Day 33 & 34 - Moving towards Kyushu, Feeling Close to Home!

27/9

My sleeping place was decided on a wimp, I want to the peace park again and slept there on a bench in front of the dome that is famous for having survived the nuclear bombing. I woke up early and I had a very long day in front of me, some 200 km and it wasn't flat at all..

But for the first time during the trip I felt like I was finally moving towards the end. And although Fukuoka isn't the last stop I was stoked to be able to see Ayana in a few days. According to my original plan the trip I was to undertake was over two days, but I was determined to reach Shimonoseki, the last city on Honshu before Kyushu.

The first 40 km were so easy, I made great speed, and I'm sure I got to Iwakuni before the cars because there was so much traffic, but I easily reached 40 km/t and it was very different from the last couple of days.

The route I took for the next 90 km was mountains and not much fun at all. I decided to change the route, adding 10 km, but I like to believe it was a better choice, I covered it pretty quickly either way.

But the sun decided to come back and I think it was 33 degrees at some point. I was not really used to it with all the rain I had been going through and it was difficult, but the idea of a long break in Fukuoka kept me from taking too many breaks. Some 16 hours after departing I got to see the bridge that would lead me to Kyushu. Or rather I would have to take the tunnel under the strait, but same thing for me really.

Ayana had told me about the rain that was falling in Fukuoka, and it sounded terrible, but it wouldn't reach me until some hours so I hurried all I could to the bridge. I could see the thunder from afar and the night scenery was so beautiful! Like a scene taking from the last boss battle in a game! I wasn't looking forward to the rain though. I had two choices, just continue through the rain, or stop and rest until the thunderstorm moved on. I chose the last. The next day would be close to 100 km and I needed the rest. I slept on a bench in the building where the tunnel was, and the rain already started once I got to the other side.

Distance: 213 km.
Time: 10.15 hours

28/9

Waking up at 3 am I packed and then went on towards Fukuoka and of course to Ayana!! Finally the day where I would see her again, 8 months where the last one has been especially tough!!

I went early because the rain wasn't as strong, and thankfully I made it without too many wrong turns and I didn't get a flat!!! Amazing, haha. After 4.30 long hours I got to the station and got the address and then I went home to Ayana. I can't describe how happy I am to see her. It is going to suck so bad when I have to leave here on the 5th, but I need to finish what I started.

My plan says I need to go 3800 km or something, but I can already see that it will be way more. Despite the fact that I didn't go to Nikko and that I will skip Nagasaki too. I most have done a lot detours and sightseeing, haha. But I still have to go to the most southern part, Cape Sata. And I also have to go to APU, a university on the way there where I know someone. And not to forget, I'll swing by Ayana's dad's place and apologize for stealing his daughter. Oh boy!

The last couple of days made me realize how far I have come. Not just on this journey, but in life too. I'm not sure I consider myself a grown up, I can't say I believe in growing up, we just get wiser, but I'm ready to start a new part of my life after this trip. Maybe that's growing up, maybe it's just what happens, but I'm still looking forward to it with the eager you see in kids and young minded alike.

The next week will be spent visiting friends, going places and preparing for the next part of the trip. And I need to find the courage to battle the mountains of Kyushu... I'll make it happen!

Distance: 93 km.
Total distance: 3433 km
Time: 4:30 hours
Condition: feeling pretty damn good!
Quote: if home is where the heart is then I have been going in the right direction.

Day 31 & 32 - Imabari Laziness, Cycling Paradise and Hiroshima!

25/9

I woke up and wanted to get down from the mountain village I stayed in. First I had to climb the last bit though, but the way down was amazing! Love when it's down mountain/hill, but it inevitably means, at least for me who is doing long distance biking that I will have to go up again. 

It started raining and I wrapped my stuff up and continued. After 100 km I reached Imabari, the city just before the bridges that would lead me back to the main island, Honshu. The trip was long and my legs felt heavy, but I made it in somewhat good time. 

The rain got really bad and after eating tons of food near the station. (Went to two different restaurants), I decided to go to a spa. I stayed there for 9 hours, bathing, reading manga, sleeping and eating again. 

At 00:00, after thinking a lot and looking at maps, blogs and weather forecasts, I made a decision. I would go on to the bridges tonight. It didn't rain, but I had 6 hours before it would start again. 

The first 3 islands where easy, although the way to the first one was a bit tricky. When I got to the third island it was already 03:00. I decided to go slow and maybe catch a good view of the islands and bridges, but it soon started raining. 

Oh yeah, the rain by the way. I was kind of annoyed at the weather forecasts, but what can you so do, eh. On the fourth island I thought I might as well sleep a couple more hours and so I did. I would wake up, take the two last islands, get the view and be better rested. Although I slept some hours in the spa, riding in the dark makes you sleepy. 

26/9

When I woke up it was still raining and I just went on without doing much else than dreaming of my next big stop in Fukuoka. 

On the last island I had to take the world's shortest ferry ride. And for 70 yen. I'm not even kidding. I could throw my shoe to the other shore with the right wind conditions.

Then I ate breakfast and biked on. I took a detour not wanting to go through the mountains,
It turned out the trip wasn't that difficult and the 30 something extra kilometers were easy to finish. I felt great and I could have continued further, but okonomiyaki, a food pancake with whatever you want, was waiting for me. 

I went to a convenience store and there an old man and his family talked to me. The usual questions and then I was told that he did a trip around Hokkaido. He told me he was young back then and I ensured him he was still capable of doing a similar trip despite his age.

I didn't expect to be approached by someone in the city like that. I already felt a good vibe from Hiroshima. And the city is very awesome. Nice size, not overcrowded and a good city center. 

