Day 12 - The little things

9/6

After sleeping surprisingly well in the parking lot, I packed my things and started my trip early, around 6:30. But as many other times I found more interesting things to do than driving straight on the road.

I tried a car service place to see if it could pump some air into the back tire, but the valve didn't fit.. I talked for quite some time to the guy working there though. And after that I ran into a guy who was on his way to work. (He was on a bike too). I told him about my trip, and the current situation and he had a pump at his work only 3 minutes from there! The pump worked wonders and I could feel the difference right away. Like it was much lighter. I talked for maybe 30 minutes and he was very interested in everything.

I made good speed and reached the road I thought I couldn't ride, but fortunately I could. Only for some time because it soon turned into a intercity highway and I had to find different ways. I asked so many people, and I even went to two tourist centers in the station, but they were of little help. Don't think they get too many asking about how to get to Nagano on a bike. 

I did my best and guessed right almost every time. I also used the method of going away from places I knew. So just go towards the unknown helped a bit too. The scenery today was remarkable. I have uploaded the pictures to Facebook, the thing that is wrong when I use my phone is that it can't have the pictures in the post while uploading in. What.....?

Although it looked like rain for most of the day I didn't feel a single drop. But the mountains made the humid air feel like it might as well be raining. No need for sunblock or long t-shirts..

The ride into the city was long and a bit boring, but I was happy to have overcome the mountains for now. I took a shower in the public bath closes to the station. New experience acquired alright.

My body is handling the new lifestyle quite well. The only problem I have is my left shoulder and my toes.. The rest is something I can live with so to speak. But riding for so many hours a day changes something small to something big. No matter what you do, if you do it 100.000 times it's going to leave some kind of mark. On the other hand, getting to take two free bites of chicken in the convenient store is small, but valuable.

Nagano is quite big, so there are many things I want to see. Unfortunately I won't be able to see  everything. Some are simply too far away. But tomorrow I'll go to a famous temple and maybe a samurai city.

Distance: 170 km

Time: 8:45 hours

Condition: ready to sleep!! 

Quote: it's the little things.  

Day 11 - Niigata sightseeing, on to Nagaoka

5/9

After going to sleep on the bench in front of the station I fell asleep immediately. I woke up in the morning before people started coming to the station. I got my bike and headed to the bath place I searched out before sleeping.

It was a hotel with a public shower and sauna. Very expensive, 1800 yen or approximately 115 dkk. But I stayed there for 1, 5 hour, and used the sauna for 45 minutes. 

Clean and in high spirits I ventured out sightseeing. Manga/anime museum with a special exhibition of the swords used in Evangelion. Went to a world buffet restaurant. Huge place and I Ate. Too. Much. But it was worth it! 

then I went back to my bike and waited until it got darker. My plan was to go 50 km and then sleep. Easy as that. But not five minutes after departing came smaller tropical weather change.Thunder and rain.. I found shelter and tried to sleep. 

I woke up a few hours later and moved on, but the roads were not having it. None of the bigger roads allowed bikes and since the smaller ones didn't have signs I was forced to take guesses and follow the lights of the bigger roads... 

I have been were no foreigner has ever been, that's for sure! I came 50 km. But I was still 30 from reaching Nagaoka. I found a gasto and ordered some food. It was 02:00. Then I must have been sleeping because the waiter came over to my table and told me to wake up, haha. I paid the bill and went to the parking lot where I parked my bike and slept. 

Distance : 52

Time: 3.45

Condition : slightly confused, but ready for vengeance tomorrow. 

Quote : that buffet though. 

Day 10 - From Sakata to Niigata, adventure time!

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!

Day 9 - Akita to Sakata, go now!

3/9


Laziness was the reason why I didn't leave Akita early on and so after sightseeing, (there wasn't that much to see anyway), I went on to the nearest park and slept for an hour. The sun was ridiculous.

I also went down to several beach areas, and they are really interesting. 50 meters or so from the water you have a row of houses that have small bars inside and you can sit and have a drink of tea and look at the water, which is really nice, but I didn't go inside, I felt kind of out of place with all my cycle clothes on.

I went on to one of the places I like to go to a lot during this trip. It's called Michi no Eki, or "station by the road". Free WiFi and it's cooled down. The purpose, or at least one of them, is for people to sell the local whatever to the people who are not locals. So mostly fruit and vegetables, souvenirs and local dishes. But I spent the time getting some udon and a really good nap on a bench.

I became pressed for time, but the sun's strength was reduced enough for me to venture on. And I did so until way after it became dark. On the way I thought about my trip, why I'm doing it, why my bike feels so heavy and what I can do to make it lighter. So of course there are some things that I don't use, but I don't want to just throw them out either so I have to come up with some kind of plan to get it with me to at least Fukuoka.

But I think the problem might not just be that I'm going up hill physically. Sometimes it's mentally as well. The pain, sweat and roasting sun. The nighttime where it feels like I'm the only one on the road. The light from the cars (seriously sometimes it's like they want to see who is riding the bike and then don't switch off the long light, really annoying). Maybe after 8 days and the last couple here being really boring has had it's effect on me in a way I didn't expect. I hope that it will turn soon and I'm so happy that I have people wishing me good luck and keeping my spirits high. 

