Homeless But Not Hopeless: 31/10/2014 - Cycle Touring Japan - Day 37 - Is it possible to have more than just a second wind?

Distance cycled and hiked: 64.6km (18km hiked)
Average speed: 11.5Km/h
Moving Time: at least 5h37m
Elevation Ascended: 1419
Total Distance on Current trip: 3,175km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 9,115km
Money spent: $20

Much of yesterday's plan went as well as I could have hoped, with a few bonuses but also some drawbacks but all in all a great bloody day.
Waking up to a stunning mountain sunrise view through the trees and being well rested I was good for another day of hiking I was keen to set off to see what else Yakushima had to offer.
One of the main attractions in the island is to see Jomon-Sugi cedar, estimated to be between 2,600 years old (scientific methods) and 7,200 years old (judging by the size), it is however the largest Cedar found in Japan.. Although it is dead. I passed it last night when hiking in the dark so I backtracked to the sight to take some photos.
I was also right about where I set up camp, it wasn't the mountain hut I was suppose to stay in but regardless I had a great night of much needed sleep and was comfortable for the whole evening, even at 1350 meters it wasn't at all cold.
Ascending to the highest point in the island (Mt. Miyanoura-dake) the terrain changed dramatically, I was getting a little tired of hiking in the cedar forests and wanted some open air to see the views of the altitude I had hiked to, this is exactly what I got; occasionally when the clouds would roll out of view of the scenic grassy and rocky landscapes I would have the opportunity to photograph my surroundings - I'm going to describe what I saw as the pictures below will do that for you and it was awesome.
Continuing the hike I hit a few more peaks of the island with more view points and strange granite boulders sticking up from the ground almost as if they were placed there until I descended into more forests filling the well maintained trail that scythed through the difficult terrain.
I definitely wore the wrong shoes of the occasion as every small stone I stepped on could be felt by my foot, $3 trainers bought in Thailand made from cardboard really isn't proper footwear for any type of hike, however I did it.
Eventually and happily I made it to the final point of the trek popping out onto an asphalt road, relieved that my feet no long had to endure the torture i put them through.
Was the trek worthwhile? Damn right yes!
I was still many kilometers away from my bicycle down this asphalt road but with a smile I convinced a family I met at the trailhead to drive me back to my bicycle.
At this point I had been extremely lucky with the weather as this island receives more rainfall than anywhere else in Japan, not a single drop had hit me until I started to descend from the mountain getting below the cloud layer. It was only a light drizzle but any more I would have had to slow right down.. My brakes are incredibly iffy when they are too wet.
If felt like an eternity briskly following the curvy roads back to Anbo, a fantastic experience in itself.
Finally back at sea level and time to splurge on food (mostly chocolate) and drink to reward myself for the copious amounts of effort required to hike as far as I did.
But the day wasn't over yet.

At this point it started pissing it down and my idea to cycle to a place to camp closer to the port town of Miyanoura fell though, but I met some French guys, Bob and Jes who bought me a beer and we hung out outside the supermarket having a few laughs.
The weather did clear and I thought I would give it a go and try cycling to a better place to camp, a terrible idea as it was now dark and soon after leaving the heavens opened up again (is this the right expression) and I got soaked.
First I tried to seek refuge at a sight where lava created pillow like formations but did not have a shelter so I turned around and kept on looking without any luck, u was already 3/4 of the way to Miyanoura and thought 'fuck it' why not just get there and not have to worry about my return ferry back to the mainland.
I did pass by a hotspring but as soon as I arrived they were closing up, instead I treated myself to more chocolate at a supermarket, I know this doesn't make sense but if I couldn't bathe chocolate is a good substitute, right?
Anyway, it had stopped raining when I made it into the town and I eventually found a place to pitch my tent beside the tourist information office my boat is at 8:20am tomorrow and I'm a stone throws away from the port so all is well.
How I mustered up the energy to cycle at night and in the pouring rain back to Miyanoura after hiking upwards of 35km in two days is beyond me but even now at 11:30pm as I am writing this I am not all that tired, I thought for sure I would have passed out from exhaustion in the middle of doing anything the afternoon.