Zippy ZIGZAG Road
We were planning to get the ferry to Shika Island at 9:40 am, but the moment we got to Fukuoka Tower it was already 11:00 am. Not exactly a great start to the day. I tried my best to cheer my sister up in case she was upset about the delay. It was quite successful I would say, at least we didn't fight. We reached Shika Island around noon time and went straight to the bike renting shop near Shikaumi Jinja – the shrine on Shika Island (link to the shop).
Bike sorted! We cycled to Shikanoshima Waki, a seafood restaurant, to have lunch. The restaurant is an old-school Japanese that gives a calm nostalgic vibe. I ordered sashimi and braised fish rice, it was very delicious and the portion was huge. After lunch, we started cycling along the coastline of Shika Island.
"Why on earth does my sister plan this cycling outing?" and "It's such a torture!" were the main thoughts that went through my mind when we cycled. Despite the struggle, the view on the way makes every hard paddle on the bike worth it.
We took a short break in a beachside cafe and played with the stray cat for a bit. We came to the realisation that we were both not good at cycling and decided to change our plan slightly. Instead of cycling to Uminokamichi Seaside Park, which is across the bridge from the island, we would return the bike on the island and take the ferry back.
After the short break and reset of goal, we paddled our way to Shikaumi Jinja. Somehow Shikaumi Jinja gave me a familiar feeling. It reminded me of Taiwan, of Keelung, of my home. Just like people living on Shika Island, Taiwanese live with the ocean and our god and goddess in the shrine (or temple) protects us and keeps us safe. Looking out into the sea, Shikaumi Jinja made me feel calm and relaxed.
We returned the bike and took the ferry to Saitozaki (西戶崎). We struggled to find the entrance to the Uminokamichi Seaside Park, and in the end, we got in through a car park. If you are coming in winter, I think you can skip Uminokamichi Seaside Park. It is a flower hill and of course, there was nothing to see when we were there. We once again struggled to find the JR station when we left.
My only memory of Uminokamichi Seaside Park was when we meandered around the park, I saw a gaggle of geese taking turns to take off.
The day after our cycling adventure was our last day in Fukuoka. Our original flight to Toyko was at night, but we decided to go to Tokyo earlier to give us some time to travel from the airport to Shinjuku.
Me and my sister almost got into a fight when we were at the airport. As always, I wanted to go through security and be at the gate as soon as possible; but my sister wanted to eat because she was starving. In the end, we agreed that our sisterhood needs food to maintain. After arriving in Tokyo at around 8 pm, we went to the JR station to buy the JR pass for the next few days.
We arrived at the hotel tired and hungry, our sisterhood was on the edge of breaking again. This time, Uber Eats saved it.
