DAY 1: The Deep North

WKJ Airport:
We finally land. I am officially alone, in Japan, with a dismantled bike and 2000 miles ahead of me. The airport is as big as, no, smaller than a supermarket. The locals stare. I'm the only foreigner, not to say that I am the one with the biggest piece of luggage.
I manage to find a spot outside away from the curious eyes but then....the rain comes. And comes. And comes. As I put my bike back together, worries of damages and missing pieces fill the mind. Surprisingly, next to me I find a fellow traveler, Japanese but not too sociable. I cannot remember his name, Itsu I think it is.
Anyways, he is much faster than I and as I am in the process of unpacking he is already inflating his tires. I manage to get him to tell me that he is riding all the way back to Tokyo. Then off he goes, perhaps searching for the solitude he came to find.

Wakkanai:
The quiet rainy outpost is enveloped in a feeling of loneliness, if not sadness. An old fashion song is replayed over and over in the semi-empty streets. The people often look at me as if they have rarely seen a Westerner.I blog now from some arched walkway, sheltered from the rain. It's fairly cold and damp outside, but the thought of a deliciously warm meal reassures my tired yet alert mind. Question is.... do I go for the giant crabs or take my only chance at trying Russian cuisine?

Dinner:
I went the third way and got some delicious soup instead.

Cape Soya:
The road to the northern tip is a lonely one dotted only by a couple of houses here and there. I reach Soya and set up camp. As I am looking for a safe spot, a fox jumps out and follows me. I give it penut butter and soda, and so he decides to follow me some more. As I am walking in a field I look back, and he's gone.
Foxes, as racoons, are said to be shapeshifters here in Japan. Strangely enough, I had just stopped by a shrine and rung the bell, as it is customary. This is said to wake the spirit that lives there. Strange.

Camping:
Sucks. There is so much damn wind my tent almost flew away four times, once with me in it. Plus the ground is pure stone two inches down so the tent won't stand still. I attached my bike to hold it down and used my bags to weigh it down.
Now as I am writing this, the wind shakes the stupid thing violently.
Who the heck is going to sleep with this ruckous.....
Anyways, I keep making friends. I made more friends today than all of last year. It's tough out here but well worth it.

Below are some pictures from the trip so far: