[Trip Report] Shikoku (18 Oct - 1 Nov 2014)

[kifo]

Raw egg + rice = tamago kake gohan
Yes you are supposed to eat the egg raw. This is a very common Japanese food but most foreigners are confused when they are given a raw egg and rice. I mentioned this in my v Kumano hike which I shared here last year. The Taiwanese guy with me refused to eat it.

 

[evilerniex]

yup...egg mixed into rice with drops of shoyu (if there is) and you can wrap the rice with the seaweed which was given.

Raw egg + rice = tamago kake gohan
Yes you are supposed to eat the egg raw. This is a very common Japanese food but most foreigners are confused when they are given a raw egg and rice. I mentioned this in my v Kumano hike which I shared here last year. The Taiwanese guy with me refused to eat it.

icic.. but i still dun like the taste of raw eggs

 

[kifo]

icic.. but i still dun like the taste of raw eggs

But it is really delicious! Of cos you can add shoyu to taste.

 

[evilerniex]

But it is really delicious! Of cos you can add shoyu to taste.

tried, but couldnt get over the raw and sticky taste.

 

[dimitri_can]

we headed straight to Shikoku Karst for check-in at Mezuru-sho. had a bit of problem at the accom coz the staff doesn't speak English at all. the accom was booked thru the phone with the help of dimitri_can (thanks can! ) and there were no confirmation email or anything to show. my translation app also couldn't work as there is not data network in the area, not even b-mobile. trying hard to tell the staff we had a reservation, until finally one of the staff asked "can-san?"... then we went "hai, hai". think it helps that we are the only guest staying at the place. probably off season for them.

Next time u can tell them.

Ken no na-ma-e de yo-ya-ku ga a-ri-ma-ma-su
(ケンの名前で予約があります。I have a reservation under Can)

 

[evilerniex]

Next time u can tell them.

Ken no na-ma-e de yo-ya-ku ga a-ri-ma-ma-su
(ケンの名前で予約があります。I have a reservation under Can)

shld have gotten this sentence from u before the trip

 

[evilerniex]

Mount Ishizuchi

Mount Ishizuchi, at 1982m is the highest mountain in Shikoku. there are 2 routes to reach the summit. the more popular route is to take public bus to Shimotani ropeway station and take the ropeway up to Sanchojoju station (1950yen roundtrip) and start the ascend from there which takes about 3hr. the other route is to drive up to Tsuchi-goya carpark on the other side of the mountain and is about 2.5hrs to the top. both route starts from about 1500m, so it is only about 500m up to the top.

since we where driving, we went by the Tsuchi-goya route which is slightly faster. it is also nearer to get to Tsuchi-goya from Shikoku Karst.

weather is excellent... good thing we switched the itinerary around or we will be hiking in the rain the previous day

 

[evilerniex]

as we got higher, we can see a layer of clouds!

 

[evilerniex]

we were soon over the clouds

shortly after the two route merged at Ni-no-kusari-goya we reach the metal chains that this mountain is famous for. there are 3 sets of chains (33m, 65m and 68m) that takes climbers near to the summit. there is also an alternative path for the less adventurous.
we decided to go the less adventurous way coz the place is still wet from rain the previous day, and the chains were also almost vertical at some point!
a brave japanese attempting the chains

 

[kifo]

Eh??? You skipped the chains??? Owwwww

 

[evilerniex]

a little pass the chains is Misen (1974m). there is a hut selling food and souvenirs there. however, this is not the peak of Ishizuchi. the actual peak, Tengu-dake is the sharp point in the pic below. it is about 15min from Misen to the peak via a slightly more challenging trail which requires a bit of climbing on all 4

beautiful sea of cloud

 

[evilerniex]

Eh??? You skipped the chains??? Owwwww

yah.. my friend not confident to go by the chain, and i think it really is a bit dangerous after the rain

 

[evilerniex]

finally at the top!

the hut in the ditance

 

[kifo]

Aw but you scrambled up Tengu cake, I guess the chains are not harder than going up Tengu surely. But you have fantastic photos. Must be because it was just after the rain.

 

[evilerniex]

Aw but you scrambled up Tengu cake, I guess the chains are not harder than going up Tengu surely. But you have fantastic photos. Must be because it was just after the rain.

it is probably not harder, but just a lot more dangerous.
the trek to Tengu-dake is mostly horizontal, with a few places when u need to use ur hands to climb. whereas for the chains, they are almost vertical and the highest one is 68m. any slips and it is going to be a long way down

 

[evilerniex]

Uwajima

we got down from Mount Ishizuchi at around 4pm, then drove about 3hrs to Uwajima. Uwajima is a small port town and is pretty quiet. when we reach ard 7pm, most of the shops are already closed.


we visited the Uwajima castle the following morning. the castle is about 15min walk from Uwajima station and is located on a small hill.

view of city from castle area

at the other end of town is Taga shrine

a shrine dedicated to the worship of...

 

[evilerniex]

after exploring Uwajima, we drove up to Cape Sada, the western most point of Shikoku. it is a long drive along Japan's longest and narrowest cape to reach the lighthouse at the tip of Cape Sada, but the drive is pleasant with beautiful coastal sceneries along the way. from the carpark, it is still another 30min walk to reach the lighthouse

 

[evilerniex]

 

[evilerniex]

Cape Sada marks the start of the Seto Inland Sea, and directly across from Cape Sada is Oita prefecture in Kyushu

 

[evilerniex]

a small port along Cape Sada

we drove back to Matsuyama to return our car and then took a train to Imabari. we wanted to have an early start in Imabari the next day so we did not stay a night in Matsuyama