T.G.I. Friday

Friday wasn't a big day for riding. In the morning, I went to Dogo Onsen. The baths were very simple but extremely comfortable. I could easily have spent half a day just soaking but I had to move on.

I rode around Matsuyama city for a while before heading for Matsuyama port and the ferry to Hiroshima. About 5 mins before I boarded the ferry a huge earthquake struck the Northeastern region of Japan. With a magnitude of 8.8 this earthquake it the largest in Japanese history. In fact, there was no place on the 4 main islands of Japan that didn't feel some shaking. As I left the terminal tsunami warnings flooded television screens around the country. After considering that I was on the relatively protected Seto inland sea, I boarded the ferry with a slightly uneasy feeling. While on the ferry, I along with the other passengers watched with terror as the disaster unfolded on the television.

That night I went out to an Irish pub in Hiroshima called Molly Malone's. It was an awesome pub with a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. I had a few beers together with some Brits as we watched England lose the cricket to Bangladesh.