The journey began early in the morning as we were met at our hotel at 7:30 am by our guide, Muen, and host from [Elephant Bike Tours,](/tour/elephant-bike-tours) Vireak. Our half-day tour around Siem Reap promised adventure and discovery. Siem Reap is not just about access to Angkor Wat! 

We were provided with comfortable mountain bikes for the dirt tracks and country roads. The first few kilometres took us through the outskirts of town, passing by stunning temples and pagodas, many with family stupas (mausoleums) that stood as solemn sentinels of history and tradition. As we rode, the urban landscape gradually gave way to the Cambodian countryside.

Because this was the dry season, the region wasn’t at its busiest but there was plenty of agricultural activity. Irrigation by canals and waterways ensured that some of the land remained productive. We pedalled past fields of winter rice, most rice being grown during the rainy or wet season. The sight of 'Morning Glory', or water spinach, filled the fields with its lush greenery. This staple vegetable crop is a crucial and delicious part of the local diet, thriving in or close to the water.

Livestock, usually tethered to control where and what they could eat, dotted the landscape. Their presence was a reminder of the symbiotic relationship between the people and their animals, crucial for both agriculture and daily sustenance. We also saw lotus plants, their delicate flowers floating on ponds, adding splashes of pink and white to the local scenery.

Siem Reap is much more than just the gateway to Angkor Wat. This tour reveals the layers of life in the region beyond the famed temples. 

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Rural Revelations: Exploring Siem Reap's Countryside

Meeting David, our guide from [Belfast City Bike Tours](/tour/belfast-city-bike-tours), at an opulent community space in the heart of Belfast, set an intriguing tone for our adventure. This heritage-listed building, a former bank and Tesco supermarket, felt like a perfect metaphor for Belfast itself: historic yet vibrantly modern. We mounted our comfortable yellow ex-Chinese rental Ofo bikes. A light drizzle greeted us early on, but soon enough, the clouds parted, and the day brightened to a warm and mostly sunny adventure.

Belfast, or Béal Feirste, meaning the mouth of the Farset River, is steeped in nautical and riparian heritage, a theme that echoed throughout our tour. The city’s history of linen production and later, its engineering feats, especially shipbuilding, made it one of the most prosperous regions in the British Isles during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite this rich history, Belfast is perhaps best known for disaster and terrorism - its association with the Titanic and the turbulent times of "The Troubles." These narratives are now seamlessly woven into the fabric of modern Belfast, enriching its tourism experience with layers of historical depth.

Our first stop was City Hall, a popular photo opportunity and historic landmark in Donegall Square, the heart of the city. A free guided tour of the beautiful Baroque Revival building is recommended. The grounds contain the Titanic Memorial Garden, and The Cenotaph and Garden of Remembrance.

Next was St George’s Market, a lively place buzzing with energy. Although our initial visit was brief, it was enough to entice us back the next morning for a Northern Irish breakfast, accompanied by a traditional music session that added a delightful local flavor to our experience.

We cycled past the leaning Albert Clock, built on timber foundations that have caused it to tilt over the years. Nearby, we encountered the Big Fish, a striking ceramic tile-cladded statue and time capsule erected in 1999 to celebrate the regeneration of the River Lagan and the historic importance of the site, adding a touch of modern art to our historical journey. Street art was another vibrant element of the tour, with numerous murals and installations revitalizing the city's aesthetic and discouraging graffiti whilst enlivening previously rundown areas.. Unlike Derry, Belfast's street art is predominantly non-political. 

Our ride led us to the Titanic Quarter, home to the Titanic Museum, deservedly the top tourist attraction in Belfast. We admired the outline of the ship’s top deck on the ground, a solemn reminder of the famously inadequate lifeboats. Visiting the museum is a must-do - time-based ticketing ensure that it doesn't really get too crowded. Nearby is the Titanic Studios, where many parts of "Game of Thrones" was filmed, now commemorated by a wonderful series of stained glass installations around the quarter. Odyssey Place, resonating with the sounds of the dockyards, further enriched the experience.

