Vibrant hues of blue and green unfolded before my eyes as I biked 80 km around Shimanami Kaido with my aunt. Over the course of two days, I persevered through navigation mishaps and breaks few and far between. 

Located in southern Japan, the Shimanami Kaido cycling route stretches 80 km and links seven islands – Oshima, Hakata, Michika, Omishima, Ikuchi, Innoshima and Mukashima – with a series of bridges. Opened in 1999, the route connects the islands to mainland Japan and attracts tourists through one of the most scenic bike paths in the country. 

The night before the journey, we arrived at Imabari train station, right across from our hotel. The residence offered special services for cyclists called Sagawa: a luggage-shipping service that sends your bags directly to the final destination. 

Starving, we searched for eateries, but most eateries in the town closed by 8 p.m. After wandering for what felt like forever, we found Tsugumi, a Japanese-style cozy restaurant. The Yakitori chicken exploded with the rich flavor of tare, a traditional sauce. Kawara Soba came with green tea noodles, with shredded omelet, beef, green onions, a slice of lemon and fine-cut radish. The dish even came on a traditional Japanese roof tile. 

With low expectations, as my aunt and I took the first bite, our palate busted with the rich flavor of a traditional Japanese sauce that gets applied while the chef cooks the Yakitori. 

The next day, we woke up early to embark on the first 50 km of the route. At the rental area, the staff warned us that out of the seven bridges in Shimanami Kaido, the first bridge would be the hardest to reach because of the steep slope. Even aside from the slope, the glaring sun tired us out even more. Midway, we encountered a giant snake, which made us pedal twice as fast. By the end of the first stretch, my thighs were burning, and I felt like I had lost my legs.  Nonetheless, without a doubt, it had the best scenery. 

When we took breaks in between, while we didn’t see conventional ‘tourist attractions,’ we did catch a glimpse of local life, which is harder to see in Japan’s main cities. For example, most of the people in the countryside are 60 years old or older and come to farm or enjoy the scenery. The scenery was spectacular, with every type of plant we could imagine. 

We stopped for the night halfway through the route at a Ryokan (traditional Japanese hotel) on Ikuchi Island. The owners gave us a traditional cream that helped with the sunburn. 

Ikuchi Island boasts its signature lemon pastries. We stopped by a lemon-themed cafe, and while I had never imagined going to a place like this, the delicious desserts made me crave more and more. 

After the short break, the rest of the day put my mental and physical stamina to the test. The Innoshima Island route lacked rest stops, so we had to pedal nonstop for three hours. 

Just as we thought we had crossed the last challenge, trouble brewed in Mukashima. Only eight kilometers away from Onomichi, we lost sight of the road because heavy traffic made the park difficult to see. After going around in circles for 30 minutes, we finally found the guiding line again. However, we didn’t realize that the line would lead us back to the Innoshima Bridge, which we had just crossed. 

After an extra ten kilometers, we realized that we were going in the wrong direction and had to turn back. The return put me to the test more than Innoshima, as we cycled uphill the entire way. When we returned to where we lost our way, we asked locals for help, and they guided us to the port of Mukashima. After a five-minute ferry to Onomichi, we struggled to find the right bike return shop. That day, we spent 10 hours on the bike and traveled another 50 km. 

I will never forget the lessons I learned during this biking odyssey. It changed my perspective on how difficult and tiring cycling can be and made me appreciate professional cyclists even more, as they ride through all types of conditions. Most importantly, it taught me to never give up when things get hard.