sowhatsitallaboutthen?

The Plan

Take my bike up to the northern tip of Japan this August and pedal south and west 'till there's no more Japan left. Counting on about 2 or 3 months.
Read more about The Plan...

Sponsor Me

I'm hoping to use my cycling trip across Japan to raise some money for an organisation called LEPRA.You can help me by sponsoring my bike ride.
Find out more here...

Photos

Thursday, August 31, 2006

Day 21

Kushiro -> Urahoro
Distance:81km
Waited all morning for a break in the weather that never came. Finally got back in the saddle after a week off and rode off in the rain through Kushiro's urban sprawl, then down the coast with long barreling waves rolling in off the grey sea.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Day 20

Sapporo -> Kushiro
A long day sitting on trains today to get back to a rainy Kushiro, somewhat colder than we remembered.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Day 19

Said goodbye to Yocchan who flew back to Kochi, and then headed into Sapporo. Despite spending most of the afternoon walking across town on fruitless errands, a day in the big city (the 6th biggest in a nation of big cities) was a buzz. Under the spell of neon, youth and constant motion, my love of the metropolis was rekindled. To get the most out of our short visit and to avoid paying for accomodation, we walked the streets, listened to buskers and hung out in a couple of cool little bars all night, before jumping on the 6am train back out east to Kushiro and our bikes.

Monday, August 28, 2006

Day 18

So'un- Gorge -> Kitahiroshima
Long drive to the port town of Otaru for Yocchan's must-eat-if-you-come-to-Hokkaido meal of salmon eggs and sea urchin. I opted for the lamb. Wrapped the day up with a game of bowling on the outskirts of Sapporo.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Day 17

Asahi-dake -> So'un- Gorge
Went to Asahiyama Zoo, touted as Japan's finest, but still found it a world of steel bars and concrete cages the size of small Tokyo apartments. Much more impressive, despite the high-rise hotels lurking around the corner, were the Shooting Star and Milky Way Falls at So'un Gorge. Like something out of an old Chinese landscape painting, they fall parallel over impossibly sheer cliffs. Alas no old Taoist sages whistling through the surrounding pine forests though.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Day 16

Asahi-dake
Hiked to the top of 2290m Asahi-dake, past picture postcard ponds, carpets of moss and wild flowers, vents spewing sulphurous gas and the now familiar hordes of red dragon flies, then literally slid down the other side and around to dip our feet in a natural hot spring bubbling straight up into a stream. This area, so open and spacious, reminds me more of Tibet or images of Alaska than any I associate with Japan. Tonight the Milky Way cuts a broad swath across the cold summer sky.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Day 15

Kuriyama -> Asahi-dake
Drove up into the centre of Hokkaido this morning amid thousands of red dragon flies. The land here is miles of storybook farmlands surrounded by high volcanic mountains. We visited a cheese factory, a photo gallery and my first ever mixed hot spring - in the mountains and with one pool so hot my feet still sting at the memory of it. Shared dinner at our cold mountain campsite tonight with a Swiss couple as we get ready to climb Hokkaido's highest peak tomorrow.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Day 14

Kushiro City -> Kuriyama
Distance: 0km
No cycling today, just a 9 hour train ride out to eastern hokkaido to see girlfriend Yocchan who's flown up from Kochi. Now begins a week of r&r as we prepare to drive (no bikes) into Daisetsusan National Park in Hokkaido's mountainous centre.

Fellow passengers

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Day 13

Kaya Wetlands -> Kushiro City
Distance: 42km
First time in a city for a couple of weeks and we found ourselves in a small, rather funky and menu-less izakaya for dinner. Mention of our recent frugal diet of cup ramen and the owner took pity and charged far less than he should. Made friends with other customers over talk of 60s/70s rock, and the very cool long-haired long-bearded ex-fashion designer invited us next door to his chill bar for some Dylan, Floyd, Neil Young and drinks on the house.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Day 12

Nakashibetsu -> Kaya Wetlands
Distance: 75km
Stiff headwinds today meant big effort and little headway. Called it a day early and pulled into a nice swamp-side campsite. Ecologically important area and home to the now rare red-crested white crane (symbol of Japan and JAL) etc etc, but geez, who'd have thought there'd be so many mosquitos in a swamp?! Very hot hot-springs right next door made up for it though.

Monday, August 21, 2006

Day 11

Utoro -> Nakashibetsu
Distance: 116km
Longest day so far, including a big haul over Rausu Pass this morning and down to the other side of the peninsula. Along the other coast are views of the islands disputed with Russia. That Russia has no intention of giving up control was rather emphatically illustrated just a few days ago when a Japanese fisherman found over there collecting crabs was shot in the head by the Russian coast guard. We gave the disputed territories and the crabs a miss.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Day 10

Shiretoko Peninsula
Distance: 16km
Roads opened and the rain cleared up. We bathed in a natural hot spring river and walked around the five lakes area. We saw none of the much talked of and often merchandised bears, but got a clear view of the mountain range and the long steep road to the pass that awaits us tomorrow.