In the peace park I found out that I had a flat.... but wait, it was on the front tire!!
I just wrote about the fact that it's always the back tire... but as it turned out the front tire is easy to get on and off. No problem. 

In the park a met a guy who has been living here for over 14 years. He is originally from Germany, but lives here in Japan with his wife. He wanted to help me if I needed a bike store, and I'll go to it tomorrow and get spare tubes. 

Of course he knew about the city in ways tourists or people just passing through can't possibly know. I gave them my blogspot so if you're reading this I want to thank you again for helping out, I love that about traveling and meeting people!

I went for a public bath and then ate okonomiyaki, (the place I was suggested was unfortunately closed). 

Now I'm wondering how to spent the night, I might take some hours at a manga café or something like that. Tomorrow morning I'll go see the castle and maybe some other things if I feel like it. 

But tomorrow I'll also try to get as far as possible to Fukuoka. The trip feels like it will end there, but I also know that it isn't the case. I just can't wait to have some days with friends and of course my lovely girlfriend who is waiting patiently for my arrival. It won't be on a white horse, but a dead beat bike and a ton of baggage. Let's see how far I can take it tomorrow. Again, want to stay longer in Hiroshima, but time is money and I will definitely come back here again, no doubt. Top 5 of the cities so far.

Distance: 100 km.
Distance 2: 190 km.
Time in total covering both: 15 hours
Condition: loving the cool vibe in Hiroshima!
Quote: peace is free.

Day 30 - On to Shikoku!

24/9

After sleeping really well in the station I packed my stuff and left for Wakayama where I was to take the ferry to Shikoku. 

I made good speed although it was a bit hilly. I reached the city around 9, having been on the road for about 3 hours or something. 

Just before reaching the terminal I noticed that my back tire (oh I kid you not...!) was missing air. I hoped that it just needed some air, but thought it more likely to be punctured. While we're on the subject I have been wondering why it's always the back tire. It's the most annoying to change and you would think it would be the front tire to hit things first, right?

I could've changed it while waiting on the ferry, but I wanted to relax instead so I went to the waiting room. There, two older men talked to me and we had a good conversation about my current situation. They were kind of impressed. 

I went on the ferry and slept for the entire ride. After arriving in Tokushima I changed the tube. In front of the entire group of passengers waiting to take the bus. But I didn't care, haha. 

Then I made slow progress through the city where the traffic lights and a surprisingly good amount of cars made it difficult to go faster. I liked Tokushima though. Interesting city from the looks of it. 

I had 170 km to go, I already did 70 km, but because of the tire and the time the ferry trip took I couldn't make it before it got too dark to ride over the mountain pass. I could, but decided not to. I'm now sitting in a station where there is a closed 7-eleven and free WiFi. And I went to a public bath too. Nice! 

It's Saturday and almost everything is closed. No drunk people in the streets and the city is very quiet. I'll try to sleep here in the station, but first: the hunt for dinner begins. 

Distance: 150 km
Time: 7 h
Condition: glad to have showered.
Quote: forward I'll go no matter what.

Day 29 - From Osaka to Nara.. and then some.

23/9

I woke up after getting not much more than a couple of hours of sleep, but I didn't want to spend more money on the mange café so I went sightseeing very early in the morning. So early that the people trying to get customers to their store still stood the same place as yesterday. It was 3:30..

I went to all the places you go to in Osaka, and then I made preparations for today's trip to Nara. I would have to cross a mountain range, but I chose the best place to cross and hoped for the best. I really wanted to go to Nara.

The rain was falling steady without it being a shower, haha. I went on and hoped that the rain would stop once I reached Nara. It didn't take long to go the 55 km. And getting there was not as hard as I had feared. 

Once in Nara I went to see many shrines and temples and gates and I spent some time with the infamous Shika deers. They were not that bad, especially if you don't have the biscuits. When do people ever learn? 

Having spent 5 hours of sightseeing I thought about my next move. There was approximately 100 km to Wakayama, the next big city where I was to take the ferry to Shikoku. But I thought it would be easier to go some of the way and then gain some more time in the end. I have learned that when you have time, energy and nice weather then you better be working the bike otherwise you'll regret it.

Now, I got a good 50 km. before I wanted to take a longer break and recharge my phone. I found a MacDonald and sat there for some time. 

Suddenly I heard someone saying excuse me in my direction. I always go to the Mac without buying something there because I don't like to eat there so I was sure that they wanted to ask me to leave. But it turned out to be someone sitting at a table on the other side. She is from South Africa and teaches English in town. I was kind of surprised about meeting a non-Japanese all the way out here, but thought it must be a nice experience for her. 

I left in order to find something to eat and I wanted to look around for a place to sleep. After eating a feast at a set menu place in the mall, I met the girl again. Her name is Yentel and we talked for hours about being in Japan, being a foreigner in Japan and so on. 

We also talked about many other things and I wish I could stay longer, but I needed to sleep so I went to the station which didn't lock for the night and I slept very comfortably.

Tomorrow's plan is to cross Shikoku, let's see how that plays out. 

Distance: 105 km
Time: 6:30
Condition: ready to sleep!
Quote: as you think so shall you become

Day 28 - Here We Go, Osaka!

22/9

Today was visiting friends in Osaka day. Though most of them didn't really live in Osaka City, haha! I went to Osaka University Campus in Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture... And it was in the mountains alright. Not too difficult to get to though, but the location surprised me. I met up with Tau and Arisa, my kouhais, hehe. And then they showed me around on the campus.

I must say, I am most excited to hear about their stories and I can't wait to see how their stay will turn out. Very interesting! 

