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

Saturday, September 30, 2006

Day 52

Kamikochi Highlands-> Takayama
Distance:??km
Up the narrow road that coils like a snake up to Abo Pass at 1790m - the highest we'll cycle on this trip. And there, surrounded by the Japanese Alps, I get my first flat tyre. A quick change of tubes, and then the rapid descent down from the pass. But minutes later, a flat again, and now I have to hitch down the mountain to Nate who's already at the bottom, then up again with a patch kit...

continued...

But my pump's failing and the patch won't hold, and finally I've no choice but to abandon my bike beside the road on the high pass and hitch all the way to the old castle town of Takayama (Nate cycled while I hitched) and the nearest bike shop. But by now it's getting dark, so we hunt down a great little Mexican restaurant for dinner, then set up camp in the historic Shiroyama Park. Hoping my bike will still be there tomorrow...

Friday, September 29, 2006

Day 51

Sawando Onsen -> Kamikochi Highlands
Distance:17km
More tunnels and longer and steeper. Then out of pergatory and into the daylight and the alpine spectacle of the Kamikochi Highlands. Giving our knees no quarter, we got off the bikes and hiked further up into the mountains with Kim from Montreal for sweeping views and a well-earned siesta. Then back down to the bikes for dinner of soba and mountain vegetables, and a small picnic ground to camp in, surrounded by Japan's loftiest peaks.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Day 50

Matsumoto -> Sawando Onsen
Distance:56km
Climbed to the top of graceful old Matsumoto-jo, the oldest intact castle in Japan, and wandered thru the museum nextdoor. Then began our climb up into the Japanese Alps, and our entry into tunnel hell. If you've never cycled through a tunnel its hard to appreciate how deafeningly loud and how ghoulishly long (many km) dark and narrow they can be. Tonight we made it to the little onsen town of Sawando, and are camped right next to a big free foot spa.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Day 49

Nagamo -> Matsumoto
Distance:79km
After almost falling under the spell of Erica's gourmet smoothies and never leaving Nagano, we finally got back on our bikes after midday and continued on further upriver. A gentle climb through winding valleys and alongside swift green rivers has brought us just short of the old castle town of Matsumoto. We set up camp tonight in the grounds of a small local Shinto shrine, and went to bed after paying our respects to the resident god.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Day 47

Nagano
Distance:2km
Rain, wind, tent errands, and a friendly host - the gear guru and smoothie master, Erika: Nagano has tempted us into staying yet another day. This evening I took advantage of the luxury of a kitchen and cooked up a storm of Laksa, avacado salad and crepes. We'll do our best to head for Matsumoto city tomorrow morning though, lest the Sirens of Nagano lure us to stay another day...

Crepe party

Monday, September 25, 2006

Day 46

Nagano
Distance:12km
Dawn service at Zenkoji - the sacred temple around which Nagano was built. The big old wooden temple is home to one of Japan's "hidden buddhas" - supposedly the first buddha statue ever brought to Japan, and being too sacred for human eyes, is never actually seen, by anyone, ever. A replica is sometimes on display, but we were 3 years too early for the next viewing of even that. We spent the day chilling out at Erica's house, waiting for Nate's tent to arrive (the one he has now leaks). Unfortunately when it got here it was much bigger than he remembered, so he's stuck with the small but leaky one for now. In the evening, went to an okonomiyaki party with a fun group of Erica's students (and finished the meal with a fried parfait!).

Map

A quick map of our route so far - 2700km and 45 days from Wakkanai at the top of Hokkaido to Nagano in Central Honshu.

click to enlarge

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Day 45

Yudanaka -> Nagano
Distance:50km
The day began with wild snow monkeys soaking in a mountain onsen. If you've seen Baraka, then you know the ones I mean. (If you haven't seen it, you really should!) Then down to the small town of Obuse for lunch and a dose of old-world charm. The bubbly Chinese lady who ran the ramen shop we ate at insisted on giving us some "juice money" to help us out on the trip, and to pay for our entry to the local temple - Gansho-in - famous for its big and beautiful ceiling, painted by the famous Edo-period artist Hokusai. In the evening we rode into Nagano city and met up with Erica, another amazingly generous couch-surfing host, who filled us up with her great food and company.

