DAY 10: Behind Schedule in the Shimokita Peninsula:
I leave the heavenly camp-jo and head out into the rain once again. The knee pain however is becoming worse and worse, to the point that I begin to wonder if the trip might be at danger. If anything major happens to either me or my bike, there is no way that I would ever manage to arrive in Cape Sata.
After hours of pedaling, the pain becomes so excruciating that I walk, pushing the bike up, and riding it downhill to save time.
The rain has not stopped falling for days now, and all that I own is thoroughly drenched.
I reach the camping site where I had previously planned to stop in, but decide to keep going, to cover more ground and get back on schedule. Because of this, I end up in a crappy, little, lonely park that was categorized by google maps as a camp-jo.
Many travelers on these types of journeys have slept inside restrooms. So, sick of being out in the rain, I give it a try. After about an hour in that stench-filled, brightly lit place, I was unable to sleep, so I leave. I'd rather be covered in honey being chased by angry rabid Hokkaido bears in a forest than deal with that ever again. Cursing in the wind, I find a tower, where I place my tent. It looks like some sort of lookout tower with an observation deck. Here I place my tent.
105km
DAY 11: Cycling Superpowers Activate!
Today is cold, and rainy, and all of my wet clothes have begun to stink terribly. But, I am prepared to do a lot today, I arrive in Hachinoe, a small city with very nice and friendly locals.
I find a pharmacy after a couple of tries. Inside, the sensei and a nice lady provide me with all the medications that I need to fix my leg. Wonderful!! They even bring me to the post office so I can withdraw money from the international ATM.
I grab some lunch nearby, and all the locals are incredibly nice. I think I am reaching "civilization", and I am quite happy about it. Looking back, Hokkaido was not that bad. I think the problem had to do more with me than with the locals. I forgot how anywhere you go in the world, the countryside is very different from the urban centers. I made the mistake of taking it the wrong way.
Oh well, no harm done.
After eating and bandaging up, I feel fired up. Something in me changes, I feel strong. I push like a locomotive for kilometers without end.
With both legs working now, I try to do 150km. Unfortunately, the day is too short and because of this, I find myself in one of the scariest of situations yet. Alone, cold, wet and completely in the dark, I rush through winding mountain roads. The next michinoeki is 20km away, too far. I keep going for an hour and eventually find a small rest area. I park my bike and tent behind a small building. Strangely, the creatures of the night do not bother me anymore, they are almost soothing to the ears.
122km
DAY 12: Rollecoaster Mountains:
I pack up and head out, once again under the cold rain. I have only one dry shirt, and it stinks. I have not had a shower in days now and am beginning to feel tired. Yesterday's strength is gone.
I happily eat like a lion at a restaurant, but my feelings soon turn for the worse. I enter the disaster zone where destroyed towns dot the coast. Some are so badly damaged, only debris and relief workers inhabit them. In the process, I manage to get a flat tire.
I ride through the day, and stop at a michioneki. Here I meet Shigeru, a homeless, traveling buddhist monk who quickly becomes my friend. I give him some of my snacks and he gladly accepts. We sleep next to each other, me in my tent, him on a bench. Tomorrow, he promises me that he will let me meditate with him. I fall asleep looking forward to that.
87km
DAY 13: Beat the Typhoon to Ofunato!
Shigeru (the monk) and I meditate for an hour. I do not reach nirvana, but we talk about life and the big questions. I find my time with him is exceptionally meaningful, boosting my morale greatly. It pains me so much not to have either the time nor the ability to write more about this. Such is luck.
I move on, passing more disaster areas. Total destruction dots the land and I even manage to get another flat tire (the fourth so far). Only able to inflate it halfway due to the sheer crappiness of my pump, I find a tunnel and inflate it fully, away from the rain.
The last mountains ahead of Ofunato, the place where I will volunteer with Allhands, are impossible to climb. The winds pick up as Typhoon Roke is upon me, I have to make it to Ofunato in time or else I am in big trouble.
Hours and hours of carrying my bike up steep inclines finally come to an end as I reach the AllHands base camp.
After eating and bandaging up, I feel fired up. Something in me changes, I feel strong. I push like a locomotive for kilometers without end.
With both legs working now, I try to do 150km. Unfortunately, the day is too short and because of this, I find myself in one of the scariest of situations yet. Alone, cold, wet and completely in the dark, I rush through winding mountain roads. The next michinoeki is 20km away, too far. I keep going for an hour and eventually find a small rest area. I park my bike and tent behind a small building. Strangely, the creatures of the night do not bother me anymore, they are almost soothing to the ears.
122km
DAY 12: Rollecoaster Mountains:
I pack up and head out, once again under the cold rain. I have only one dry shirt, and it stinks. I have not had a shower in days now and am beginning to feel tired. Yesterday's strength is gone.
I happily eat like a lion at a restaurant, but my feelings soon turn for the worse. I enter the disaster zone where destroyed towns dot the coast. Some are so badly damaged, only debris and relief workers inhabit them. In the process, I manage to get a flat tire.
I ride through the day, and stop at a michioneki. Here I meet Shigeru, a homeless, traveling buddhist monk who quickly becomes my friend. I give him some of my snacks and he gladly accepts. We sleep next to each other, me in my tent, him on a bench. Tomorrow, he promises me that he will let me meditate with him. I fall asleep looking forward to that.
87km
DAY 13: Beat the Typhoon to Ofunato!
Shigeru (the monk) and I meditate for an hour. I do not reach nirvana, but we talk about life and the big questions. I find my time with him is exceptionally meaningful, boosting my morale greatly. It pains me so much not to have either the time nor the ability to write more about this. Such is luck.
I move on, passing more disaster areas. Total destruction dots the land and I even manage to get another flat tire (the fourth so far). Only able to inflate it halfway due to the sheer crappiness of my pump, I find a tunnel and inflate it fully, away from the rain.
The last mountains ahead of Ofunato, the place where I will volunteer with Allhands, are impossible to climb. The winds pick up as Typhoon Roke is upon me, I have to make it to Ofunato in time or else I am in big trouble.
Hours and hours of carrying my bike up steep inclines finally come to an end as I reach the AllHands base camp.
Safe!
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