After that I went to meet Cory and his wife. I was very much looking forward to that as well, it's been 3 years since we parted ways in Fukuoka and many things have happened since then! We ate a huge lunch and spent much time talking about everything. They were very kind to me too and I wish I could've stayed longer. 

But I had one more friend to visit. Saya who went to Copenhagen university 1 year ago as an exchange student. It was really good to see her again and we talked a lot over late dinner in a.. Hmm.. Cute restaurant...? The food was good, but I'll never go there alone that's for sure, hahaha! 

Now, after walking in the rain and getting all my things wet again, (just the bags, don't worry so much!!!), I went to E Street, a really funky place, found a manga cafe and settled in for the night! 

Today felt short and I didn't do much besides talking. Felt great meeting all those people though! Tomorrow sightseeing and Nara and more sightseeing!

Cheers! 

Distance: 70 km
Time: 4.20 h
Condition: Feeling the Osaka vibe!
Quote: Oh hey rain, you were not missed!

Day 27 - Goodbye Kyoto, Hello Osaka

21/9

I woke up and went to the Golden pavilion, one of the most famous landmarks in Kyoto from early morning, although I have been there before, I thought that since it was so close I might as well go and get a traditional Japanese experience. But of course there were too many tourists to be able to enjoy the atmosphere.

I was asked by a group of school kids from Tokyo to answer some questions in English and while talking to me I heard what they said in Japanese. Oh, if only they knew I could understand them... I wish they knew that. And not just them, but most Japanese. They don't see it as an option and therefore they end up saying whatever they think without filtering it, haha. Almost always interesting.

I went to the dormitory where my friends stayed and played smash brothers with Kasper. Then I washed my clothes and watched sumo on the tv. Great. After spending the entire day in their ihouse I got a taste once again of the great life there and I really wish I could go back to the time I lived in Fukuoka. But the trip must go on!

The entire day was quickly spent doing nothing special and we went to eat all-you-can-eat yakiniku (meat BBQ). It was amazing of course. The Danish students and some of their dorm friends joined and we had a blast. after that I packed my stuff, said goodbye and went on to Osaka. And this is where you reached the present time in my post. I'm looking for a place to sleep while updating the blog.

Tomorrow it's sightseeing and visiting friends in Osaka and hopefully getting a bit of rest before the next few days of bike madness begins. From Osaka to Fukuoka through Shikoku is where I don't know anyone and so I might do this part faster than I planned out. Let's see how well I do in Shikoku.

I would like to thank Kasper for helping me out while I stayed here, it was really great! Enjoy your time and best of luck, my friend!

Distance: 35 km
Time: 2.20
Condition: not hungry
Quote: more meat, please!

Day 26 - Typhoon in Kyoto!

20/9

I felt like I needed more sleep when I awoke from my sleep in the manga cafe. Because I'm charged every new hour I made haste and got out of there as early as possible. Not many things are open at 05:00. I needed more sleep so I went to a public space in Kyoto station after getting my bike at the dormitory where my friends live. 

And it was raining a lot.. Biking with an umbrella was a new experience for me and I can't say I like it. But since I have to care about things getting wet I had but little choice. Yesterday I did it without and it worked because almost everything was dry in my bags, almost. 

After getting more sleep I went to the manga museum and my expectations were sky high. I have read several articles from one of the professors at the university who is behind the museum and I must say I wasn't disappointed. Very good information and critical of many problems when addressing manga as a medium. 

There were a lot of things worth seeing and after concluding the exhibitions I went to the cafe inside the museum. The food wasn't enough and not really worth the price, but I had to eat and I wasn't finished with my stay there. (It was still raining). 

I had a nice experience though, the Japanese woman sitting next to me dared a question and we were talking for more than 20 minutes about whatever. It was in English though. I thought she picked the language since she engaged the conversation, but later I admitted I was able to speak Japanese too. Oh well. 

I went to the relaxing room where fat boys and comfy chairs made reading manga much more comfortable. And I stayed there for more than 6 hours reading manga and sleeping. So nice! But I noticed a lot of people where looking at me. Not because I was sleeping, so many other people did so too, but they were writing something. Or drawing maybe? I didn't know and I still don't know. But I like to think they were drawing people in there, haha. 

After finally getting myself worked up to leave the place I went through the streets of Kyoto to the dormitory, played some video games, ate some dinner and now I'm looking for a place to sleep. 

Distance: 25 km. 

Time: 2 hours

Condition: still kind of tired. 

Quote: you are living life now. (Saw it at a temple, thought it made sense and then I thought some more about it.) good times. 

Day 25 - A Small Change of Plans

19/9

Waking up this morning I realized that I had made a dinner event in Kyoto and it was today.. I messed up the dates and I'm really sorry! But I changed the event as fast as 7-eleven's WiFi permitted and hope that no damage was done.

I decided to go to Kyoto today though and there are many reasons. First of all it's raining and it will continue the next 4 days. So going through the mountains to Iga is not my favorite scenario. And I have friends in Kyoto and another typhoon is coming so Kyoto is the safer choice.

I made really good speed and shorten my breaks a bit too, although I really didn't have to because I made such great speed. And although it was raining I thought little of it, my stuff would be somewhat dry and if not I wasn't really going to use it in Kyoto anyway.

I thought a lot about what to do with Nara and Osaka and in what order I should go where. But I decided to do Osaka after Kyoto if it rains too much to go for a day trip to Nara from Kyoto. I really want to go, but the weather has to be nice because I have to be outside in Nara all day if I want to see the temples and parks which Nara is famous for.

Although I made the decision to go to Kyoto because I didn't want to ride my bike in the mountains it didn't mean that there were no mountains on the way to Kyoto.. I made good speed even there though! And getting back in Kyoto after 3 years was nice. I really like this city, I don't know why. The atmosphere is just... special. I walked in the rain here earlier with my ipod, listening to relaxed music and it was just right!