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Day 44

Tokacho -> Yudanaka
Distance:90km
Big-roofed wooden houses dotted the valley as we climbed up and into scenic Nagano prefecture, the 'roof of Japan.' Tonight we camp in an onsen (hot spring) town called Yudanaka. 'Yu' means hot water in Japanese, and there are so many onsens here that even the train station has its own (it was very nice). Just up the valley - up being the operative word - is the Shiga Plateau and the most famous ski fields in the country (host to the '98 Nagano Olympics).

Friday, September 22, 2006

Day 43

Nagaoka -> Tokacho
Distance:48km
Slept in and didn't hit the road until after lunch (instant ramen again) then kept on up river, the landscape gradually getting less open and the river starting to pick up speed as we slowly ease our way up towards the high country. Still not in the mountains yet, though I did spot a ski store around the corner from our camp spot tonight (public park again) in the pretty little town of Tokachi.

Thursday, September 21, 2006

Day 42

Niigata -> Nagaoka
Distance:109km
Stopped briefly in Niigata city to pick up a new map, as we officially pass out of northern and into central japan. Then turned inland and left the sea, which we won't see again for a number of weeks, and headed up Niigata's wide delta, farmers out harvesting what they say is the finest rice in Japan. Tonight we caught up with a guy that Nate knows here in Nagaoka city - Scott - who let us crash on his floor and took us out for a night on the town with his buddies - an all-you-can-drink pub, a punk bar, and a great late night feast of stodgy ramen and dumplings.

Big roadside monk

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Day 41

Atsumi -> Niigata
Distance:110km
With the typhoon gone, we rode on into Niigata Prefecture and down one of the most picturesque stretches of coastline yet - dwarf pines clinging to rugged outcrops and rocky pinnacles littering quiet sandy beaches like giants' fingers. Then on to the outskirts of Niigata City, where we camp tonight in a big green park with the giant orbs and glittering towers of heavy industry flashing alongside us.

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Day 40

Atsumi
Distance:0km
With Typhoon Shanshan raging away just off the coast, and the usually placid Sea of Japan heaving a huge swell, we decided to risk overstaying our welcome and spend the day at our new buddy John's place. Got a chance to watch hours of the Discovery Channel, upload some photos, do a bit of advanced route planning and finish my book (except the last pages that were blown out of it yesterday).

John

Photos Uploaded

Finally got a chance to upload some photos. They've been added to previous blog entries (check through 'Archives' on the left) and to my photo site: whatsitallabout.sugmug.com

Monday, September 18, 2006

Day 39

Honjo -> Atsumi
Distance:118km
Wind, wind, wind. Wind to blow paint off a fence, or he chain off my bike (3 times). Wind to blow you backwards up a hill. Wind to blow my handlebar bag open and the last 3 pages out of my novel. Wind that churned the surface of the sea up so much that it looked like it was covered in drift ice. The typhoon is sill way off, and may even be veering east and miss us now, but its arm is long. And then this afternoon, after we crossed into Yamagata prefecture the wind eased off and left us to enjoy a beautiful sretch of coastline. Staying tonight at another friend from couchsurfing.com, John, who entertained us with stories of his days in the Peace Core in a remote village in the high Peruvian Andes.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Day 38

Oga Peninsula -> Honjo
Distance:108km
Said goodbye to our hosts this morning and wound our way off the Oga Peninsula along spectacular roads that snake along the side of the sheer mountains, hundreds of metres above the sea below. Then past Akita city, and down the straight easy-riding costal road. Camping tonight next to souvenier shops, a bowling alley, a public bath (we showered only 2 days ago so didn't bother tonight), a supermarket, a karaoke hall and a sports dome. Convenient camping.

Graham and Masako

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Day 37

Oga Peninsula
Distance:0km
The hospitality and the food won over, and we stayed another day in this peaceful little fishing village of less then 300 people and no shops. Relaxed, walked along the beach, watched blues videos, enjoyed the great home-made food, played cards (which I lost every time) and enjoyed the good company all day. Will head off tomorrow morning, as Typhoon Shanshan comes ashore in southern Japan.