The city is perhaps best known for disaster and terrorism, now both seamlessly woven into the fabric of modern, vibrant Belfast.

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Wheels and Walls: A Bike Tour of Belfast’s Historic and Cultural Landmarks

This Irish end-to-end mostly follows the spectacular Wild Atlantic Way winding up along the West Coast of Ireland.

Rob & I were lucky enough to join a group of 12 other riders from the US, Scotland, England, Ireland, Australia and Switzerland for this fantastic ride from the most southerly point in Ireland to the most northerly. Our tour was superbly guided and supported by John and Paul - not [those ones](/blog/magical-mystery-tour-of-liverpool)! We were quite a mixed bunch of ages (30s to 70s) and riding abilities, both of which I'd say put us in the middle.

For us the weather was a mixture of sunshine and clouds with only the occasional shower. 

The GPS directions and support from the [Wild Atlantic Cycling](/tour/wild-atlantic-cycling) guys were top notch and made it so easy - all you had to do was ride and admire the gorgeous countryside. Although some riders were so enthusiastic they overshot the regrouping points on a few occasions 😃.

 

#### Day 1 - Arrival Day in Cork
Our group travelled from all directions by train, plane and automobile. Riders who brought their own bikes assembled them in the briefing room, ready for tomorrow. Paul gave a very thorough run down of what to expect and what was happening when and where, and then took some of us down to get set up with hire bikes. We got to know some of our fellow riders at the briefing and later in the hotel dining room and bar. The others will wait till tomorrow!

 

#### Day 2 - Mizen Head to Glengarriff 
The day started with a 2¼ hour coach trip down from Cork. The countryside was beautiful and a great introduction of what to expect for the next week - except it's always better on a bike! 
I can see that Mizen Head could be very bleak and windy ... but not today! 
We had a warm mostly sunny morning, Rob and I stopped in pretty Durrus for a coffee and catch up with my cousin Ruth who happens to live there! After lunch there were a couple of brief showers as we rounded the top of Bantry Bay. 
The group became quite strung out partially due to some of us succumbing to the irresistible urge to stop and take photos of the stunning countryside of West Cork. However we all made it to the hotel with plenty of time to relax and later had dinner together at a nice pub in Glengarriff. 
*61 km, 540 m climbing*

 

#### Day 3 - Glengarriff to Killarney
There was an earlier start to the cycling as there was no bus transfer. This was good as the urge to take photos only intensified - I gave into the urge over and over again! The Day 3 gallery below is just a small selection.... 
There were three climbs with three fantastic descents - the Caha Pass, Moll's Gap and the Gap of Dunloe. The latter was busier between cars, walkers, other cyclists and horses pulling traditional jaunting cars. 
The scenery was absolutely spectacular and the mix of sunshine and cloud created shadows that only added to the breathtaking views. My 'sub-group' only experienced a couple of lights showers but some roads showed the evidence of having seen much heavier rain which we just missed! 
Today has set a very high bar for coming days ... 
Killarney is a great spot for music and the craic. Had an Irish Stew for dinner and then an ice cream to finish - Irish Brown Bread and Chocolate Whiskey flavour! A grand end to the day. 
*71 km, 870 m climbing*

This Irish end-to-end mostly follows the spectacular Wild Atlantic Way winding up along the West Coast of Ireland.

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My Adventure along the Wild Atlantic Way

**Discovering the newest old part of Tokyo along the seafront.**

The shop was fairly easy to find and we were there in plenty of time, as was the only other rider on the tour - a Dutch guy. Unfortunately 2 other people who had booked were no shows. Our guides, Kazu and Misato, set us up with bikes plus a bottle of water which was replenished as needed and then gave us a good basic rundown on Tokyo before we set out .

It was a tour of two halves - which included a great lunch! In the morning we set off for parts of Tokyo that didn't exist in earlier periods - about 15% of Tokyo Bay has been reclaimed in stages over the past 500 years. 

