Alex Quinn's Japan Journal

8/7/2004, Trip to Shikoku with David

David and I set out to ride the train around the perimeter of Shikoku Island.  We had special tickets ("seishun 18 kippu") which allow for unlimited travel, excluding express trains.  We didn't quite make it.  The slow trains are really slow.  We didn't care.  Shikoku is reeeeaalllly beautiful.  So, we spent the day riding the train, enjoying the scenery.  Eventually, we stopped in a tiny town, the name of which escapes me at the moment.  It was west of Matsuyama and east of Tadotsu.  We walked around and basked in the gorgeous scenery.  At one point we stopped in an had some udon (noodles) in a tiny shop.  Had a nice chat with some locals.  What a great day!

From the train.

David made this short video from the front of the train.  It gives you a little of the feeling of being there.  It's 10 MB.

In the train.

Rice fields are really nice to be near.  Not sure how to put that in a photograph.

Beaches are also really nice to be near.  That comes across a little better in a picture.

Here's a guy watering his crops near the train station.

Not only was it a beautiful place, but it was a nice day, too.

Here's a theme for Japan.  Everything from a vending machine.  In this case, eggs.

Eggs for sale.

On the way back, we saw these high school kids all in Kimonos, coming from a festival with fireworks.  They told us a little about the festival.  They took our pictures, too.  They even made a little movie of us for prosperity.

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