Thorn Cycles Forum
Community => Cycle Tours => Topic started by: RonS on October 16, 2023, 08:38:55 PM
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I must start this post with a tip of the hat to all of you who are able to post journals in real time on your tours. That was my grand plan, but, the reality was that I had neither the time nor energy to make a daily blog post with my glacial keyboarding speed and rudimentary photo editing skills. I did keep a paper journal, and took many photos, so I can now relive the trip while enjoying a cuppa and learning how to keyboard and use photo editing software. My prose and photos will never match the likes of John Saxby or Simeon, but I hope you will enjoy them.
A little back story and then I’ll get to the main event. I first visited Japan in 2018 when one of my daughters was working there as an English teacher. I was smitten. Although it was not a cycling holiday, having only cycled one day on rental bikes, I knew it was a cycling paradise and vowed to return for a proper tour. We all know what happened in 2020, so, with my retirement approaching and restrictions falling, I decided my retirement gift to myself would be a grand tour of Japan. On June 23 I retired after 43 years of driving trucks. On August 8 I turned 65. On August 16 I was en route to Japan for the next 7 weeks.
The trip. This was my first big tour. All I had done previously were motel tours in the two week range, so it was very much a learning experience. I decided my top priorities were to enjoy myself, meet people, and see the countryside. I decided to make the distance fit the time, not the time fit the distance. As such, the only plans that couldn’t be changed were fly to Sapporo, fly from Sapporo to Fukuoka, at the other end of the country, September 13, and fly home October 6. Everything in the middle was open. This proved to be fortuitous, as I arrived during an unprecedented heat wave, which lasted almost the entire trip, and my loosely planned daily distances were drastically cut. I only saw about 2/3 of what I planned in Hokkaido. Fortunately, Japan has an extensive rail network, and I just had to put my bike in a “rinko bag’ to take the train back to Sapporo when I ran out of time. Likewise on Kyushu, the southernmost main island, I never planned more than one day ahead as to where I would go.
It’s difficult to compress a 7 week adventure into a couple of paragraphs. There’s too much bouncing around in my brain. For now I’ll leave it here with a couple of teaser photos.
Photo 1- We're off! The sign reads "Japan 2023" on the left, and the right is "day number xx". At the bottom I added "Hello. I'm Ron" That and the flag opened the doors to many enjoyable encounters.
Photo 2- A little of the open Hokkaido countryside
Photo 3- How open? There was so little traffic on the main highway between Teshio and Wakkanai that I had no trouble laying the bike down in the middle of the road to take the shot.
Ok. Need practice with the uploading of photos. They're out of order. But I'll get better!
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What a great adventure.
Thanks for sharing.
Re your mention of posting journals in real time; yes, snap.
My 50+ days on Thailand was fantastic but towards the end I found keeping my journal on Crazy Guy a bit of a pain. Which was strange since I was enjoying my ride there enormously.
I'm in two minds about keeping a journal for my return trip next year.
Here's a link if you're interested:
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/TimetotryThai
Best
Matt
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Great stuff, Ron, a proper and well-deserved retirement gift to yourself!
Good on yer, mate, as we (well, some of us) say in the Ottawa Valley ;)
Looking forward to the next chapter(s).
Cheers, John
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Interestingly enough, Matt and John, you were the two I was thinking about most regarding real time journals.
Instead of a day to day account of the trip, I’m going to start with a few posts about the trip, and Japan, in general.
Part one “Getting there is not half the fun”.
My included baggage allowance for all flights was 2 pieces 23kg each, and that included the bike. Getting everything for the trip into the bike box and one set of 45L panniers shrink wrapped together was a royal pain, not so much for the weight, but the volume. I wound up strapping my helmet to my backpack as carry on. I did get a thumbs up from the ANA baggage staff at the airport, though, when I put the bike box on the scale and it was 23.0kg.
The plan for next trip is to buy a 100L duffel bag from MEC or REI (750g) and use it instead of just the panniers for the checked bag. Then things that go on top of the rack don't have to go in the panniers for the flight. This setup should be easier to carry, too.
Part two “Two panniers are not enough for a seven week camping tour”.
