Imabari Trip Day 2: Bridge Bicycle Ride Part 1
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Family Bike Ride across the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 500 mm — 1/800 sec, f/7.1, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Family Bike Ride
across the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge
Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture, Japan

I've covered the first day of our short trip to Imabari City earlier this month here, here, and here), and one event from the third day (a visit to the thrilling Towel Museum, here, here, and here), so now I'd like to start filling in the second day of the trip.

It started with the breakfast buffet at our hotel, the Imabari International Hotel. But only the non-dieting non-ballerinas in our party opted to partake, so it was just Anthony and me for breakfast, as Fumie suffered for her art....

Breakfast for the Boys -- Imabari International Hotel -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 @ 24 mm — 1/400 sec, f/1.4, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Breakfast for the Boys
Anthony's Idea of Heaven juice, dashimaki eggs , bread, dried seaweed ( with items on the plate arranged to form a face, of course ) -- Imabari International Hotel -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/250 sec, f/1.4, ISO 220 — map & image datanearby photos
Anthony's Idea of Heaven
juice, dashimaki eggs, bread, dried seaweed
( with items on the plate arranged to form a face, of course )
Checking Out the View before we head out for the day -- Imabari International Hotel -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/4000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Checking Out the View
before we head out for the day
Our Destination in the Distance three spans of the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge -- Imabari International Hotel -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/5000 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Our Destination in the Distance
three spans of the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge

We made our way to Sunrise Itoyama (サンライズ糸山), a business near the foot of the bridge where, among other things, you can rent bicycles for a mere 500 yen/day (about $6/day) and ride along the 50+ kilometers of the shimanami kaido, a series of bridges hopping over islands to connect Honshu and Shikoku, two of the main four islands of Japan. There are apparently rental stations dotting the length, and you can pick up and drop off at any of them.

Moments after arriving, we were besieged by a kind but overfriendly photographer who insisted on walking us through the bike-registration routine and then taking our portrait at a prime location he shared with us. We were made uncomfortable by the socially-inappropriate level of his approach, but he wasn't trying to sell or get anything... it was clearly born from true (but unfiltered) kindness, so we went with it.

He used my camera to take a very nice portrait...

Photo by Shigeyoshi Ookubo -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Shigeyoshi Ookubo, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/4000 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Photo by Shigeyoshi Ookubo

And one of Anthony...

Photo by Shigeyoshi Ookubo -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Shigeyoshi Ookubo, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/5000 sec, f/3.2, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Photo by Shigeyoshi Ookubo

Of course, I couldn't have gotten the first one myself, but I don't think I could have gotten the second one either, as Anthony's smile reflects the odd/fun/silly situation we were in (to Anthony's glee, Mr. Ookubo was barking posing instructions at a rapid pace), and is not an expression I could have elicited.

Fumie, Anthony, and Mr. Ookubo -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/6400 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Fumie, Anthony, and Mr. Ookubo

And then we were off, with the trip starting up a long spiral bike/pedestrian bridge that gently brings you up to bridge level...

Anthony Far in the Lead -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/8000 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Anthony Far in the Lead
One More Loop To Go -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/3200 sec, f/2, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
One More Loop To Go

The loop bridge gave a great view of some shipbuilding yards below...

“Global Trinity” under construction in Imabari, Japan -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 @ 50 mm — 1/3200 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
“Global Trinity”
under construction in Imabari, Japan
Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/1600 sec, f/2.5, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Finally Entering the Bridge Proper -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/800 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Finally Entering the Bridge Proper

The wind was blowing and it was cool, but having just biked up a gentle but non-stop slope for about 1km, the balance was fine.

Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 50 mm — 1/2000 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos

The big suspension cables come right down beside you, so you get some close-up views that one doesn't normally get...

Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 58 mm — 1/2500 sec, f/4.8, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 210 mm — 1/2000 sec, f/6, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos

This, of course, is the answer to the Simple Imabari “What am I” Quiz that didn't challenge anyone.

The bridge is about 4km (2½ miles) long, though technically it's three separate (but seamlessly-connected) bridges. We took our time and enjoyed it (though sometimes I took a bit too much time, which was perhaps less enjoyable for Fumie and Anthony than for me 🙂 )...

Approaching the Crest -- Imabari, Ehime, Japan -- Copyright 2011 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Sigma “Bigma” 50-500mm OS @ 170 mm — 1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image datanearby photos
Approaching the Crest

Continued here...


All 2 comments so far, oldest first...

Mr. Ookubo seems like a nice fellow, but I’m pretty surprised that he went out of his way to do that. Isn’t the stereotype that people in Japan mostly keep to themselves, and tend to stay away from people who don’t look Japanese? His shot of Anthony is a bit crooked… 🙂

I’m pretty amazed that you had so much gear with you, and that you were biking with the Bigma! What sort of camera bag are you using? (I couldn’t find a gear list on your site – sorry if it’s listed somewhere and I missed it.)

I think Mr. Ookubo just enjoyed interacting with people and being helpful. The moment he left us, he approached the first people he found walking toward the entrance. These days I’m using a ThinkTank Speed Racer (silly name; nice bag), though the Bigma was in a backpack in the bike basket when not in use, and when attached to the camera, slung over my shoulder with a strap attached to the tripod foot. —Jeffrey

— comment by David K on April 21st, 2011 at 10:33pm JST (12 years, 11 months ago) comment permalink

I really puzzled over that “Breakfast With The Boys” shot. It appeared you were sitting by a large window overlooking a waterfall and garden. Yet there also appeared to be another room in the restaurant right behind it.
Was that actually a humongous back-lit picture behind the table? Sure can’t tell by just looking at it.

The mirror showing the photographer (your son) taking the picture is…. (drum roll…) a mirror. —Jeffy

— comment by Grandma Friedl in Ohio, USA on April 21st, 2011 at 11:26pm JST (12 years, 11 months ago) comment permalink
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