What is fun about the trip is when the day is over and I think to myself: "I did a good job today." And I look on the map and see the distance I have made. Also meeting all sorts of people and enjoying the things I get to do, is a big part of it, but sometimes seeing a mountain or a waterfall can be just like the last one. So I hope that when I get closer to Tokyo and people I know that it will change!

I have to figure out what to do with the weight of the bike, tomorrow will be about making it lighter so I can reach Nagano without having to pull it all the way. I did that on the beach today. Damn.. I don't even know why it is so heavy, there is almost nothing in the bags, but I guess it adds up.

Tonight I'm staying at a new manga cafe and I think I'm getting close to having a membership for all the most common ones now. Hope to get some discount soon, haha!

Oh, and the movie Okuribito, or Depatures was filmed here in the area so I might try to locate some spots from the movie. I think I got one already! 

Distance: 120 km
Time: 7 hours
Condition: Feeling heavy
Quote:What would you want to carry through life?

Day 8 - This time for sure, Akita!

2/9

So after leaving Gasto, the restaurant, early, I decided to go sightseeing. It was still not 06:00 though. I went to a castle and a temple, both were really nice, but I still didn't know too much about the city. I have researched since and it's a relative famous city. It has the biggest production of apples in Japan and the temple is were the first Shogun, Ieyasu, is enshrine.

Well, after sightseeing and checking updates on Facebook I hurried along because I couldn't wait to get to Akita and see what kind of city it was. On my way I stopped at a store to buy some lunch. A guy came over to me and started asking about my trip. Turned out he was quite happy to meet me and I think he was about to invite me home to his family for lunch, but I was in a hurry so after talking for a good 20 minutes I excused myself and went on my way. I feel bad that I didn't have time to hang out with him, he seemed nice. His family and him are living in Mongolia and he was just back to visit his dad. But time is time and it stops for no one. I wanted to get to Akita before sundown.

But I was a bit tired and took a longer nap than I expected. I did set the alarm, but maybe I didn't hear it or something went wrong with my phone. I did expect there to be many mountains, but it was actually okay. I haven't had a full day's break yet and I think I might have to do that soon, but I wonder if I can find things to do here in Akita. Most of the sightseeing is out in the prefecture, not so much in central city.

So the road to Akita was long it felt like it took forever to get there. After I thought I reached the city it was actually just the outskirts. When I finally came to the station I was really tired and wanted to find the manga cafe I wanted to stay it. It turns out it was hard to find, but I'm here now. I don't think I'll choose this chain again, the staff is nice but it's really bad ventilation and the facilities could be better in general. I don't know, maybe it's just here.

What do I do when I bike? I wanted to listen to a lot of music, but listening to my bike and the cars coming behind me is so import so I actually haven't done it even once. Besides there are no pockets in my bike pants.... And I have a game where I look at the license plates of the cars and see if they are from another prefecture. Most of them are not though. And the game was no fun in Hokkaido at all.

Tomorrow I'll go to the park and maybe a zoo or an aquarium, but who knows really. I'll see what I can come up with. And it's now one week since I started the trip from the most northern part of Japan! It has been 942 km from Cape Soya. Technically I should be in Tokyo soon, but hey, it's not like I'm waiting to go eat all-you-can-eat buffet...

Distance: 180 km
Time: 9 h
11 hours on the road from 7 till 20:00, silly mountains!
Condition: Tired of the people smoking and not having enough room in my booth..
Quote: What goes up comes down eventually. 

Day 7: Honshu start! From Aomori towards Akita!

1/9

We overslept just a wee bit in the comfortable place we stayed at. It was like a private home where the 2nd floor was made into a hostel with shared rooms and such. It was cheap and I could manage to get my clothes washed, but the onsen the city was either closed or too expensive. 

We got a delicious breakfast, a lunchbox with rice, grilled and marinaded pork and I can't wait to go to a BBQ place in Tokyo. I hope people there are ready! 

After that we went sightseeing. 

We saw many of the western churches. Now Hakodate is quite hilly and getting around with our heavy bikes was quite tough, but we managed. The churches were built because the Americans opened the trade after some 200 years of isolation from most of the western world. Hakodate was one of two port cities that had to open for foreign ships and with the ships came personnel to take care of the western facilities. And with all that came the churches and cemeteries. Both Protestant, Catholic, orthodox and Chinese. They were placed quite nice with a view of the bay and they're really well taken care of. The atmosphere there was quite special. 

There were also many western buildings, among some of the more interesting was the British consulate, the several local resident buildings and a whole building for parties and dancing. 

I was a little bit disappointed with the fortress Goryokaku. It's formed like a star and looks very impressive on the map. There are some really nice historic events connected to the place and the garden and houses are remarkable, no doubt. I just thought the fort would be.. taller. The walls might have been taller once. If I come back during spring I'll go watch the Sakura there, it's apparently the best place in Hakodate. 

I waited for Fujita and ate one more Lucky Pierre burger, I won't get to eat them anytime soon, haha.