My reasons for the two pannier setup were twofold. Firstly, as per part one, I didn’t want to incur a hefty excess baggage fee. Secondly, Two extra panniers and a front rack equals 3kg added to the bike before you put in the first pair of socks, and I really wanted to keep the weight down. This proved to be a false economy for this trip. The roll top Arkels were so crammed full that:
1: I never really developed a packing system. It was just stuff everything to fit.
2: On the few instances where I bought groceries for supper instead of eating out, I had to carry the grocery bag by hand on the way to the campsite- there was really nowhere to put it.
The plan for next time: Four panniers and find some weight savings somewhere else.
Part three “ Sweat eats bikes”
My trip coincided with a once in a hundred year heatwave that also had 90 percent humidity thrown in for good measure. Never have I sweated so much. The first week I was drinking 10L per day and 250ml was coming out as urine. I didn’t notice the havoc it was causing to the bike until the damage had been done. Every bit of exposed steel ( steerer tube, front fork dropouts, where the paint has worn, tiny scratches ) rusted. My brass bell, polished like a mirror, looked like the Statue of Liberty at the end. The worst thing was when I was reinstalling the fork after having removed it for train travel, and the star nut had rusted out. Luckily, a bike shop was less than a km from the station.
Plan for next time. That’s easy. Rinse off the bike!
Photo 1: All packed and ready to take the train. Carrying the bike, 2 panniers, and the handlebar bag, with a backpack on, was a challenge.
Photo 2: Re assembly in the unmanned train station.
Photo 3: My once gleaming Crane brass bell after a sweat bath
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Ha Ha RonS
Yes packing the bike for my flight was err... fun. But I've now flown x4 times+ so have it down to somewhat of a fine art. But finished up using a cheap duffle bag to bag the panniers and gear. Plus my saddle and seat post to keep the weight down. Of course with Sod's Law, nothing was weighed going out with KLM.
I've had very mixed results with the weight/size issues.
Coming out of Addis Ababa on Turkish Airlines, I was waved through security (!) and check in.
From Sri Lanka, the check in lady smiled, said I looked tired & waved me through the excess baggage section.
In fact I'm trying to think of any flight that gave me hassle. But of course there is going to be a first time - so play safe. It's never good to kick off a tour with hassle before getting onto the flight. There's enough of that with the possibility of flights not connecting or being cancelled.
One of my mottos is; It's not the destination that matters; its the adventure getting there.
Cheers
Matt
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Thanks, Ron.
Those various dilemmas are real enough, for sure, when you're looking at a 7-week camping tour.
My experience with flights has been similar to Matt's, never been checked for weight, either with KLM or Air Canada. But as you say, best to come in under the allowed weight -- not least 'cos you have to carry the stuff!
Depending on the range of terrain and/or weather that you expect to encounter, I'd say that what you need for 3-4 weeks is not so different from what you'd need for 7-8. Amount of food to be carried is a big variable.
I think that my 4-pannier setup would work for you: a pair of Arkel Dry-lites at the back, 2 Dauphins at the front, and a frame bag and handlebar bag. Both the Arkel low-rider at the front at the Tubus Vega at the rear are fairly lightweight (about 565 gms), and robust. If you'd care to pursue the conversation further, by all means send me a PM. And/or we could do a phone call. Are you planning to visit your relative (was it your sister?) in Kemptville anytime soon?
Cheers, John
Cheers, John
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My prose and photos will never match the likes of John Saxby or Simeon, but I hope you will enjoy them.
I enjoyed your description and photos, Ron, a taste of Japan by bicycle, a promise of more to come on your next tour there.
Nobody will match Simeon's photographs, among other reasons because the photo-manipulation software he most likely uses has a steep learning curve even for professional graphic designers, but mainly because he has a unique vision he wants to express, and finds through his camera's viewfinder. As for matching John, a lifelong communicator, I wouldn't even try. You have your own style and it is excellent for what you want to express.
But I'll get better!
Exactly. And when you have refined your existing clear style, a few down the line a new tourer will tell us, "Yes, but don't expect me to write as well as RonS."
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BTW, if you find the keyboard of your phone a bit tight, someone posted here a few years ago about a folding or possibly a rolled-up lightweight Bluetooth keyboard he has. Or you can dictate on most smartphones, just tapping in names not in the dictation memory. Then you copy the text and paste it into your post to the Thorn Forum. Be expensive though in connect time and battery life, as on iPhones you have to leave the connection to the database of your voice at Apple HQ open while you dictate, and presumably the same on Android phones. I routinely use dictation to text (and handwriting to text) on Apple devices, and have for nearly forty years, but have just discovered (in trying it on my Android spare phone used only with some smartwatches i use on my bike) that the process is easier and faster and actually quite smooth in Messages with Google Voice Typing. In both Apple's Notes and Google's Messages, open the keyboard and tap the microphone picon to get dictation to text transcription; you might have to change some settings.
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BTW, if you find the keyboard of your phone a bit tight, someone posted here a few years ago about a folding or possibly a rolled-up lightweight Bluetooth keyboard he has...
Good memory as always, Andre! Here we go...
http://thorncyclesforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=10593.msg76325#msg76325
Best, Dan.
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Thanks, Dan. As always, you're ahead of the curve.
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Andre and Ron, thanks for your kind words. But y'know guys, you'll have to ease off -- otherwise, I'll have to go fullbore "Aw shucks," shuffling my feet and averting my gaze ;)
But more seriously: Ron, Andre's advice is spot-on. Your tale of your grand tour is readable and engaging, and I'll look forward to more of the same.
Cheers, John
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Thanks, Andre, for the suggestion and Dan for the link. John, I will be messaging you with questions about your setup. There’s no urgency as the next grand voyage will probably not happen until next May.
Matt, speaking of security, i have this anecdote. I had read online that patch kit glue tubes are a no no on flights, so I left mine at home. Neither the inspectors at Vancouver nor Tokyo Haneda checked for the glue tube. I purchased a new patch kit in Sapporo, a nice Rema Tip Top unit in a metal box. On the next flight segment I just left it in my toolkit, because 1g of glue in a sealed tube, in a metal box, isn’t going to bring down this 777. The inspector at New Chitose (Sapporo) airport homed in on it like a bloodhound. Being Japan, though, he merely apologized for having to confiscate it. I never did replace it, and the patch kit wasn’t opened for inspection on the trip home, so, the only time an inspector looked for the glue tube, was the only time there actually was one
I’ve got another post or two about Japan in general and then I’ll get into the tour. Promise.
I hope it will be of some use for anyone contemplating a trip there.
Is Japan expensive?
Food: Compared with Canada, USA, or UK, Japan is a relative bargain. The Yen is extremely weak right now. In fact, I could buy 35% more Yen with my Canadian Dollars than when I went in 2018. Currently, ¥1000 will set you back:
CDN $9.10
USD $6.70
AUD $10.60
GBP £5.50
EUR €6.30
Most of my meals were ¥1000 or less. A plate full of scallops was ¥1500. The most expensive meal of the trip was ¥4000 including alcohol. Try getting a plate full of scallops in London for eight Pounds. I have no experience travelling in SE Asia, but, Matt, it seems Thailand is a bargain compared to Japan.
Most grocery items were cheaper than Canada, with the exception of some fruit.
Lodging: Hostels were ¥2500 to ¥3000. Hotels were ¥5000 to ¥13,000. I could have gotten cheaper lodging with a little shopping around. And there lots of accomodations that aren’t on the big booking apps.
Camping:
I spent the biggest portion of the trip in Hokkaido, where camping is a huge pastime for the Japanese people. Camping in Hokkaido is plentiful and inexpensive. Most campsites were ¥500. Almost half were free. Even the free municipal campsites had modern toilet blocks, many with bidet toilets, and large food prep/ washing areas. Almost none had showers, but were located within a 5 minute cycle of an onsen ( hot spring spa ), and most onsen cost about ¥500.
In 42 days of cycling I went without a shower precisely zero days.