Friday, September 15, 2006

Day 36

Kita-akita -> Oga Peninsula
Distance:78km
Flew down the Komeshiro Valley and to the calm and sparkling Sea of Japan (or the Eastern Sea as the Koreans would have us call it), which will be our companion now for a few weeks. Then onto the beautiful Oga Peninsula this afternoon, past small golden rice fields, curving gracefully with the steep contours of the mountains, and around the jagged coastline to the small sleepy fishing hamlet of of Kamoaosa. Here we found lodgings with a wonderful couple from California - former actor, jeweller and vinyard-owner Scott and his wife a former linguist and boutique owner Masako, who we met through couchsurfing.com. Great hospitality, amazing food and many laughs. It will be hard to leave tomorrow, especially with rain fronts looming on the horizon.

Namahage - symbol of the Oga Peninsula

Cards with Graham and Masako

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Day 35

Mt Iwaki -> Kita-akita
Distance:78km
Visited large and green Iwaki Shrine and drank the water of the mountain god with a bus load of cute pre-school kids. Cycled on through apple orchards, boughs bending under the weight of ripe fruit, then over a low mountain pass and in the shade of big old cedar trees rode on into Akita Prefecture, the third on our trip so far. Camping next to an adventure playground tonight, a loooong slippery slide (we had to try it), emptying into the campsite.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Day 34

Asamushi -> Mt Iwaki
Distance:87km
Rode thru Aomori city in the morning, famous for its festival of big (3-storeys big!) laterns in the summer, and snow (of which it gets more than any other city in the world) in the winter. Carried on south under clear autumn skies, and along old meandering roads that parallel the boring truck infested highways, and to the old castle town of Hirosaki. Then up (and up) to camp at the foot of conical Mt Iwaki, which towers over Hirosaki in the valley below.

Lantern from Aomori's summer festival

Hirosaki Castle

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Day 33

Mutsu -> Asamushi
Distance:95km
This morning hitchhiked up to Osorezan, or "Fear Mountain", a place shrouded in mystery and sulfurous odours, where twisted rocks hiss, Shamans talk to the dead, and bell-shaped Osorezan rises out of an eerily still lake. Back in Mutsu I Jerry-rigged my pannier with a sandal and rope and despite Nate getting another puncture, we made good time. Tonight watched the autumn sun set over Aomori Bay thru the 10' windows of a hot spring high up on the 5th-floor.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Day 32

Hakodate -> Mutsu
Distance:67km
We rode down Honshu's northern-most penninsula to the small city of Mutsu and spent the afternoon catching up with an American friend Keyon and and his friend Di who are on their way to Sapporo on a whirlwind train tour of Japan. Then this evening, a small disaster as one of my bomb-proof German panniers (Cadilacs of the pannier world) became dislodged, got torn in the spokes and will no longer attach to my rack. Groan... will c what can be done in the morning.

Di, Keyon and Nate

Honshu

A short ferry ride this morning and we leave Hokkaido behind and cross into the Old World of Honshu - the biggest of Japan's 4 main islands. Where Hokkaido's history is short beyond unwritten legends of the Ainu, here Japanese history runs deep - buildings are old, rocks and trees have names, roads, built more with horses in mind, are narrow and twisted, and the standard Japanese of Hokkaido has been replaced by an old thick northern dialect I can sarcely understand.

Drying Kombu in the sun

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Day 31

Hakodate
Distance:15km
Threat of big rain kept us in Hakodate for today - at the bottom of Hokkaido's forked tail. We saw Hakodate's three stone churches, its star-shaped fort, and at night caught a bus with the lads from the Rider's House to the top of Hakodate mountain for one of "Japan's Top 3 Nightscapes." No Hong Kong or Sydney but beautiful all the same. Ate the biggest bowl of curry I've ever seen, then talked til late with fellow riders about routes and roads and passes and bears.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Day 30

Oshamanbe -> Hakodate
Distance:115km
Rode around the gulf towards the flawed symmetry of towering Komaga-take, a headwind seeming to pick up speed as we approached. Finally rode by it and down to the old port town of Hakodate at the bottom of Hokkaido's crooked tail. Found a great restaurant called Lucky Piero - no clowns but wall to wall Santas - and ate the biggest hamburger I've ever seen in my life.