I have friends here in Kyoto and I ate dinner with one of them and his friend. After that we went back to their dormitory and played Smash Brothers. (Nice! ) And now I'm listening to the thunder storm outside from a manga cafe. I wonder how tomorrow's weather will be!

Distance: 168 km
Time: 7.30 h
Condition: Feeling good!
Quote: Wait.. I didn't get lost today even once?!

Day 24 - A Rainy Day in Good Company

18/9

So waking up in the parking lot and knowing that most of the day was going to be relaxed was really appreciated, but I was also wondering a lot about when to leave. And it isn't easy leaving, especially when the next two days will have a serious lack a familiar faces.. I can't wait till I reach Kyoto. 

Samar met me halfway to the parking lot and we went for breakfast. It was a pretty nice cafe and we sat there for almost two hours until the dormitory opened and I could log in as a guest. And I kind of felt at home there. I wished I could stay in a place like that just once more, but I'm afraid the experience in Fukuoka ruined everything for me. I will undoubtedly compare and get disappointed.

After chilling, getting lunch and doing laundry we went to a bike shop and I got some things fixed. It wasn't free, but it was done well and I have to sown some money on it once in a while. Better that than standing in the mountains with a problem that can't be fixed. 

After that Samar took the bus with some people from the I-house and went to the festival. I got my bike from the store, packed my stuff and went in the same direction. 

I was told by the staff in the store that I had raised the saddle higher than recommended, and I could do nothing but look at the kind store clerk and say: "that can't be helped, really." The bike is too small and I can't lower the saddle without considering the damage it would do to my legs and my back, so for now I'm keeping it like this. 

It was raining lightly as I went the 10 minutes to the festival. It was quite big, lots of people and food stands, dancing and a big stage. But no temple, shrine or anything. I think they just wanted to have a festival maybe, but the weather wasn't compliant at all. I found the others and we enjoyed the different food and drinks. The festival was to end with a firework show. It was amazing, but the rain was getting worse and since we only had one umbrella which we kind of burrowed, (I'm sorry, Ben!), we couldn't quite fit in beneath it. 

After the show we said goodbye and I went to my almost dry bike with my almost dry bag and went looking for a better place to wait out the rain. 

After a while I departed towards a city near the outskirts of Nagoya, but decided to sleep in Nagoya port park. I wasn't alone. I saw 30 cats hiding different places from the rain and at least 3 other people were sleeping on benches like me. Haha! 

The mosquitos were really active, but I managed and slept relatively well. Let's see what happens tomorrow. 

I really hope that Samar will go to Fukuoka to meet us, if it doesn't happen then I hope to see her again soon. It is amazing that 3 years has gone by and it still feels like we live in the old i-house and no time passed at all. Friends are amazing and I'm lucky to have been able to meet so many through my life so far.

My trip here still feels unreal. I meet people I know, people I don't know. I try new things and remember old memories. I live from day to day, sometimes from your to hour. And I'm only bound by my own stubbornness to reach my goal, Sata Mizaki, the most southern part of Kyushu. I have to bike, I want to bike, but I don't want injuries, getting drenched or putting myself in situations were I can't come back. 

But that all happens, and that is a part of this trip and a part of life. I don't know the outcome of this trip or some of the decisions I make while I'm here, but I hope that I can have the best, craziest, toughest and most memorable trip ever and that it will inspire me to push my boundaries, and sometimes my luck, so that I can live everyday and not regret what I didn't do. 

Distance: 25 km.

Time: 1.30

Condition: tired of mosquito bites.. 

Quote: just shoot all the firework off at the same time and let us go home!

 

Day 23 - Nagoya sightseeing and Nostalgia

17/9

So the manga cafe wasn't the most.. Comfortable place to sleep. But morning it was and we had things to do so we checked out and went to the station and locked my luggage in a locker. It wasn't the best weather, but still hot and we were kind of lazy, but we went to the castle and it was nice. Must be the biggest castle I have visited yet, and it was kind of cheap for all the things you could see in there.

I have been kind of disappointed with Nagoya so far. I don't know, maybe I just didn't go to the right places, but I'm not sure I will return here unless I find something I really want to see.

So we went back to where Samar lives and it remained me a lot of our time in Fukuoka.. I really am grateful for the time I had 3 years ago, and staying here for a day has made me remember how it was like in our I-House.

Tonight's dinner was going to be kind of special. I heard that there was a katsudon challenge, 6 portions, 30 minutes. I thought it was possible, but the time limit was going to be tough. I sat down and although I went with Samar and her friends we couldn't sit at the same table. There were a lot of people in the restaurant too and the couple sitting next to me was very impressed that I took on the challenge. We talked a lot too, very kind people and they cheered on me.

Half way through the dish and I was getting full. I tried my best and with 5 minutes left I was almost sure I could take it, but suddenly I felt like I simply couldn't eat anymore. I was like 15 spoons from finishing, but the time ran out and I was about to burst..

I ended up finishing the dish, but I couldn't walk and I had to use the bathroom facilities before going home. This is the second time I ate so much that I couldn't contain it and I wonder if all this traveling as made me weaker when it comes to eating a lot of food. But I'll take it next time for sure. I was so close!

The couple said they might be visiting Denmark and I got their business card and contact information. I hope that when I'm done with the trip I have all these new friends and contacts. That would be awesome, I think.

We went back to the I-house and talked for a couple of hours and I planned what I will do the next couple of days. There is another typhoon (it has to stop soon, please) coming and the rain its pushing in front of it is hitting Nagoya area now.