Safety:
I recall a story by Dan about starting to lock up his bike in front of a store in an Eastern European village, and being told by the local that they would be offended if he did that, because it meant he didn’t trust them. That, in a nutshell, is Japan. I locked my fully laden bike to something zero times, and I only locked the rear wheel perhaps a dozen times in the trip. I never worried about the bike once.
Japanese drivers are exceptionally courteous. I never had an encounter that I considered too close for comfort. The speed limit in Japan is also a slow 60 km/h everywhere except limited access toll roads.
I’ll leave you with some pics of the places I camped for free, and a typical kitchen station at a campground.
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I’m intrigued by your front rack set up and wondered how it impacts on your steering and/or balance.
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Hi Ian. Hope your tour is continuing well.
There is no front rack. I can see how you could get that impression, though, from the photo in the first post. I'll add add some pics here to make the setup easier to see.
I've got an Arkel handlebar bag, which has an aluminium mounting bracket. See photo 1
My tent is a Nemo bike packing model, with a bag that straps to the handlebars and fills the void between the bar bag and head tube. Photos 2 and 3 hopefully give you an idea of what that looked like.
Lastly, I made 4 grommeted holes in the bottom of the bar bag and cobbled up some elastic tie downs with shock cord and mini carabiners. I then tied a couple of light items to the bottom of the bag. That's photo 4.
I didn't really notice too much detrimental effect on the steering, other than from the weight. In some ways it actually was an improvement. as the tent pushing on the head tube acted as a damper when parking the bike, preventing the front wheel from pivoting violently. Of course, when all that came off, the steering definitely was more sprightly.
Hope this helps.
Re photo 4 shows the bike against a fence in front of a hydroelectric installation. This is a "bridge" according to GoogleMaps. I came from the far side, and that gate wasn't locked. I thought it was open for the local farmers to cross. When I got to this side, though, it was locked up tight. The actual bridge would have meant a 10km detour, so, off came the panniers, over the fence went the bike, on went the panniers, I took the photo, then got the heck out of there. Never did see any police headed there. :)
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Thanks so much for the explanation and photos, Ron. Really appreciate it. Currently I only use an Ortlieb bar bag which, when in lower gears, swings back and forth a bit. I don’t carry much weight in it for that reason. I like the idea of a dampening affect, particularly with low/er weight items.
I’ve a Thorn T bar on my Nomad so I’ll muse over that one today as I ride into Lagos, Portugal.
On a different tangent someone on another forum commented how far ‘behind’ my Carradice Super C’s are from my Rohloff hub. I’ve big feet so heel strike is a consideration. I’d not thought too much about how this affects my frame’s behaviour. I guess after this 3 week ride I’d have noticed if something was seriously wrong.
BTW yep I’ve done the de-pannier, over the fence/gate, re-pannier routine on this trip. Avoiding those huge sheep guarding dogs they have here.
Anyway, thanks again. 🍻
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I have no experience with Ortlieb, but I can tell you that the Arkel mounting system is so secure that the handlebar bag does not move at all. Ever. I think John will second my opinion.
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fantastic report and photos Ron. What a way to celebrate retirement!
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Thank you, Paul, for the kind words. My wife asked me not long after my return if I missed the routine of going to work. Without hesitation, I answered "Not for one second."
As promised, I’ll finally post about the trip.
The first week saw me head east from Chitose, then northwest toward the coast when the temperatures forecast for my planned inland route were for 34 degrees with high humidity. Once at the coast it was an easy task of pointing north until I reached the end of the road. I had with me a “Touring Mapple” road atlas for motorcyclists, which shows all the things needed, such as campsites, onsen, convenience stores, etc. It made it easy to plan the stopping point for the day. I would just find a campground with a nearby onsen. Most onsen were attached to hotel complexes with restaurants, so at the end of the day I would pitch the tent, cycle or walk to the onsen for a scrub and soak, have dinner, then head back to the tent all clean and fed. I think when I take my next tour that’s not in Japan, that will be what I miss the most, the opportunity for a nightly wash and hot tub.
By the end of the week I had reached Wakkanai, the northernmost city in Japan. It would be all south from there….after a ferry ride to the west…..
