Distance covered: 25 km
Weather: Fine
As I've noted previously, the restorative powers of a good night's sleep never fail to amaze me. I woke feeling re-energised, and after breakfast at the same Jonathan’s as the day before (though this time I threw caution to the wind and tried the acai bowl, which was actually quite yummy) I checked out of my hotel in Kannai and rejoined Route 16 at around 7.30 am.
Soon after passing Yokohama Landmark Tower (the second tallest building in Japan), I turned west and headed inland. My blisters felt pretty good, but the hilly terrain soon took its toll on my legs, which I now realised had not fully recovered from the shock of yesterday's 30 km slog. I took a long break by the side of the road after an hour, and on passing a Royal Host family restaurant an hour or so later I decided to stop for morning tea. Unfortunately they were only serving breakfast (it was still only 9.30 am), so I ordered the cheapest set (toast and salad) and a coffee.
Route 16 assumes various guises along its 241-km length, from quiet two-lane road to busy multi-lane expressway, and today I experienced both extremes. An example of the latter appeared ahead of me soon after lunch in the form of the Hodogaya Bypass. Looking at the map on my iPhone and the concrete monstrosity in front of me, I wasn't sure if there was a way through on foot. But Japanese traffic planners are generally pretty accommodating to pedestrians (even in remote parts of the country, major roads often have footpaths), and I eventually found a tunnel that led me to where I needed to be.
I made good progress in the afternoon, arriving at my hotel next to Sagami-Ono Station just after 2 pm. I was given a room with a view on the 12th floor. It was so nice I abandoned my plans to explore the area around the station and stayed inside for the rest of the day. An inspection of my feet revealed at least one new blister, though the ones from yesterday looked to be on the mend. I eventually left my hotel room at around 5.30 pm to look for somewhere to have dinner, but didn't get further than the supermarket downstairs, where I bought some sushi that I ate back in my room.
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