Breakfast is included with my hotel room, so I go downstairs at about 8:00. The breakfast is a buffet style, with both western and japanese style food served. I have some eggs, bacon, bread, fruit, juice and coffee. Much better than the free breakfast in Tokyo! I then check-out and walk back to the subway which takes me to Kyoto station. Wow! There are lots of people traveling today! I am glad I have a reserved seat! There are lots of vacationers for the weekend--school groups, families, etc. The Shinkansen pulls in right on time and we head to Okayama. This time I have a window seat. We go thru the countryside. There are lots of rice fields, all rather small. Some are green/yellow, and look very pretty. Some are being harvested. Some fields are being burnt. When we arrive in Okayama I change trains. I do not have a reserved seat, so I go straight to the track and find the line waiting for open seat car. I get in line. Thank goodness I did. When the train pulls in about 30 minutes later I board and get the last window seat. The train is very full. Many people are standing in the aisle, like a subway or bus. The crowd gradually thins out as we head further into Shikoku. I see my first palm tree in Japan right before we go over the bridge to Shikoku. Eventually the train follows water's edge around northeastern corner of Shikoku. It is very scenic. Ships and islands off to the right; hills, trees, and mountains off to the left. We finally to arrive in Matsuyama.
I find the JR exit and find my friend R. We met at O'hare a couple years earlier while we were both waiting for our planes. She was returning to Japan, I was going to Miami. She teaches English for a private language school in Matsuyama. I tell R I am hungry. I did not get a box lunch in Okayama, so she takes me to Lawsons, which is a Japan version of 7-11. I get a box lunch and we go to her home where I meet her mother. I eat my box lunch and then help her with two classes of small kids--first one 10 yr old; and then three 5 yr olds. R teaches at 2 classrooms, One in her home, and one in another location. The kids are very cute, very smart. After a couple hours of teaching we look thru a local hotel guide that R has. After a couple phone calls we find a hotel near the center of town. The City Hotel. It is similar to my hotel in Tokyo, although the room is a little bigger (but the rate is smaller). I check-in, drop off my luggage, and we go to meet R's friend M.
The three of us go to the Dogo area, which is famous for its onsen springs and shinto shrine. We wander around, and walk up a very long and steep stairway to reach the Shrine, which is closed, but from where there is a very nice view. We go back down and look for a restaurant. Dogo is a very busy area this night. There are many people (men, women, and children) in yukatas walking to or from the Onsen. The first few restaurants have long waits, but we keep searching and find one. We sit on the floor at low tables. We get 3 different sets and share. Another delicious meal. I could get used to this! We walk some more, and stop into another place to have coffee and dessert. By now it is getting late and they take me back to the hotel.
I go down and have breakfast in the lobby. Eggs on bacon and shredded lettuce, bread, butter, jam, coffee, juice. Pretty good. I go back to the room and watch some of Cubs/Marlins game. Cubs are winning 7-2 when I leave. It is tough to walk away.
I get out my map and walk to Matsuyama Castle. It is about a 2 mile walk. The weather is very warm and very humid. I walk into the center of town and turn into the park area. I walk past the local ballpark, and then some gov't and court buildings. I am really getting hot and sweaty now, so I stop at small store get a can of sparkling cider and some chewing gum. The sparkling cider was OK, and I feel a bit refreshed.
A little further up the street I come to the entrance for the lift chairs and cable car, which take you to the top of the hill where the castle is. You can walk for free, but I decide to ride. It looks like fun. I buy a ticket that gives me roundtrip passage on the chairs or cable car, and entrance into the castle itself. I take the lift chair going up. They are quite similar to ski lift chairs. There is a wire net about 3 feet below the chair, so if you slip or fall out you will be okay.
I get to the top and follow the walkway to the castle grounds. When I enter I notice a tall young man and we say hello. Sam is from Australia, and he just arrived last night. I tell him he is the first westerner I have seen in Matsuyama. We shake hands and wish each other good luck, and I continue into the castle. To get to the top of the castle you must take off your shoes and put on slippers. You put your shoes in a locker and take the key with you. You then walk up a series of stairways and ladderways, and finally come out on the top floor, which is a observation balcony that circles the top part of the castle. It is a very nice view. I then go back down, retrieve my shoes, and head back to the hotel.
I take a different route, and go thru the Okaido street mall. It looks like they blocked off the street, put up a roof/canopy, and made it into a mall. It is very nice. It extends for about 4 blocks. I eventually get back to the hotel, where I change out of my sweaty clothes. R picks me up at 2:00, and we go to pick up her sister and sister's boyfriend. I have not had lunch and so we stop and I get box lunch at the supermarket. First we try to find an ATM that will accept my Citibank card. We go to several different banks without any luck.
We then go to Matsuyama Port to get info about the ferry boats to Kyushu. The best choice is the boat to Moji which leaves at 3:10 PM tomorrow. We then head north and east. R wants to take us to the Kareshima bridge in Imabari. It is one of a series of bridges that links Shikuko to western Honshu. It is almost dark when we arrive, and raining lightly. We stop at the visitor's center where there is a good view of the bridge. We then drive nearby and walk up the walkway of bridge for a short while. It reminds me of Golden Gate--visitors center, pedestrian walkway. Even in the dark and rain there are several other people there. The bridge was built in 1997 or so. The RT toll on the bridge (to and from Hiroshima) is about 6000 yen ($60 US). R says it was even more at first, but no one would take it. I can see that traffic on it is light but steady now. Of course, it is a holiday weekend.
We then head into Imabari town center. Imabari is known for grilled chicken. R takes us to a small restaurant. I am probably the only American to have ever entered the place. All of the seating is at the counter (14 seats), and we can watch the cook. We have to wait for seats. The place is full and the cook is a very busy man. We have grilled chicken, grilled gizzards, grilled livers on a stick, grilled beef on a stick, grilled pork on a stick, and grilled mushrooms on a stick, and grilled XXX (a hard root). It is a very heavy meal, but overall very interesting. The roast chicken, beef, and mushrooms were very good. We then go back to Matsuyama. We stop at her house where I meet her father, and then she takes me back to the hotel.
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