Photo 1; Arriving to the Sea of Japan coast
Photo 2: View from the free campsite in Shosambetsu. This site also had the onsen highlight of the trip, with west facing floor to ceiling windows, where I relaxed in the hot pool and watched the sun drop into the sea. No picture of that. Cameras are forbidden.
Photo 3: View from the next campsite in Teshio. The silhouette is Rishirifuji, a small version of Mt Fuji, on Rishiri Island. I would soon be riding around its flanks.
Photo 4: Japan has about 3.8 million vending machines, sometimes seemingly in the middle of nowhere. This one would be my only source for drinks in the 75km between Teshio and Wakkanai, as there wasn’t a single store on the whole route.
Note the 2L bottle of tea in the holder. Before I left town I stopped at the convenience store for breakfast, and got chatting with a southbound motorcyclist.
After our chat, he went back into the store, came out with said bottle of tea, and handed it to me, saying "There's no shade and no stores to Wakkanai. Take this." These random acts of kindness would be repeated many times in the weeks ahead.
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Great photos. Ron. What landscapes!
And, the Arkel mounting system is so secure that the handlebar bag does not move at all. Ever. I think John will second my opinion.
Seconded for sure.
In 2012, I did an up-the-Rhine-and-down the Danube tour, from Nijmegen to Vienna. I used my ti-framed Eclipse light tourer, with my Arkel h'bar bag fixed to my handlebars. In Mainz, I went to a bike shop to attend to some derailleur problems. I unhooked my h'bar bag, and the German woman who was the service manager looked at it and said as she stroked the fixing clips (I'm not making this up, BTW), "Ooooohhh -- what's that? We don't have anything like that here."
On lighter tours & overnights, I use lightweight Axiom h'bars bags. For anything longer, the heavier but more functional Arkel goes onto Freddie.
Cheers, John
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Views and colours to die for.
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Sounds and looks fantastic. Great photos.
I'd recommend Crazyguyonabike for a blog. I kept one over most of my 12 week tour this year.
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=3d2&doc_id=24869&v=1Y
You need a routine. I used a tablet and a phone.
Type the text in Google docs - it's easier to edit and spell check.
On the tablet
Export your planned route from Komoot.
Copy the URL for the actual route from Strava
Create the new page on crazyguy
Upload the Komoot gpx file
Paste the Straval URL
Paste the text from Google docs
On the phone
Upload the photos
It took me about 20 - 30 minutes per day
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Thanks, Andy, for the tips and link to your journal.
I could relate to the title, as Hokkaido is the dairy capital of Japan, and my quest of a daily ice cream or gelato was similar to yours.
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Week two saw me going in somewhat of a circle, ending in Teshio, where I had been the day before Wakkanai. The reason for this is, in a senior moment, I had left the pouch containing my charging cords there. I could have just replaced most of them, but, my camera is an older model without in camera charging, and the charger for it is now both expensive and hard to find. After ascertaining that said pouch was still there, (of course it was. It’s Japan.) I plotted a course that would take me back there and then back to the original route with only about 20km of route repetition.
But first, I was off to Rishiri Island, home to about 5000 residents, and a Michelin rated ramen restaurant! It also has a 35km car free cycling road with spectacular ocean and mountain views. After returning to the mainland, I spent the next three days circling back to Teshio via Cape Soya, the northernmost point in Japan, Sarufutsu, and Hamatonbetsu.
Photo 1: I took six ferries while in Japan, and each time it was carefully secured by the crew.
Photos 2 and 3: The Rishiri Island cycle road, complete with official highway number designation.
Photo 4: Just another traffic free Hokkaido highway. I think maybe a dozen vehicles passed me in 60km. The arrows above the road, present on most highways in Hokkaido, are for drivers to locate the road edge in winter. Even though the northern tip of Japan is as far south as Grenoble, France, it is directly downwind from Siberia, and gets some of the heaviest snowfalls in the world.
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The pictures are wonderful.
As is you description of the tour.
Re navrig's tips on Crazy Guy journal keeping; I followed a very similar method.
However after 40+ days I began to tire of the effort.
It became a job I 'had' to do at the end of every day.
Discipline is essential.