Friday, September 08, 2006

Day 29

Toya Lake -> Oshamanbe
Distance:75km
The youngest of Japan's many volcanos, Showashin-zan, sits like a giant pimple next to its ancient (but still kicking) mother, Uzu-zan. The story goes that in 1943, a local farmer found a bump in one of his vegetable fields, then saw his field turn into a small smouldering mountain, now around 425m high. This afternoon we rode down to the Gulf of Uchiura, to find another volcano on the horizon - the Fuji-like Komaka-take waiting for us across the gulf.

Japan's youngest mountain

Komaka-take in the distance

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Day 28

Chitose -> Toya Lake
Distance:121km
Said goodbye to our biker-grandma at Chitose Riders Inn and set off to find two lakes. Despite a painful 20km wrong turn, we found them in the end: both craddled by the huge craters of (probably!) extinct volcanos. The area itself is far from dormant tho, with a string of hot spring towns and Japan's newest volcano just around the corner. Sitting under the full moon on the shore of dounut-shaped Toya Lake tonight, watching fireworks go off on the far shore.

With biker grandma

Toya Lake

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Day 27

Sapporo
A sleepless Dutch boy, three Turkish thieves, a Korean stroke victim, a Puerto Rican goat, a Shakespeare-espousing monkey, Ugandan child soldiers and a Ukrainian angel. Deprived somewhat of such things in Kochi rice paddies for two years, we couldn't pass up the chance to check out a day of the international short film festival going on in Sapporo at the moment. Left the bikes at Chitose Station and trained into the city for a little creative shot in the arm.

Lunch in Sapporo's Odori Park

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Day 26

Tomakomai -> Chitose
Distance:36km
"Your friend bicycle busted! He walking. 4/5 kilo back." Rain poured down, trucks roared by, a fighter plane screamed overhead, and I was wet thru in a way that only a cyclist can be. We fixed Nate's puncture and tho it wasn't even midday stopped at the next town and rode no further. Poorly as it began tho, the day ended well: Cheap and chatty accommodation and a great restaurant whose owner plied us with gourmet dumplings and conversation until late.

Monday, September 04, 2006

Day 25

Biratori -> Tomakomai
Distance:79km
Riding back down to the coast, my perception of this land altered by a visit to the Ainu Museum and my head swimming in the organic curves of Ainu art, Nate broke a spoke and reality came crashing back. After some running repairs, we heded for Tomakomai - the nearest big town - for a new spoke and a new tire. With no time to get the campsite we were aiming for, we waited til after dark and set up camp in a public park for the night.

Nate and his magic kevlar spoke

The Ainu

Not so long ago, this land of Hokkaido was not Japanese. But what began as trade with northern neighbours soon turned to conquest and assimilation. Forgotten wars were fought and the Ainu and their culture suffered the same fate as so many other indigenous peoples around the world. Now Hokkaido is just Japan's big northern island and Ainu culture is confined largely to a handful of giftshops and small museums such as the one we visited this morning in the small mountain village of Nibutani.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Day 24

Samani -> Biratori
Distance:129km
A thunder storm descended upon us in the morning, but as we rode out of kombu and into horse country, the storm gave way to bright blue skies and a welcome tail-wind. Stumbled ontn a village procession - young men carrying the local god thru the town on their shoulders. At the end of the day, unable to find the campsite we'd originally counted on using, we pushed on up into the mountains to the Ainu village of Nibutani, exhausted after the longest day yet.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Day 23

Hiro'o -> Samani
Distance:90km
Rounded spectacular Erimo Cape, mountains plunging sheer into the Pacific, the tail end of a mountain chain that snakes down from its head in the volcanic heights of Asahi-dake. Kombu farmers dry their harvest in the sun along the narrow coastline. This giant kelp grows wild in an abundance here that has raised this otherwise remote and windswept region out of obscurity. Tonight we camp by the beach and the sound of the big surf rises above everything else.

Erimo Cape

Beachside camp

Friday, September 01, 2006

Day 22

Urahoro -> Hiro'o
Distance:90km
Tried in vain to replace Nate's failing tire in the morning before heading off through rolling pastures, fields of yellow wild flowers and overhead eagles circling in pairs and huge flocks of black crows like clouds. Beautiful countryside, but without a single convenience store all day until Hiro'o (mysteriously dubbed "Santa-land") tonight, this may well be the most sparsely populated corner of Japan. Camping tonight amid a haze of small white moths.

Kashmir