Closest we got to seeing a bear

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Day 9

Abashiri -> Utoro
Distance: 90km
Rode thru wetlands in the rain and onto the World Heritage listed Shiretoko Peninsula. No access further east except on a shuttle bus, but the heavy rains have closed the road. A herd of wild deer graze our campsite in the mist.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Day 8

Lake Saroma -> Abashiri
Distance: 54km
A rainy afternoon in Abashiri, the last big town we'll hit before heading up to the Shiretoko Peninsula, an area recently given World Heritage Status, and one of the last truely wild areas left in Japan.

It's something of a cliche to say that Hokkaido doesn't feel like the rest of Japan, but it's true, so I'll say it anyway - Hokkaido doesn't feel like the rest of Japan. It's gently rolling green hills, cow pastures, big barns and cornfields seem a world away from the claustophobic mountains and mum 'n pop rice paddies of Kochi. This is Japan's northern frontier.

This is also the frontier's busiest time of year, and the roads are full of fellow travellers, especially bikers and fellow cyclist all of whom give a friendly wave of two-wheeled commradery whenever we pass on the road, which is often. Tonight the rain has driven us to find shelter other than our already wet tents, and we've checked into a very cheap and basic 'Riders Inn'.

We saw a little bit of rain that day...

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Day 7

Okoppe -> Lake Saroma
Distance: 102km
Pleasant riding today thru corn fields and rolling green dairy pastures. Dry but unusually hot weather for Hokkaido had the temp up over 30 and my arms turning a deeper shade of red (despite layers of sunscreen). We hit a pretty stiff headwind this afternoon too, prob a result of the typhoon hitting southern Japan at the moment, and it could test our tents tonight as we camp on the exposed shores of saltwater Lake Saroma - Hokkaido's largest.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Day 6

Hamatonbetsu -> Okoppe
Distance: 105km
The rain started late last night and didn't let up all day as we continued along the top of Hokkaido towards its wild east. We pulled into the little town of Okoppe dripping wet and found dry, if somewhat surreal, lodgings in the form of an old train carriage decked out with a tatami floor and converted into a free hostel for travellers. After a hot soak at the local old-schoolpublic baths, I'm ready for bed and dreams of long dry highways.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Day 5

Wakkanai -> Hamatonbetsu
Distance: 100km
We left Wakkanai and headed east along Hokkaido's northern coast on what was our first real day in the saddle and my first time ever to cycle into triple figures. First stop was Soya Cape - Japan's nothern most point and the official start to our transnational route. An unremarkable spot except for the crowds of travellers taking the requisite photos and buying the requisite souvenirs. Camping tonight by a pretty lake with the Ainu name of Kuccharo.

At Japan's "northern extremity"

Lake Kuccharo

Monday, August 14, 2006

Day 4

Wakkanai
Distance: 3km
A friendly, well-travelled and somewhat eccentric dentist we met while climbing Rishiri Mtn invited us to come and stay in his house. It'd have been rude to refuse such a generous offer so we were obliged to take the day off. The dentist and his wife helped us fix Nate's bike, gave us reams of advice for the trip, cleaned our clothes, fed us soba for lunch and a feast at the local izakaya for dinner and gave us beds for the night. Cycling thru Japan is tough...

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Day 3

Rishiri Island -> Wakkanai
Distance: 18km (+7.5hrs hiking)
Described variously as a mini Mt Fuji and Dr Evil's Secret Lair, Mt Rishiri is a mountain that begs to be climbed. Leaving late by Japanese standards at 5:30am, the whole climb took more than 7 hours. By the end, I was as tired as I ever remember feeling. The steep bike ride up to the camp site in Wakkanai back on the mainland this evening was a heart breaker.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Day 2

Rebun Island -> Rishiri Island
Distance: 26km
Morning ferry to Rishiri Island. Nate is still missing a right pedal, so he picked up a dodgy rental bike for a few hours and we went for a little explore. The island is dominated by a huge conical mountain. Tomorrow we'll leave the bikes and head off at 5 to try to climb it...

Time for a quick haircut

Friday, August 11, 2006

Day 1

Wakkanai -> Rebun Island
Distance: 25km
The first day and we're now camping on what must be one of the most beautiful parts of Japan - Rebun Island in the far north. Not without problems tho - i left my phone on the bus from Sapporo (got it back tho) and Nate's bike now has only one pedal...

Kashmir