Not sure if you've seen my Thai tour journal?
https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/TimetotryThai
Very much looking forward to hearing and seeing more about your trip
Matt
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Thanks, Matt. Yes, I have checked out your blog.
At the end of each day, after my hot spring soak, I enjoyed returning to the tent, strapping on the headlamp (sunset comes very early in Japan, even in summer) and making my paper journal entry. Other than a short Instagram post for family and friends, I had very little screen time. My iPad actually spent almost the entire trip packed in the pannier.
Discipline is essential.
You need a routine.
Discipline and routine are some of the things I tend to “forget at home” when I go on cycle trips, so I suspect that I will remain blog free in the future, as far as maintaining an up to date journal
Back to the trip!
Week three started with an enforced rest day. Enforced by the Teshio campground manager! When I retrieved the charging cables that they had kept for me, I said I would be staying the night. “Rider house?” asked the manager. Rider houses are bare bones accommodation in Hokkaido. They’re usually just an indoor space to lay down your own bedding, great for not having to camp in bad weather. “I’ll just camp” I replied. “You take rider house. Big rain tonight” he said. I at first thought he wanted to “upsell” me, so I asked how much the rider house was. “¥200” was the reply. You read that right. An indoor space to lay my head for less than 2 Canadian Dollars. The tent site was ¥400. He definitely was more concerned with my well being than making a profit. “Two nights?” he asks. I reply that one night is good. “No ride tomorrow. Big storm!” he admonishes.
And he was right indeed. In the middle of the night I awoke to the trailer positively shuddering in the wind and the rain beating on the roof, and it continued until the late afternoon. I spent much of the time soaking in the onsen that overlooked the campsite, watching the storm through the floor to ceiling windows.
On my rest day I also realized that I would not have time to see all of the areas in Hokkaido that I had planned, so I plotted a route that would include a train ride. This allowed me to see the area I had skipped at the beginning of the tour because of the heat, and make it back to Sapporo in time for my next flight.
After leaving Teshio (with charging cords!) my route took me to overnight stays at Otoineppu, Esashi, Omu, Yubetsu and Ozora. I then bagged the bike and took the train to Furano.
I must recount my lunch experience one day, just one more example of the kindness from the Japanese people. I stopped at the michi no eki (roadside rest area) in Omu for lunch. Most of these rest stops, and there are over 1000 of them throughout the country, have restaurants and stores attached. I didn’t spot a restaurant at this one, however, there was a vending machine outside that appeared to dispense hot food. Wrong. Out popped a frozen margherita pizza. I figured there must be a place inside to heat it up, as I saw people at tables eating hot meals, so inside I went. Turns out there was a cafe inside, I just didn’t see it, and the vending machine food was to take home and cook. “There’s no place to heat the food” the nice cafe lady says, so I thank her and turn to head out. “Chotto” she says, loosely translated as “just wait a minute”, and she takes my pizza and goes to talk to the lady at the tourist info booth. A good 3 or 4 minutes pass with them in conversation, then she returns with another “chotto” and disappears up the stairs, where I think there are offices. Five minutes later she reappears, sans pizza, and says it’ll be about 15 minutes, please have a seat. I realize this lady from the cafe has taken the pizza I hadn’t bought from her and spent 10 minutes finding someone to bake it for me! Then, when she brought me the perfectly cooked ‘zza, she gave me a cup of coffee to go with it!
This wasn’t the first, nor would it be the last, of these experiences.
Photo 1: My ¥200 per night shelter from the storm, which I had all to myself.
Photo 2: The Teshiogawaonsen train station. To catch the train from this tiny unmanned station, just push the button that sends a signal for the train to stop, otherwise it just carries on.
Photo 3: Part of the 35km cycling road into Abashiri
Photo 4: Gas spewing from an active volcano near Biei
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Week four. Where has the time gone? I finished my time in Hokkaido by returning to Chitose, where the adventure began, and spent the next few days packing the bike for plane travel and playing tourist in Sapporo. I then flew to Fukuoka on Kyushu. I spent a day in Fukuoka unsuccessfully trying to line up a bike box for my flight home while waiting for the 2330 overnight ferry to Goto Island. I spent the next three days there, a place about as far off the beaten tourist path as you can find.
