiful drive, and the mirrors on the bends helped considerably, as we wound our way up the mountainside. Happily, we only met a couple of cars in particularly narrow spots, and with a bit of careful manoeuvring we finally made it to the top.

The fastest we went up the hill was 20km per hour, and it was a real lesson in making sure that we stick to the more ‘main roads’, whilst we are on the island, as anything else is a bit hairy, and also very slow progress.

But we arrived at the Tengu Highlands and it was everything that we had imagined it to be.

It’s above the treeline and is a vast, open space with dramatic views across the surrounding mountains in all directions.

The grassland is littered with rocky outcrops that reminded us of the Tors on Dartmoor, in Devon and it has a very different feel again to anywhere else we have visited in Japan, to date.

The views are incredible, and we felt as if we are on top of the world, as we took a walk out along (what must have been) the old road.

The new road that runs alongside it, is known as the ‘Road in the Sky’, as you are so high that it feels as if you can touch the clouds. It’s easy to see why, and I imagine that the night skies here must be amazing too, as there is certainly no light pollution here.

There are herds of black cows grazing the summit, and I had a rather lovely ice cream, made from the local milk

There are still some beautiful wild flowers growing in the verges too, including some Gentians, which looked stunning against the grasses.

You can see A little video postcard from the top here

So, having made it up, we are staying here tonight, and again, it’s given me a beautiful spot to sit and write today’s blog.

All being well, the clouds will clear enough for us to enjoy some sunset colours.

It is though so much chillier than we have experienced so far. Having been really warm in the valley this morning, we’re now sitting here wearing 2 fleeces, long trousers and Andy even has his bobble hat on too.

We are only 1400m above sea-level, so not even as high as Mont Ventoux, yet it feels so much higher. We are sharing the camp ground with just 2 other cars tonight, and it’s a serene and beautiful place to end the day.

We’re early risers, so aim to travel back down the narrow, winding road, first thing tomorrow, before the day visitors start to arrive. But for now, we’ll just relax, enjoy the peace and be absorbed by the views.