First up was the Sumiyoshi Shrine, a quiet but well used Shinto shrine, free from the hordes of tourists at the bigger better known ones. It also housed a mobile shrine which is used for festivities - that helped join the dots with the festival we were lucky enough to [witness further south in Onomichi.](/blog/cycling-through-japan)

Then it was off to bustling Tsukiji, Japan's 'Food Town', home of the Outer Market which was the site of the original Tokyo Fish Market until it moved in 2018. The area is still very popular with locals and tourists and is full of restaurants and retailers, mostly of seafood. Today being Sunday, when the new Fish Market is closed, it was very busy which made for a lively atmosphere.

There a lot of open areas on this man-made part of Tokyo Bay and we passed by sporting fields and tennis counts in Toyosu, and the new fish market (closed today). Crossing another bridge onto the next 'island' we were given a real treat in the Symbol Promenade Park. There were a number of dance troupes performing in the beautiful outdoor location - so we stopped to watch for as long as our itinerary would allow.

After winding our way along the coast and the new International Cruise Terminal, we had a lovely lunch in Aqua City Odaiba. Naturally there were also toilets here but there were plenty of public restrooms along the way - all scrupulously clean - so you're never caught short!

On the waterfront opposite the centre was a bit of a surprise - the Statue of Liberty! I had a quick double take to check what city we were in as we saw the original just a few months previously.. This was indeed a copy - Tokyo’s version was loaned (for a year) from its home at Île aux Cygnes in Paris in 1998 to commemorate French-Japanese ties. It became so popular that they built a new replica here in Odaiba in 2000. Combined with the backdrop of the Rainbow Bridge, it has been the ultimate photo op ever since. It isn't very obvious how the bridge got its (nick)name but apparently on December evenings there is a very impressive rainbow lighting display.

The second half of the tour was a ride back into the old city. We stopped at the Buddhist temple of the former Shoguns, Zojoji. The impressive 17th century gate led to an equally impressive Main Temple building, albeit dating from the 1970s, at the foot of the (older) Tokyo Tower. The latter has since been surpassed by the Tokyo Skytree which opened in 2010 - now the tallest tower and third tallest man-made structure in the world. 
The Zojoji temple also has a garden of Jizo statues, representing unborn children, and the cemetery of the Tokugawa family of the Shoguns.

We rode past the beautiful former Shogunate, and later Imperial, Hama-rikyu gardens - since handed over to the City of Tokyo who have restored them. The following day we returned for a visit and had a matcha tea and mochi treat at the Nakajima teahouse - rebuilt in 1983. 

Next was a stop at the Atago shrine. Although the main building was under renovation, the 
very steep stairs leading to the shrine are also famous, as they represent success in life. 
According to legend, a young samurai successfully dared to ride his horse up the stairs to deliver plum blossoms to the shogun. We all climbed the steps except for Kazu, who seems to be pretty successful already!

Then on to the last stop of the tour, Edo Castle - the home of the Emperor since the Meiji restoration in 1867. It is surrounded by a large moat - the excavation of which formed the basis of the first infills in Tokyo Bay. The keep burned down in 1657 as have many of the other original buildings. The 'new' palace is only open to the public twice a year and the vast site is mostly private. However there is a large public garden that is open most days - except Mondays which is when we tried to visit!

Leaving the castle we rode along the highway which is closed to traffic on Sundays! We crossed back across the city to Shinkawa which seemed to be pretty easy going - a combination perhaps of less traffic on Sunday and the guide purposefully choosing quieter routes. 

A refreshing beer and chat at the end finished an amazing way to explore Tokyo in a relatively short time. Could we have done it without a guide? For sure, but to have seen and experienced so much in a day would have taken a lot of planning (which frankly not many people are prepared to do - including me). And for everything to go so smoothly, without the insider knowledge or speaking any of the language, would just not have happened. I have no hesitation in recommending [Tokyo Great Cycling Tour](/tour/tokyo-great-cycling-tour) - whether you're visiting for a short or longer period.