So tomorrow there will be a festival and after that I'll make my way through Nagoya city to the mountains and Iga, the ninja village. I might have to bike in the rain, but I'll like to stick to my schedule and once I'm in Kyoto the typhoon doesn't really matter.

I slept in a parking lot because there are visitor hours and couldn't stay, but it wasn't too bad! Tomorrow I'll also go to a bike store and get maintenance done.
Pictures from the food challenge will come on Facebook soon!

Distance: none biked.
Time:---
Condition: tired and still full!
Quote: this is just stupid silly. There is too much food!

Day 22 - On to Nagoya!

16/9

So this morning I woke up and the best morning feast I have had on the entire trip so far was waiting for me. I was about ready to leave around 9.30, a bit late, but I thought the trip today was very easy so it didn't matter all that much.

I said goodbye to the couple I stayed with after thanking them for everything they had done for me. I am truly grateful for everything they had done for me! I had a slow start and I couldn't quite figure out where I was supposed to go through the mountains when I met this old man who was out for a power walk. He asked me if I wanted help and we talked while waking to the road I was looking for. That took about 40 minutes though..

I love talking with people here, but doing so also takes time from my schedule and since it gets dark fast here it's not always a good idea to just forget everything and keep the conversation going.

But today I talked to so many people. In front of the stores I meet people all the time. The most special encounter happened today. Three guys who are touring the world with their rickshaw from Asakusa, Tokyo. They want to be part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony and they will go to Europe. They are really awesome and I wish them the best of luck!

I was really late for meeting Samar, the friend of mine who I studied with in Fukuoka 3 years ago, but we managed to get a Taxi and get to the station before the last train. We wanted to stay at a manga cafe and go sightseeing tomorrow. This part of the city is really boring and I hope we will find something more interesting tomorrow. A little disappointed...

Distance: 178 km.
Time: 9.30 H
Condition: Tired, but it is already 5 am...
Quote: Trucks are stupid!

Day 21 - From Tokyo through Shizuoka!

15/9

I woke up and found out that I wasn't the only one sleeping in the park this morning. I had taken the best place, of course. Actually, last night a couple came close to the small bench where I was about to go to sleep and I don't know if they wanted to use it or if they were just curious, but in the end I slept there and I slept well. 

The rain didn't come during the night so I kind of felt like I need to prepare myself for an all day shower. I strapped everything, wrapped my raincoat around my bag and ventured out! The roads where plentiful and getting the right one was a problem once again. Signs are not good enough, the bike roads are a mess and if you have to cross a river, another road or the tracks then you have to do it in a car because bikes are not allowed on many of the bridges. It's like they were too lazy to add the extra space for pedestrians and bikes.. 

But when that is all said and done I managed to make good time. The people I was to stay with asked if I could be there at 15:00. It's not impossible, but adding eating breaks and getting lost once in a while makes it less manageable. I arrive at around 17:30 which is okay, I guess.

I was really excited for this part, going through Hakone, a really cool place with lots of mountains and of course the favorite of them all: Mt. Fuji. But today's weather had other plans and all though I had sun it was from the wrong side and all the clouds gathered around Fujisan.. I got to see some of the peak, but that was it. Most of the time it just looked like a wall of clouds.. 

The climb wasn't as tough and luckily I hadn't forgotten how to ride the bike. But it is so heavy with the bags on, it is unbelievable.. I will fix this in Nagoya, I have to! 

I saw many interesting things today, raced with some school kids and thought about the things I had missed while staying in Tokyo. More things I didn't miss were present than things I missed though, haha. 

As I came closer to the address I ran into the guy on the street 300 m from their house. I thought it was very nice that he came to greet me, but I wondered for how long he had been standing there waiting. Turned out he just arrived and I didn't feel so bad about arriving kind of late compared to what I wanted to do. 

The people I'm staying with are so nice. They have a small restaurant and the food was delicious and there was a lot. Like too much. But that's how it is here. If you keep eating they keep making more. But my Danish upbringing is telling me to finish what is put in front of me. Talk about culture crash alright. 

Sushi, crab, tempura, yakionigiri and some other things I didn't get the name on was consumed in a fashionable manner. I ate until there was nothing on the table and told them that I couldn't possibly eat anymore and not an hour later I was presented with a midnight snack, green tea and club soda. I will get too used to eating a lot if I stayed here for too long, haha. 

Oh, and we went to onsen, hot spa, and of course it was amazing as always. I can't describe how grateful I am that they wanted me to stay at their place. We talked, played board games and watched television until it was 00:00.

Tomorrow I'll go 160 km. Nagoya is the destination and there, Samar, my friend from my exchange time in Fukuoka, is waiting for me. We'll be sightseeing the next day after staying at a manga cafe downtown. If it is going to rain then please do it in 3 days time, I don't have time to deal with rain tomorrow. 

Distance: 160 km.

Time: 8:30 hours

Total distance: 2061!!! I reached 2000 km. This is more than half way done. Unless I get lost. Everyday. 

Condition: That good kind of sleepy where you know you'll fall asleep right away. 

Quote: Fujisan, please....! 

Day 20 - Tokyo dinner party and Farewell!

14/9  

Today was my last day in Tokyo, the city that never sleeps. I like Tokyo for what it is, but I never want to live there. It's a place with endless opportunities and you can constantly find new things to enjoy, but I can settle for less and besides, I need more space, haha. 

Waking up super late, around 11:30, we ate breakfast, watched TV and searched for restaurants which wasn't easy, but we managed. I went to buy new shorts because having one pair is too little when you spent so much time in one city without wearing bike pants. Yeah, I'm not wearing those bad-boys in Tokyo without a bike next to me, haha. 