Photo 1: The old highway between Asahikawa, and Fukagawa, which has been converting to a bike trail.
Photo 2: My first “wild camping” of the trip. It was a Saturday night and the commercial campground was full, so I just rode to the next town and pitched the tent beside the michi no eki. It wasn't really “wild “as although the restaurant and store close at 6 PM, the toilets are open 24 hours per day, and it was only two blocks to the onsen for my nightly soak.
Photos 3 and 4: Some of the quaint fishing villages on Goto Island.
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I’ll finish off my Japan story with this post. Warning. It's a long one because there's a story at the end I feel compelled tell.
After visiting Fukue Island, part of the Goto Island chain, I ended my cycling portion of the trip by making my way from Nagasaki to Onomichi. There, I met my daughter, who had come from Canada and rented a bike, and we spent the next few days riding the Shimanami and Tobishima Kaido cycling routes, ending in Hiroshima, where I boxed and stored the bike and panniers for my flight home.
Now to the story from my very first day on the road, which became a recurring theme on this trip, the kindness of strangers.
The first afternoon, I was sitting at the ice cream shop, perusing my Touring Mapple and enjoying my Matcha soft cream, deciding where to go for the evening. I did not want to go too much further as I was not yet used to the heat and humidity. From behind I heard “Excuse me.” I turned around and there was a Japanese lady wearing a kimono. She said “My friend is having a festival in his backyard. Would you like to come?” When she showed me where it was, it turned out to be about 14 km back where I had come from, but it was an opportunity not to be passed up. I figured I could just come back to this town (Naganuma) in the evening as there was both a campground and onsen nearby, so I proceeded to go to the festival and spend the afternoon there, having a wonderful time. As darkness started to fall. I bid my farewell and headed back towards Naganuma. I was following farm roads, however, I wasn't paying attention to the map as my phone battery was almost dead. I was just checking it every now and then. Oops! I was zigging when I should've been zagging. As a result, did not get into Naganuma until after 8 o'clock expecting to have been there at seven. I decided to just have a quick bite from the convenience store and head to the campground. When I got to the campground there was a notice on the door….“Office closed 7:30.”
By this time I was tired, hot, and covered in sweat. I just decided to find a piece of grass to pitch my tent and deal with things in the morning. I hadn't made it more than 50 meters when seven Japanese children descended on me, all yelling at the same time! My knowledge of Japanese is limited to little more than telling people that I cannot speak Japanese, in Japanese, which I proceeded to do. When one of the parents finally came over, I explained to her that I couldn't speak Japanese, that I was from Canada and spoke English. “English” she says, and calls over one of the other parents. It turns out he could speak English. When I explained my predicament he just said “You can just camp with us!” I thought “What a wonderful gesture” and took him up on his offer. It turned out that there were three families camping there together using two of the cabins at the campground. After pitching my tent he said “We are on our way to the onsen, would you like to come along?” A good cleaning and hot tub after a day in the saddle. What’s not to like? A trip to the onsen and a free lesson in onsen etiquette. When we returned to the campground they put the children to bed and said ”It's time for us to eat now.” And out came the yakitori (Japanese version of shish kebab), sashimi (raw fish), freshly made tofu, sake…..you get the idea. We spent until midnight, talking and eating wonderful food and drink until the jet lag caught up to me and I finally had to sleep. In the morning they fed me breakfast and sent me on my way, with gifts. Talk about an introduction to Japanese culture and the kind Japanese people.
Photo 1: Sunset on the causeway leaving the Kumamoto ferry.
Photo 2: The 4.1km Kurushima Kaikyo bridge at the end of the Shiminami Kaido cycling route.
Photo 3: The “floating” torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine near Hiroshima.
Photo 4: The Kintaikyo bridge, also near Hiroshima.
That’s it! I hope you enjoyed it.
I already have hatched a plan for a tour next May, but that’s for another post…..
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Thank you for sharing, Ron. It was almost like riding along with you, seeing your photographs and reading your description of your tour. I can hardly wait for your next tour.
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Brilliant, Ron! The kindness of strangers, indeed. Long may it last :)