【四國遍路 香川縣 ep.11】｜丸龜市｜還單車｜Marugame rent a cycle｜まるがめレンタルサイクル｜
🥹 I just finished my visit to Temple No. 79, Tenno-ji. Now I’m heading back to Marugame Station to return the bike. I’ve got 15 km of battery left. Should be an easy ride back. Based on my experience, it’s totally possible to cycle from Temple 71 to 80 in one day. But I left about 30 to 45 minutes late this morning because I got up late. Got up a little too late. So I didn’t make it to Temple No. 80 today. The distance from Temple 79 to 80 is about 7.5 km. If I had that extra 30 to 45 minutes, I could’ve easily gone to No. 80 and come back. But on the return trip from Temple 80 to Marugame, I’d need to save battery—no high-power mode. At Temple No. 79, the layout of the buildings kind of threw me off—I had a hard time finding the stamp office. Luckily, I saw the uncle who’s been traveling with me come out with his stamp book, and then I realized where it was. Is Google Maps trying to take me onto the expressway again? If so, I’ll have to get off. If you don’t take the overpass near Temples 78 and 79, you’re basically stuck riding through mountain and countryside roads. The only downside is it’s constant up and down hills. I keep taking the wrong turns. Right now I’m on National Route 11. The sign says 10 km to Marugame and 138 km to Matsuyama in Ehime. From this experience, I’d say half of the pilgrimage route in Ehime can be done by bicycle. The hardest part is cycling from the city up to Iwaya-ji Temple. That’s in Kuma Kogen Town. There are two temples up there. But here’s the thing— In Matsuyama, the shared bikes aren’t rented from a tourist center. They’re part of a bike-share system. I saw lots of rental points on the map. The day after tomorrow, I’m going to try renting one in Takamatsu City to visit the remaining temples. I don’t know if its battery will be stronger than the one I’m using now. Those bikes go through constant rentals and returns, so I doubt the battery would be that weak. It shouldn’t be running that low. If the battery were full, even climbing the long steep slope up to Iwaya-ji would be manageable. But I’d have to go there and back in a day. There should be enough time. Since I’ve got some time now, I’ll think about tomorrow’s plan. I can’t afford to be late tomorrow. Even though I made it to Temple No. 79 today, so I won’t have to slowly walk up to Tenno-ji again tomorrow, and waste time looking for the stamp office. Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll probably take the JR for one or two stops tomorrow morning. Then hop on the Besshi Line bus— or maybe the Kōgetsu Line— to somewhere near Shiramine-ji, which is at the foot of Temple No. 81. Then I’ll start climbing the mountain on foot. After that, I can either take a taxi to Temple No. 82, Negoro-ji, or just walk the whole way. If I walk, I’ll use the old pilgrimage trail— all the way to Temple No. 82. I’ll decide on the spot depending on how I feel. In theory, it shouldn’t take too long. I checked online—the trail doesn’t look as steep as Temple No. 12, Shosan-ji. After visiting Temple 82, we’ll head down the mountain. We’ve got two route options. The first is to head down into the city, to Oninashi Town, and follow the base of the mountain to Temple No. 80, Kokubun-ji. Or— there’s a pure mountain trail with a fork that goes directly to Temple No. 80. But I couldn’t find any videos online showing how to walk it. Still, going through the mountains would probably be quickest. Might try it tomorrow—it’s not that far. As long as I bring enough water, Pocari Sweat, and snacks, I don’t think it’ll be a problem. After visiting Temple No. 80, I can catch the JR nearby and head straight back to Takamatsu. If I reach Temple 80 tomorrow, cycling the day after will be much easier. I won’t have to start in Takamatsu, ride to No. 80, then ride all the way to No. 83. That whole route is over 20 km round trip. I see a tunnel up ahead. But this one looks way shorter. The whole path is a steady downhill, so I don’t need to pedal much. Still gotta stay alert. The road is muddy and there are some fallen fruits—better slow down. Otherwise, it’s easy to lose control while riding. Wouldn’t want to wipe out here. Out of the tunnel now—still on Route 11. The downhill hasn’t stopped—still coasting down. Looks like I can’t stay on the main road now. There’s a side path. Gotta go slow here. Not sure what’s ahead. Another muddy section. We’ll be back in Sakaide soon. I can already see the Sakaide cityscape. That overpass earlier must’ve been the one. Bikes aren’t allowed on that elevated bridge. Doesn’t matter now—let’s ride back into the city and prepare to return the bike. The GPS says there’s still 7.3 km left. It’s currently 16:54. I’ve got to return the bike before 7 p.m. Marugame Castle is probably already closed for the day. The bike’s battery doesn’t have much range left—can’t really detour anywhere now. That intersection back there again— if I’d taken that road, I’d have ended up on that bike-restricted overpass again. I didn’t even check the map—I just dove into a flat road I spotted. Honestly, I’m not even sure where I am now. But I’ve come down into some rural villages—there must still be a way out. I’ve made it back into the city. I saw some schoolgirls just now— their bikes look just like mine, except they don’t have electric assist. I really wonder how they manage—especially with those heavy backpacks hanging from the handlebars. Even I find mine tricky to control sometimes, and I’ve got a motor. Their saddles are also adjusted super high—same as mine. Just trailing behind these two kids— we’ll take it slow and steady. But I’ve run out of water. Is that Kochi Castle? No time to go inside now. Wait—it’s not Kochi Castle. It’s Marugame Castle! My bad. Said the wrong one. Marugame Castle closes at 5 p.m., I think. No more tourists inside at this point. The main gate is still open though. Almost there… almost there. This place feels like a maze. Once we arrive, I need to switch the power mode back to Standard or Eco mode. Otherwise the uncle might complain I used up all the battery again. Standard mode shows 7 km left. Power mode only gives 6 km. Whatever—doesn’t matter now. I’ll just return the bike and be done with it.
#日本 #四國 #遍路 #香川 #高松 #Insta360x5 #單車 #四国遍路 #札所 #第78番札所 #仏光山 #広徳院 #郷照寺 #第79番札所 #金華山 #高照院 #天皇寺
Day 3：2025-Jun-24
完成第71番至第79番札所巡拜
Dinner: **Kika**
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/kHpXHE1DyGuixQmXA
Accomodation: **Super hotel marugame station front**
Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/UBebN697ke1JUsxN7
Music：https://youtu.be/M7pv9sTUVLY?si=7ftfAZWKzp85mAhT