We met up with a lot of my friends from Copenhagen university and Japanese students who had been in our exchange program. It was good to see everyone and we enjoyed delicious Japanese BBQ! 

After that Takuya and I went home and I packed my stuff and II departed at around 21:30. 

Now, I don't really like to say goodbye, partly because it's more like "see you later", but maybe also because I'm not very good at it... 

I wish I could do something to return the favor to Takuya and his mom, but for now I hope they know how grateful I am to have been living with them for these past 5 days. It made my time in Tokyo so much easier and I learned a lot. I hope that I can do something similar for them sometime, but for now I'll have to be in debt, I guess. 

Leaving Tokyo was not as difficult as getting in, luckily. I found the park I had picked out after spending 20 minutes around the station in Isehara. There was a police station right next to it, and I figured I would rather sleep and wake up by myself than having them do it for me. 

Tomorrow I'll go to Yoshida where I am to stay at Ayana's parents' friends' place. I hope it will be alright, but I can only do my best so let's see what happens. Off to sleep I go! 

Distance: 42 km

Time: 2.20 hours

Condition: thankful

Quote: Wealth comes in many shapes

Day 19 - Yokohama in the Rain

13/9

My stay at the manga cafe was worth the money and time, but I met the rain as soon as I opened the door. My bike was parked on the other side of the road and with the rain falling on it it kind of showed me the next few days, or so it felt. I have looked at the weather forecast and it says rain the next 4 days. I might have to just bike through it. I have things to do and people to meet.

I went to a American styled restaurant called Jonathan's. It's basically the same as Gasto, just a different menu. I sat there for 2 hours and 30 minutes, but the rain only grew in intensity. I decided to go around the time the archive opened. That was my mission today. I arrived and stated my business, and besides looking at the quite normal exhibition of the opening of Japan to the western world nothing really caught my attention.

What I was after was hidden in the basement of the building. I went down and signed in as the receptionist demanded, I thought it was a lot of work to go through what looked just like a library, but determined to find the recordings of my ancestors I went on.

After having spent almost 4 hours in the building, where 2-3 of them were used on looking through various books, I found the names. I took a copy of some of it and I can't wait to return and show it to my family.

I also looked at some of the first newspapers, both foreign and Japanese. And some satirical installments of a British and a French journalist. The drawings were both clever and funny and it was a really interesting experience to stand with the materials that I have read about and used in my assignments.

After that I made my way through the rain to Takuya's place and went to the mall and relaxed. I ate a delicious dinner and took a shower and now I'm about ready to sleep. I can't wait for tomorrow and BBQ buffet!

Distance: 22 km.
Time: 1.27 hour
Condition: Happy, but hoping that it won't rain for days..
Quote: good thing I always save a smile for when the rain comes.

Day 18 - Yokohama sightseeing

12/9

Although the weather forecast would have me think that rain was today's agenda I left Takuya's apartment at around 10:00. And that was without my bags, of course. First time I ever ride without my bags and it feels so light. Almost too light actually. The bags did work as a balance/weight thingy that prevented me from over steering and without them I feels like I might turn the bike handle too much and trip.

Luckily that didn't happen. At least not yet. I went to Yokohama in order to visit the usual touristy things, but also to visit the Yokohama archive of history, and if possible find the place where my great grandmother lived during her early childhood. Now the story behind that is not easily told, but if people are interested they can get it in another forum.

I was also suggested by Takuya and his mom to go to Chinatown. And I love to visit Chinatowns around the world. This might seem strange, why go to another country to see a part of China? That's just it, it is isolated from China and has developed in its own way through many many years. Fascinating!! There I got what I usually get in Chinatown, meat buns. There were many cheap Chinese buffets and for the first time since I arrived I thought it was a real shame that I didn't have a group of friends to go with. I got to make up for that the day after tomorrow.

After Chinatown I went looking for the archive of history, but to my displeasure I found it closed due to a nation holiday. Which I by the way knew was today, but somehow didn't make the connection..

Disappointed I went to the main thing, finding the bluff, the neighborhood where foreign settlers lived around the time my great grandmother was in Japan. I found it quite easily, but finding the exact property is somewhat tricky. We have a rough idea though and now there is a hospital located there. Just a normal hospital. But the neighborhood itself is quite special still.

I didn't really ever give it any thought, but there are still foreigners living on the bluff, or Yamate as the part of the city is called now. I don't know if you can call them foreigners though. I presume they can speak Japanese and are a part of the local community, but they don't look Japanese, that's for sure.

There are many international schools in the area and even the Japanese looking kids spoke English. And with American accents at that. Combined with the western looking buildings and the many non-Japanese looking people, I felt I was no longer in Japan. Getting down from the bluff again I returned to Japan. That's how it felt anyway.

I did find one remaining clue that Danish people once lived there. One of the boards featured an old map and there it was, a Danish flag on one of the settlements. I was quite lucky to find it as it was a place I hadn't planned to visit.

I want to stay here until tomorrow and then visit the archive in the morning. I hope to find something with my knowledge of our family history and Japanese reading ability. Maybe I'll learn something new.

I went to the baseball stadium and the park around it and rested a bit before making it through small and narrow streets. I found a bike shop and wanted to give my tires some air when I found out the price was 100 yen.. Now I don't know if that's normal or not, but next time I'll refuse. I will survive until I find someone who'll pump my tires for free, haha.

I found a manga cafe where I will stay, but before settling in, I decided to take a small night trip around the port area I visited earlier. In one of my favorite ps2 games, Gran Tourismo there is a stage where they drive through Yokohama Bay Area by night. And it was worth it. The light from the tall buildings, the big roads and the Ferris wheel, it was all amazing.

