TANDEM TOURING LIST

TANDEM TOURING No.014

Chichibu at Saitama Prefecture in Japan
2007.09/03 Mon. - 09/04 Tue. : 2-day trip
Total Mileage : 335 km
Total Running Time : 10 h 55 min
Average Runing Speed : 30.7 km/h

2007/9/3 Mon.

@ 21:05, we left home for Chichibu.
We took Route 254 [ Kawagoe-kaido ] to go up north.
Night riding in summer, it was nearly in Autumn, was so refreshing.
It's really comfortable.to release us from traffic jam.
We breathed cool air deeply.

@ 22:00 Asaka, we felt little cold and put our jackets on.

@ 22:25 Kawagoe, we had ramen: Chinese noodles.
Hot noodles and soup made us warm.
We took Route 254 northward again.

@ 23:40 Higashi Matsuyama, we stopped to get some drink and food
at a convenience store.

@ 24:05, we checked in at a motel.

2007/9/4 Tue.

@ 10:10, we checked out at a motel.
Check out was late although we intended to check out early,
because we watched the movie:"Crocodile Dundee" on TV after breakfast.
Generally I don't like Hollywood movie very much, but I like this kind of movie
about adventure and toughness, it's like a CT110 touring somehow.
Our tandem touring, we always get up early and act soon,except that morning.
At that time, we didn't realize it was a time loss.

@ 10:40, We took Route 140 [ Chichibu-kaido ] westward for Chichibu.
Gooday Sunshine !!     Picture from backseat.

@ 11:00   Nagatoro,   Magnificent view and gigantic rock beds.

@ on Bridge over the Ara-kawa (River)

" The Train is coming !! "       at Chichibu Railway.

CT110 has great loading capacity even if tandem riding.

Beautiful landscape and precipitous cliffs in Nagatoro.

Mount Buko (it means warrior, armor) in Chichibu.
The origin of the name of this mountain, it looks like shoulders of brave man in anger.

@ 12:45, Chichibu Michi no Eki: Roadside Station.

It was a hot sunny day. The glaring sunlight dazzled our eyes.
We got a strap for mobilephone and a Tenugui :
thin Japanese hand towel made of cotton, as souvenirs.
Tenugui is very useful. It is one of my necessities and also traveling requisites.

" Child care of Tiger " at Chichibu-Jinjya : shinto shrine.
The sculpture is by a master craftsman : Hidari Jingoro .

Soba-Tofu : bean curd with buckwheat
Iwashi-Hanpen : puffy cake made of ground sardine
Kinpira : burdock root and carrot
Teuchi-Soba : hand-made buckwheat noodles

@ 13:25, We had delicious Soba for lunch at "Tsuyanoya" near Chichibu-Jinjya.
The master seemed like a kind of stubborn father with the spirit of an artisan.
The entrance of the Soba shop, it was an old Japanese private house.

We took Route 140 [ Chichibu-kaido ] westward for Ohtaki-mura (village),
going up along the Arakawa (river) for the source in Chichibu-ko (Lake).
It was hot in the Chichibu-bonchi (basin), now it's cool in the a mountainous region
of Chichibu. We breathed fresh air in the forest and smelt green in the great ravine.

@ 14:50, We reached Ohtaki-Onsen, but we had no time
to take a hot spring bath : Onsen, because of the time loss in the morning.
After a short rest, we took Route 140 [ Sai Kai-kaido ] southwestward for Kai no kuni (Province).

"Do Not Feed Wild Animals !! "

@ 15:30, We were going through the Karisaka Tunnel,
it's 6,625m : the longest tunnel of national highway in Japan.
So cheap, it took minimum toll only 70 yen for CT110 !!
It was getting cool with going up above sea level so we put our jackets on.
In the tunnel, we reached Kai no kuni : Yamanashi Prefucture.
We kept going on Route 140 [ Karisaka Michi ].



@ 16:25, Eirin Ji : Takeda Shingen's temple belonging to the Zen sect
Shingen was one of the greatest Sengoku daimyo in the Warring States period.
The Flag in the photo read about " Act like a WIND, FOREST, FIRE and MOUNTAIN. "
for the battle standard used by Shingen.

It was hot again. We had no enough time to visit there so we only looked the gate of histrical temple.

@ 16:45, a Statue of Shingen in Enzan station square
The railway station belongs to Chuoh Honsen : Chuoh Main Line of JR-East.

We took Route 411 [ Daibosatsu -Line ] eastward for going back home.
On the way, we saw a parent and a child of wild deer. We intended to take a picture of them,
they ran away quickly into the bushes.

The landslide was under construction beside Route 411.

@ 17:50 Tabayama-mura (village), we took a short rest and had snacks and drinks.
It was getting dark and cloud and moreover looked like rain.
After a break, we got on Yamanashi Prefectural Road 18 [ Uenohara-Tabayama Sen ] from Route 411.



@ 18:30 Kosuge-mura (village), finally it began to rain and we had to put rain jackets on.
It was getting heavily and pouring at last.
We felt it was awfully long riding. On the backseat, she got carsick (bikesick !??).
It was the first experience to get bikesick for her.

After 1 hour riding through the dark winding path in the middle of mountains in the heavey rain,
@ 19:45, we took shelter from the rain under the eaves of a convenience store in Uenohara
beside on Yamanashi Prefectural Road 33 [ Uenohara-Akiruno Sen ] .
We had Onigiri : rice ball, and hot green tea. It made us warm and relax somehow.
We were so exhausted.



We took Route 20 [ Koshu Kaido ] eastward at Uenohara .
We got on Route 412 at Sagami-ko : artificial lake, and Route 413 at Tsukui-ko : artificial lake.
@ 21:10, We got on Route 16 southward from Route 413.
@ 22:05, We got on Route 246 [ Atsugi-Ohyama Kaido ] eastward from Route 16.
@ 22:50, We got back home.