Day 6: Yoshinohara - Kasukabe

Distance covered: 16 km
Weather: Fine

After breakfast at my hotel in Omiya I rode the New Shuttle to Yoshinohara Station, which is where I had originally planned to finish walking on Day 5. It was a beautifully fine day and my blisters weren't bothering me at all. I felt confident of reaching my goal of Minami-Sakurai, some 22 km east along Route 16. But soon after setting off I had to negotiate a pedestrian overbridge, and on the descent my knees again started hurting. I reminded myself that pain never killed anybody (I don't know where I heard that expression, but it seemed appropriate) and tried to think positively as I pressed on. But the traffic-clogged road and less-than-scenic surroundings made it difficult to remain optimistic.

Thankfully, the congestion eased as the morning progressed, and I was even treated to some semi-pastoral scenes in the form of rice fields complete with one or two egrets. Further on I noticed some farmers planting rice, and stopped to watch them working.

But such enjoyable moments were few and far between, and by lunchtime the pain in my knees and the constant noise and fumes from all the cars and trucks had become unbearable. I looked at my map and saw that Kasukabe Station was just a couple of kilometres away. I could head straight there and catch a train to Chiba, where I had booked a hotel for the next few nights. The pain and suffering would end. It was very tempting.

Up ahead was a Saizeriya, so I decided to stop for lunch and think over my options. By the end of the meal I had made up my mind to abandon my walk. It all came to the fact that I simply wasn't enjoying it. Also, I had very little to lose by stopping. I wasn't doing this to prove anything to myself or anybody else. The only downside I could think of was that I would have to admit that the people who told me I was foolish to try to walk the length of Route 16 were right. Sure, it's possible. The fact that I had made it this far proved that. And there are some pleasant stops along Route 16 that have much to offer the traveler on foot, such as Yokosuka, Yokohama and Kawagoe. But with the exception of the stretch along the coast of the Miura Peninsula (and possibly on the opposite side of Tokyo Bay in Chiba Prefecture, though I don't know because I didn't get that far), there didn't seem to be enough in the way of pleasant scenery in between these places to provide relief from the monotony of the bland suburban landscapes and relentless traffic. Maybe I'll go back some day and complete this walk (I don't like leaving things unfinished). But somehow I doubt it.