Tomorrow I'll go to the archive and then I'll visit a cup noodle museum if I have time.

Distance: 60 km

Time: 4 hours

Condition: Relaxed and excited for tomorrow.

Quote: look to the past and you will know

Day 17 - Strolling through Shibuya and Harajuku

11/9

I didn't have many things on today's program so I went to Shibuya to look around. I spent a lot of time looking at nice shops and also planning ahead for the next part of the trip.

I skyped with my mom and dad and wrote with Samar, a friend of mine that I met during my exchange to Fukuoka three years ago. We are going to meet up in Nagoya, the next big city I'll stay in. But that's not until the 16th. It's never to early to plan though.

After spending quite some time on the Internet searching everything from restaurants to local festivals in Nagoya, I decided to look at the road out of Tokyo and into Shizuoka. My girlfriend's parents friends who I will be staying with for a day, said it was impossible to ride from Tokyo to their place in a day. That might be true, but it says so on my itinerary, and I kind of already said I'll be there the 15th, so I'll make it somehow.

I also wanted to go to Harajuku by foot, it's really not that long, I went on to Harajuku. I like the bigger parts of the city, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Harajuku. Places where people never seem to sleep and the neon signs emit colourful light everywhere. There is something about these places that is different from other cities I have visited so far. That will be a blog for another time, I guess.

I thought a lot about the next part of the trip. And I miss Ayana a lot, so I want to get going as fast as possible. But resting is good for me and my bike and I still haven't met up with that many people here. I wonder how difficult it will be to continue my journey once I get to Fukuoka. And I have been thinking about changing the route so I don't have to zigzag across Kyushu. But I'll figure that out later.

Distance: walked a lot
Time: all day long
Condition: thoughtful
Quote: time is now  

Day 16 - Relaxed shopping in Tokyo

10/9

Today I had 4 things on my shopping list and a couple of things I wanted to know so I could plan my exit from Tokyo later. And I also wanted to gather the people I know here in Tokyo for dinner on the 14th, let's see how that will turn out, hopefully people aren't too busy!

I needed new tubes for my bike, a present of some sort for Takuya's mom for letting me stay in their apartment, a cable for my light because I can't find the one that came with it, (it was like less than 7 cm, very inconvenient.) Last but not least I needed to find a new pair of shorts.

Got the three first things, but I haven't found any shorts that I liked yet. Not too heavy, not too warm to wear and did I mention not too heavy? So most of the day I walked around Shinjuku which was nice for a change.

Again I have to mention the kindness of Takuya and his mom, they're making it very comfortable for me and I wonder if I will get too used to it, haha. I'll find a way to repay their kindness. 

Around 19:00 I was to meet up with Takuya who himself had a very long day with many things to do. I went to Waseda university at around 17:00 and wandered around the area. It's a big place, and there are many interesting buildings around the campus. I was using free wifi when I suddenly...  heard drums.

At first I thought it was interesting and wanted to find out where it came from. But then I remembered that I often had heard music from speakers on the cars. Even in the smaller villages they play music at certain times of the day. And when that happens suddenly while driving it might... distract you a bit.

I went on to the place we were supposed to meet when I saw a shrine on the corner of the street, the sound of music grew in strength and I started hoping for a festival. And I wasn't disappointed. It wasn't big, nor crowded, but enough people so that you would have to look where you walked. Food stands, music, dancing and everything that comes with a Japanese festival was present and I was happy to have walked around and be able to go there. That's what happens when you go on adventures!

I met up with Takuya, ate dinner, went home, lost in shogi, (I'll get you next time, for sure!) and now I'm tired. More so than when I ride my bike, must be all the people in Tokyo.. 

Tomorrow and the next few days it will rain, actually I can't see when it will stop, so I might have to go on the 15th in rain, which sucks since all my stuff has dried and can be used again. Let's see what happens, maybe I'll get lucky and avoid the worst rain.

Distance: walked a lot, but nothing for the bike computer today. It too must be tired of counting.

Time: -

Condition: ready to sleep! 

Quote: hope for the best, prepare for the worst. 

Day 15 - Lost in Tokyo

9/9

Waking up early and making it down the mountain was as easy as expected, not much went wrong until I got 100 km from Tokyo. Here the endless straight roads with shops and restaurants on both sides made the scenery boring to say the least. I made very little progress when I was on the walkway with the pedestrians, so on to the road with the cars I went. I had done this several times before though, but never because there were too many people.

The roads on the other hand made it difficult for me as well, constantly changing names and whether I could ride on them or not. I tried different methods, but in the end I didn't find anything that worked and so I probably zigzagged all the way to Shinjuku. In the parts of Tokyo where there are too many people, like Ikebukuro or Shinjuku, it's impossible to ride on the walkway. You have to do it on the road, but it can be a bit dangerous. Other people did it, but not so many though. When I first started I didn't stop, it was much easier although I might have annoyed the drivers, it seems to be part of the game that is traffic in Tokyo.

I decided not to leave my bike, but to take it with me to my friend Takuya. I am to sleep at his place, and I'm ever thankful for this, it means a lot especially after the last couple of days with little to no luck, haha. After getting in touch I got to take a shower, eat and now I'm lying comfortably and writing this post. It's a first in 16 days I sleep in a bed.

A few comments I would like to share. The roads for pedestrians and bikes are horrible. Some places are fine, some are great, but the majority are taken out of a post apocalyptic movie and it seems like it's left for nature to reclaim it. I'll post a picture of it later!

People here in the city are less cautious of bikes, I guess there are too many things to take notice of. And with me going relatively faster than most bikes might trick them too. They should really know the difference just by looking, but some things can't be changed.

