From the bridge to Oboke

After crossing the vine bridge, I got tired of waiting for the bus (which only goes two times a day) and thus walked back to Oboke station. Approximately 12 km of mountain road with a few tunnels along the way.

The first tunnel, only about 100 m long

 And the road goes ever on...

 The last (third) tunnel was the longest: almost 1 km with emergency stations along the way. The cobwebs I walked through made me believe that not so many pedestrians walked this route.

 But I got out!

 And there's the station!

 A final look at the river

Who doesn't want to return with this cute railway sign?

Crossing the Vine Bridge

In the Iya valley in central Shikoku, there remain three vine bridges of the type used in ancient times. According to legend, the Heike clan fled to Iya after being defeated by the Genji in 1185. For the Heike survivors, the vine bridges were easy to defend, since they easily could be cut.

I went to one of these bridges, the Kazurabashi, and crossed it, despite my vertigo.

 A first look at the bridge. Doesn't look too bad, eh?

 This path led to the bridge.

A secondary path leading away, presumably for those who get second thoughts about crossing the bridge.

 I'm getting close now...

 From here, the other side seems so distant...

Wait! Am I supposed to walk on that? 

 Apparently, I made it!

With the crossing accomplished, there was time to appreciate the landscape on the other side.