This was the last time I would see Fujita, so we said goodbye and I went down to the ferry. I got there a little later than I wanted to, but that's how it is. The ride was 4 hours and I slept most of the time, did some sudoku and watched tv about all the chaos the typhoon had caused. 

When I got to Aomori I decided to go into town and withdraw some money, find a place to eat and get a feel of the city before I went on towards Akita. I finally decided to go eat at Gasto, a restaurant serving cheap but delicious food. After figuring out the way I had to take I departed with Aomori. The city was okay, but I didn't want to stay there for longer than necessary. 

The next that happened was that the road I took intervened with a much bigger road and the part dedicated to bikes or pedestrians kind of disappeared. It was not the freeway because google maps suggested it as a road for walking, but it was not very good for anything but cars. And to add to the misery my light stopped working. Only the front light so it was still kind of okay, I just couldn't see if I ran into something. 

I charged it not so long ago and then I didn't use it so if it's only good for 2 hours is something I have to take it into account for next time. I managed to avoid any collisions, but I wished that I had bought a different light. It's a bit more difficult to ride at night because you have to be extremely careful of the road. 

I got to several smaller cities, but decided to go for the biggest one ahead. Hirosaki. 

It's actually larger city than I imagined. And here I looked for places to sleep. The station was heavily guarded and I didn't need to talk to them to see that the station wouldn't became my cover for tonight. I thought about the park, but then I found another Gasto. Usually they are open 24/7, and tonight I'll stay here. Pretending not to sleep. It's now 01:41 am, so 5 hours or so I'll go sightseeing here in the city. My first castle is waiting for me and when I'm done there I'll go for Akita. 170 km through mountains, yay! 

Distance: 80 km. Included sightseeing

Time spent riding: 5 hours, included sightseeing

Today's thanks: Fujita for being a good travel companion

Condition: could use a bath

Quote: let there be light!

Day 6: Hakodate - A city with a view

31/8

If you recall my last post then you remember that the 10th typhoon was about to pass over the southern part of Hokkaido. This meant that continuing to Hakodate after 17:00 would be too reckless. Instead I camped in the station with Fujita and 3 other people who missed the last train, I guess. 

In the morning we packed our things and discovered that there was no electricity. The power shortage would last for another 80 km. or so. This meant that all convenience stores, restaurants and vending machines were without power and therefore food suddenly became a scarce resource. 

Not the only problem caused by the typhoon. There were branches and even whole trees covering the roads and sometimes it was impossible not to drive over a big pile of twigs and this made me worried since getting a flat in the middle of nowhere is just as much fun as one could imagine. 

I left before Fujita because I wanted to go sightseeing in Hakodate, and my plan was to leave for Aomori early the next morning. That way I could make the next 176 km in the mountains without having to worry about time. (This part of the plan is actually the the one I'm doubting the most, I might change it and even skip Nikko. My bike is simply too heavy to deliberately go into the mountains just for sightseeing.)

Now, this typhoon brought more craziness to the game. I was scavenging through one town for food and a found a Seicomart. I though why not try this one.
Two girls were standing in there and it was quiet as a tomb. No music, no light, no other customers and I thought to myself: "this is why they have music". I ended up buying a small bag of mixed nuts... So much for lunch. 

The town before Hakodate was very nice, probably my favorite town so far in Hokkaido. It's called Nanae and it has some really nice long roads leading to Hakodate with pine trees along the way. Amazing!

But things was going to take a turn for the worse, I survived the dreadful wind and the massive piles of fallen trees, but a small piece of metal punctured my back tire and this meant that I had to carry my bags and bike for 3 km. through the city.. This was horrible. I was unsure where the nearest bike shop was so I decided to change the tire myself, but I couldn't make the pump I bought fit the valve so I ended up going to a bike store called Chill Nowa, awesome bike store btw. and the owner is super chilled, he helped my out and I learned a few tricks. I also got to use the new tube I bought, but in the beginning we thought it was to big, once we tried it on it was okay though.
Thanks of the day goes to the owner of the store! And I only paid 500 yen, my impression was he didn't want to get paid though, what a guy!

Then I spent some time in the nearest McDonald's, without buying anything of course. Just there for the free WiFi. Searching for things to do the day after. Suddenly I got a message from Fujita about meeting him on Mt. Hakodate, now the view from the mountain is one of the best in the world and it was spectacular. But I had to wait 40 minutes to get up and 25 minutes to get down, and it was overpriced. But worth the time for the view, yes! 

For dinner we had burgers from a local burger chain called Lucky Pierre, I'm sure there is a story to this chain which I will research later, but it was awesome and since I didn't had lunch I order two, just to be on the safe side. Tomorrow, early sightseeing and then on to however far I get between Aomori and Akita. 

And this concludes my trip for Hokkaido. 700+ km.

Distance: 110 km. for the trip itself and 7 in the city
Time: 5.30 hours and 6:30 including the city.
Departure from last location: 8:30
Arrival: 15:30, and then I got a flat...
Condition: loving contempt, but worried about mountains tomorrow!
Quote: pls tire, why you no work no more!?