An amazing way to explore, in a relatively short time, one of the many sides of Tokyo - the newest old part of the city.

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Exploring Tokyo Bay

The Empire State Trail (EST) was created between 2017 and 2020 under then New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, linking up various paths and trailways (or rail trails) across the state over 1200 kilometres (750 miles). It joins New York City (NYC) through the Hudson River Valley, west to Buffalo along the Erie Canal, and north to the Champlain Valley and Adirondacks. You can order a map from the [NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation](https://empiretrail.ny.gov/).

Our day tour on the EST took us from Brewster - the historic terminus of the Putnam Railway - through Carmel, the seat of Putnam County, and finished at Elmsford, near White Plains, the seat of Westchester county.

The Old Putnam Railway, or 'Old Put', was closed in 1958 to passengers, and to freight in various stages by 1975. It was mostly used for passenger traffic but also for freight - coal, iron ore and lumber. One interesting fact was that the first diesel locomotive passenger train in the U.S. ran on the Putnam Railway on March 18, 1929.

This route has now been converted into the Putnam County, North County, and South County Trailways, all of which we used, as well as the Putnam Greenway in The Bronx, which we didn't.

We were 11 riders including Laura from Gotham, who rode at the back. Lukas from Gotham drove the support van and met up with us at pre-determined points - for morning break, lunchtime and afternoon break. We all arrived by train, as Brewster is now on the Metro-North Railroad, having joined the same train at various points including Grand Central Station in NYC.

I was using the excellent GPS navigation that Lukas had put together - but most of the trail was straightforward and well signposted. Lukas also gave great instructions at the start and at each meeting point, as well as having paper maps available. The only slightly tricky parts were getting from the train station to the trailhead in Brewster, and at the end, from the trailway to Captain Lawrence Brewery in Elmsford (an excellent incentive to pay attention to directions!).

The previous week had brought some stiflingly hot weather and storms but today had dramatically changed to more normal temperatures of mid 20's ºC (high 70's ºF). And even if it had been very hot, the route was very well shaded most of the way. The last storm had brought some trees down on the trail that hadn't yet been cleared, but nothing too hard to get past.

There was plenty of great scenery and interesting places along the way. Lukas' navigation helpfully included a brief rundown on the main points, with notes to refer back to later.

Some of the notable sights along the way included:
- Lake Mahopac, a fashionable summer resort from the mid 19th to mid 20th centuries, with pretty recreational areas and hiking trails. The area was strategically important during the American Revolution, and also featured in the 1982 movie 'Tootsie'!
- Picturesque Croton Reservoir, once the main water storage for NYC.
- Graham Station which was created when John D. Rockefeller Jr. had the tracks removed from his Pocantico Hills property, to protect his privacy, eliminating four other stations..
- Millwood, known for an historic stagecoach route used by George Washington and also where Miss America 1984, actress and singer Vanessa Williams, was raised.

Perhaps the high point for many was the promised finish at the craft brewery, the excellent [Captain Lawrence Brewing Company](https://www.captainlawrencebrewing.com) just outside Elmsford. Our table in the busy beer garden was pre-booked and on arrival we were given our 'poker chips' to exchange for beer samples! Relaxing over beer gave everyone a better opportunity to get to know each other, as during the day people cycled at their own pace and breaks were shorter. Of course, after the samples we ordered our favourites in full size - my choice was the Freshchester Pale Ale.

When people were ready to leave, Lukas shuttled them to their cars or train at White Plains. All in all it was a great day of cycling, with an excellent way to finish on a high (in moderation of course!). Highly recommended!

 

---

The author was a guest of [Gotham Bicycle Tours](/tour/gotham-bicycle-tours) but the views and impressions are all his own.

This section of the EST took us from Brewster - the historic terminus of the Putnam Railway - to the Captain Lawrence Brewery in Elmsford!

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A day on the Empire State Trail ... with beer!

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