Speaking of looking. Kids are especially easy to impress with my bike and all the gear, but a lot of people reacts to the fact that I'm not Japanese. It's difficult to tell with the helmet and sunglasses and I even managed to scare one when he got a good look at me.

And I made a sign saying I'm going all the way to the most southern part which helps a lot with the attention, but now people talk to me instead of avoid as much so that's nice. It's a good icebreaker.

Lastly, please put less restaurant signs and start making it easier to navigate on bikes, my god it's difficult. I am going to leave my bike here while I'm visiting friends, traffic, finding the way and people just makes it impossible to make any progress at all.

Tomorrow I'll rest before I go to meet people. And at some point I'll go to Yokohama, I'll tell you why some other time.

Distance: 212 km
Total distance: 1771 km.
Time: 11.30
Condition: thankful and happy
Quote: sometimes you have  to travel in order to understand where home is.

Day 14 - Trapped in the mountains

9/8

So first I'll like to take some time to say how thankful I am to the people I meet on the way, without them I'm not sure it would be worth it to make the trip to be honest.

The hotel staff was very kind to me when I told them how I ended up there. I spent most of the time planning the week to come and figuring out how to get to the other side of the mountain. But the weather wouldn't clear up until next morning so I was awaiting an opportunity. The mountain road up was closed due to the weather and the road down south was restricted to cars only...

Luckily, after having spent time lurking around looking for a place to camp, the hotel staff offered to drive me past the gate so that I could get down and onward on my journey. I didn't think twice about it, but it was with some guilt that I put my bike inside the van. And when I saw the road down I wondered what made it different from the road of which I came just last night.

Past the gate I continued to a small town called Nakanojo where I ate Chinese food and went to sleep outside the station.

Tomorrow will be approximately 200 km, if I don't get lost that is.

Distance: 50 km.
Time: 2.15 hour
Condition: feeling tired.
Quote: be the person you want to meet

Day 13 - Mountain adventure!

7/9

Like the superstition surrounding the number 13, my 13th day became quite the mess.

My day started out with some early sightseeing. I went to a temple in the city, the biggest one actually. And there I saw a ceremony being conducted by the head priestess. I was about to leave when one of the staff came over and convinced me to stay 10 more minutes to see the statue on display behind a curtain.

A woman came over and we talked about the ceremony and religion in general. She said that the head priestess would bless us after the ceremony and so I waited and received her blessing. Quite the experience right from the morning and here everything was perfect and I knew nothing of the horrors I would face later.

In order to get to Nikko, I had to go over a couple of mountains. This, I thought, would be difficult, but not impossible. So I ventured on. The cities are horrible to bike in and it's easy to get lost. And before I reached the base of the mountain it was already 13:00.

Going through the smaller villages, the outskirts of Nagano was tough as well. It was already going uphill. But with the time I was making I could easily get to the summit before sundown...

That was to say if nothing was to happen. The village ended 27 km before the last stretch to the mountain. So for the next 27 km I struggled through the heat. The sweat was flowing left and right and I thought I would die of thirst before I would reach the summit. After a couple of hours I had emptied water and food and I had made very little progress. 

I had to pull my bike many places and I decided not to ride it at all after a little while. Then I noticed that my back tire was kind of flat... I figured it must be because the weight is shifted back and the air is pressed out. Now, even if I did get to the part that went downhill, I wouldn't be able to ride before I had pumped the tire.

Here I began to think of what to do next. I could go back, but wasting too much time climbing only to go down seemed... annoying. So I continued.

The low hanging skies made it impossible to see more than 50 meters ahead, and the sun was about to set. The cars had stopped passing by. Now the next that would happen was that my tire became totally flat. Like punctured flat. It was the same tire I had used in Hokkaido and patched up in Hakodate so I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.

I had now walked 17 km up hill and before that biked around 25. The climb was a constant 6-9% and now I could only see what was within 10 meters of me. I decided to leave my bike. I wanted to make it to the resort place and then go pick up my bike in the morning.

I got myself a broken piece of a long pipe to defend myself and went on for two km.
I then saw lighting... my stuff would not withstand a heavy shower and the only thing I brought with me was my phone. Oh and I tried calling everyone and everything I knew of, but I couldn't. I actually can't make a phone call and was asked by the machine to find a payphone. A payphone. In the mountains. Hmm, I could only see the irony in my situation by now. And the phone number on the signs were out of order too. Great.

After walking two km I heard a car. It was headed in the same direction so I waved it over. Three people, obviously coming from a party, probably in Nagano, was heading back to their workplace in the resort. Lucky! I drove with them and although the guy was driving like he tried to outrun a landslide, we managed to get the last 8 km to the hotel.

The two other people, a woman who was very drunk and a Chinese girl broke the rules and took me to the dorm where they live. I wouldn't know what to do if they hadn't come along.

In the morning, 4:30, I ran 8.2 km to my bike, changed the tire and checked my stuff. Although wet everything seemed fine. Thanks whoever, God or Buddha,  I don't know how sad I would be to lose iPad and ipod.. oh, yeah it was raining a lot the whole time.

I'm sitting in the hotel right now figuring out what to do. I want to go to Tokyo now instead of Nikko. In Nikko I'll face more mountains, and I'll be more delayed so Tokyo is the better plan. Today will be impossible for me to depart because of the rain. But tomorrow it is.

This might make people back home very worried about me, and I know I promised to be careful, but you cannot fear fire if you haven't burned yourself at least once. Lesson learned and from now on I'll take the less scenic route (read no mountains).

Distance: 50 +
Time: I don't even know, if I had to guess I would say 6 hours.
Condition: glad to be dry
Quote: I'll just turn this corner aaaand.... look, we're still going up the mountain. Dammit.