9/4
Looking back at yesterday while sitting in a comfortable chair in a hotel where I just took a really nice shower, (I'll get back to that in the next post, no need to rush!), I feel somehow relieved and I know that it will became a good story with time, but for now I'm just glad that I get to look back at it already.
The day started with me sleeping a bit longer than intended, but since I needed it I thought little of it, besides, my plan for the next 3-5 days are to "camp" to save some money. After getting to the city center I started looking for a bike shop. I needed to get a full check now that I passed 1000 km!!!
And although Sakata had relatively many bike shops, none of them showed business hours in front, so I decided to pick the only one that had and placed my bike nearby, for it had not yet passed 8, and the shop would open at 9:00.
This left me with time to see some of the city. Lots of temples and shrines, and if you read my last post you also remember that I read something interesting about the city. The movie Departures was shot here and although I didn't directly recognize the setting, I'm sure I will if I watch the movie, and I intent to when I get the time. I also went to the station, but nothing amazing happened except for becoming the topic of conversations for the school children.
I went on to the bike shop since it should have opened. Getting there I saw the shop owner and got my bike. I asked him to go through the bike and especially the gears, I also bought another spare tube that I would put on later. But let's wait a bit with that part.
The shop owner was very nice and easy to talk to and we ended up talking about my trip, Denmark, bikes and whatever for more than 1,5 hour. Although I wouldn't have been without it, it meant that I had less time to get to Niigata. I only paid for the tube and it was even discounted for me. Ayana later told me that this is the norm and I still find it hard to believe when I think about Denmark and how things are done there.
I left towards some warehouses that I was recommended to go to, and they were quite nice, I didn't have time to go inside, but the warehouses were a good way to start the day's trip. After eating breakfast I went on! The sun was scorching more than ever and I was sweating almost as much as in the garage at my parents place! I had some breaks and because the gears were amazing again I felt that the struggles of yesterday had disappeared.
The next 80-90 km. were amazing, the road ran along the seaside and the view.. The view was amazing! Tall mountains, almost like walls, to the left and the sea with the sun getting closer and closer to the horizon in the right. The water looked so good, but I only saw a dozen people in the water. The rest were busy fishing or just looking at the scenery.
Along the way I took quite a long break and so suddenly I was pressed for time again. I really need to start earlier, otherwise I'll end everyday after 22:00. this wasn't case in Hokkaido, the flat land made it possible for me to keep good speed and finish early, but I need to adjust for my trip to Nagano.
I saw many guards, and in the end I had to ask, and I was told that a train, a new model, was about to use the rails for what I think was the first time. This seemed silly, sending people out in the sun like that. Btw, it was 37 degrees when it was hottest. I didn't take a picture because it was uphill and I didn't feel like stopping for that.
After my break I was passed by a road racer. Normally I wouldn't have a problem keeping up, but with who knows how many kilos and the wrong bike for race, obliviously I had a hard time, but I followed him for more than 10 km. And my average speed when from 21 km/h to 32. He didn't even know I tailed him, and he got away without knowing it too.
I still had quite the way to go, but the scenery, almost like it was taken right out of a movie, inspired me to listen to some music and as the sun was setting I rode my bike thinking that life was great.
Now, I think the way would be a little more populated with houses, but the next 30 km. were getting troublesome. I was losing air in my back tire.. Not a flat though, just as though it would fall to a pressure too low for comfort. I had to stop and pump air in it several times. An old man I passed even got up to me and when I told him where I was going he laughed and told me it was amazing.
We rode together for some kilometers, but again I had to pump air in. I didn't meet the man again after that. And to be honest it was a bit scary to stop in the middle of nowhere, especially with all the bear signs I saw on the way, but I finally reached Murakami, the biggest city I would pass before Niigata, but that only meant that I still had 50 km. to go. I came to the outskirts of the city and saw a parade going through. The road was blocked and I couldn't take the one I wanted, but the parade was awesome! Actually also the first one I see firsthand.
But now I was kind of lost and would continue to be lost for quite some time, sometimes finding a way only to get lost again. The problem was bad information on the signs, I had no idea about the names of the roads, adding the tire the and I was a bit frustrated. But I had this amazing energy from earlier and around 00:00 I decided to change my tube at a convenience store. It took quite the time, not being able to see very well and not having a bike rack to place my bike in. But I managed.
I also took a wrong turn and ended up on a highway not meant for bikes, but it was road 7, the one I had been on all day yesterday, so when I found out I was quite surprised. Speed was good there and I made it to the city, ate very late dinner and made it to the station one hour later and there I went to sleep on a bench, using my sleeping bag as a pillow, thinking about the wonderful shower I would find next morning.
Quite the day, (and night). I could have stopped several places and gone the rest of the way the next the next day, but I wanted to follow the plan. And I succeeded! I don't like when I'm riding so late, it's not really good for me and my health, I think, but there is something about it that fascinates me. I can see where the eerie feeling from Murakami Haruki and Hayao Miyazaki comes from. The land of mystery, the dark night where things become something else than during the day. Weird and wonderful.
Pictures from the seaside will come on fb later today, maybe!
Distance: 180 km
Time: 9 hours
Condition: ready to sleep!
Quote: please tube!
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