I had spent 2 days in Kochi in 2011, so this time I headed out the next morning. not sure if it was just a weather phenomena, but Kochi seemed as polluted as I remembered last time.
this time I turned south and eventually, after bumping over rough narrow and disappearing footpaths, I reached the sea and the main drag out along the coast. It was a glarey sorta day and it was difficult to see where the sky met the sea.... but there were still some pretty interesting coastal scenery once I left Kochi behind.
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| smoggy cloudy sky makes interesting colour schemes |
I took a planned detour out along a peninsular, which turned into quite a struggle on a bike. it was one struggle up a hill, zoom down the other side, the struggle up again. but looking over the low guard rails, metres down to the rocks below also added a little pique to the whole ride,
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| Landslides seem to be a common event throughout the places I have visited |
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| Catching my breath ready for the next UP! I couldn't help thinking about the east side of Magnetic Island - quite similar only MI has more granite boulders up the hill... |
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| beautiful beaches - IF you could get to them |
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| Thankfully I didn't plan to visit this little fishing village - a little Datsun truck came grinding and complaining up the road while I taking this photo.... |
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| these photos were taken in the middle of the day - not at dusk - just gives you an idea of the pollution around here |
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| taking a break - again - Maggie is propped in the drain to prevent her trying to escape back down the hill. It also gives an idea how worrying it is to be riding on the shoulder with traffic on one side this 30cm deep drain on the other... balance!!! |
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| Leaving the peninsular behind I rode past this Dragon boat, just waiting to get out to sea |
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| There's always a shrine or 2 each day - not sure who builds these |
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| sharing the road - with a decent size bike/foot path, but there's generally only me on the paths when outside the city limits |
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| yet another tunnel - its getting a bit late, so I had to stop and find all my lights, before heading off riding along the narrow ledge they call a bike path!!! |
aound 6:30 I was getting into a built up area now, so pulled up at a little corner store to ask if they knew of any accommodation close by. a nervous sorta of woman got out their local phone book and started ringing around. she called the inn I had planned to stay at, but they were full, she called another couple of places but they were all full. she was getting quite upset about not being able to help, so I quickly thanked her and headed off into the darkness... well I knew there was a train station and that's always an option but about a km away I see the flashing neon lights saying SanSri Hotel.
well, if they are full, they might be able to actually help me find somewhere, so I turned off at the sign and rode up the path around the back... hmmm... I can't find any entrance. there looked like car parks under the first floor rooms. but no reception anywhere. there was a Front Door Restaurant sign, but there was no sign of a restaurant... but I could see inside to a small room where a woman was sitting. so I ventured in....
after much hand signals and laughter I got the message that yes, yes, yes, I could have a room for the night, but I didn't have to sign in... put bike here - tick - follow up the stairs, yes.... in thru the door where on the wall was a sorta paystation set into the wall.... hmmm... penny is starting to drop. this is one of the many Love Hotels throughout Japan - where anonymity is the key - and who you take in with you remains only your business. so into the rather large room where there's a large double bed, also a large bathroom with showering and a big deep bath.... yes yes!! all good.
I was pretty tired and was happy for such a comfortable room but couldn't image how much it was going to cost - I think they're an hourly rate. So here are some pics of a Love Hotel.....
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| a rather large room compared to usual hotel rooms |
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| Yes!! nursery themed wallpaper, cute little mama and pappa bears..... |
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| very comfortable shower and bath |
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| all sorts of interesting things to buy - I think you put money in a slot - I didn't buy anything!!!! |
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| Thought I would chill my water bottles, but the fridge was full - again pay and receive |
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| Here is Maggie, all loaded up and ready to go the next morning - thanking the kind lady who showed me the ropes. think she and another elderly lady were the cleaners - and it was really clean and didn't smell of smoke either! |
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| Farewell San Sri - you were in the right place at the right time |
I found it interesting that the lady at the corner shop never suggested this hotel, it was only a km down the road...
so how do you pay? in the morning I packed all my bags and got out into the lobby - slam the door went and locked. now I couldn't get back into the room and I actually couldn't get out of lobby.... so got out my credit card and poked it into the slot - and a sing-song voice advised me a few things and one of them was repeated, please present your credit card.... well, I did it a few times, but realised that its not gunna accept my aussie (tho mastercard) credit card. now don't panic, I do have a 10,000 yen note in my purse - it was asking for 8160 yen, so phew! it swallowed the note and spat out a handful of coins and clunk the door opened.... no wonder I had this feeling of slight claustrophobia all the time... I don't think I would have been able to sleep if I had realised how locked in I was !!
and dang, I should have got a bit more organised and escaped a tad earlier - it would have been cheaper.... but I was being slack! but it was a really comfortable night!
Crikey! Whoever would have thought of such self service? So that equates to about $95 Aussie bucks? Bit of a worry if you had stepped out without any purse etc not knowing otherwise. Loving the piccies, pollution hued and all.
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