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• Day 33 – (Sado Island) Sobama campground – Nyuzaki campground
• Distance: 65.6km
• Ascent / descent: 611m / 621m
• Weather: sunny and hot
• Accommodation: camped at Nyuzaki campground

Using my new Coleman fleece liner (inside my sleeping bag) that I bought in Takaoka – the nights are too cold for my summer sleeping bag!

I was warm last night for the first time in a while, thanks to my new fleece liner and a hot shower before bed.

Sobama campground, Sado Island

I waited for the tent to dry before packing everything up and finished charging everything while eating a jam sandwich for breakfast.

Houses along the coast with storm/wind protection

Rubbish on the beach, this is from Korea 😦

Rubbish on the beach, this is from Spain 😦

Sobama beach was beautiful but unfortunately absolutely littered with plastic rubbish from places like Korea, China, Russia and even Spain.

A sacred rock island

Sado Island

Many of the houses had boards up like this I’m assuming to protect them from the wind. I was soon going up and down crazy gradients, often pushing the bike uphill, then flying down.

Shimafumi bakery & cafe, Sado Island

Carp kites flying at Shimafumi bakery & cafe, Sado Island

A delicious second breakfast of croque monseur, cinnamon roll & coffee at Shimafumi bakery & cafe, Sado Island

The human face rock (人面岩), Sado Island

In Mano I popped into a sake brewery and bought a small 180ml bottle based on their recommendation.

A tanuki at Obata Sake Brewery, Sado Island

Obata Sake Brewery, Sado Island

I then continued passing through rural areas with wooden houses and small gardens. Everything is in bloom and looking beautiful and the gardens are busy with elderly people tending to them.

Couple rock (夫婦岩 ), Sado Island

Couple rock (夫婦岩 ), Sado Island

Roadside Jizo statues, Sado Island

Sado Island

Traditional wooden houses on Sado Island

In Aikawa I visited the tourist office to get some information on the route around the northern side of the island which is supposedly very sparsely populated and no services. I also asked for a recommendation for a ryokan for my last night on the island tomorrow, somewhere near the ferry terminal in Ryotsu. I said I wanted to experience the food and hospitality of Sado Island so they recommended Hotel New Katsura which I then booked using their wifi. I bought some onigiri (rice balls) for dinner from the Lawson convenience store and continued on my way.

Sado Island

The wind had picked up as I made my way to Nyuzaki campground and when I got there, it was impossible to pitch the tent – trust me, I tried and the whole thing almost blew away! The sunset was stunning and I tried to enjoy it even though I was thoroughly frustrated about the tent situation! I ended up pitching my tent under the awning of an outside shower block that looked like it hadn’t been used for a while, and to get out of the wind, I ate my onigiri, washed down with my new bottle of sake, in the female toilets. Sometimes travelling is so glamorous 😉

Sunset over a Shinto Shrine near Nyuzaki campground, Sado Island

Sunset near Nyuzaki campground, Sado Island

Dinner of rice balls and sake in a toilet block

JB33 – elevation profile from Garmin connect

JB33 – google map from Garmin Connect