DAY 22: The City that Never Ends

The city is the setting of my travels today. I wonder, have I already entered the Tokyo metropolitan area?   Last night was nice, but staying in a hotel will get much much more expensive as I get closer to the capital. So I must find a place to sleep now. I decide to use as much time available while in the hotel room to find someone who will let me stay. I search facebook, my contacts, little pieces of paper and business cards I have collected during my stay in Japan. I skype a bunch of people, but no one answers.

After several hours of trying, I finally get Keiko on the line. She is a couchsurfing host and although the very very last minute inquiry, she is kind enough to take me in for the night. I leave the beautiful comforts of the hotel and head east into the city.

Route 17
I have been on the same route I believe since Niigata, up past the Alps and on the western coast. I keep following it through the urban expans. I have a lot to cover as I have to go from Moebashi to Sagamihara today. But I am not worried, as Keiko will be meeting me at her nearby station at 10pm, so I have all day. I know that I will be traversing the city at night, so the sun`s disappearance does not trouble me today. As I go forward, I pass by a beautiful little garden of red flowers, and stop for a break.

Nighttime
The sun leaves, but the city is still vibrantly alive. I meet a Peruvian on the streets and we chat for a bit. He says he will be in Miami when I get back, so I tell him I will meet him there for a beer one day. When I tell him my destination, he is astounded as Sagamihara is at least 2 hours that way still.

I continue on. The city is excitingly beautiful at night. Not dangerous at all. At least no more than during the day. I meet an american couple near a McDonalds, and then I realize why. There is a huge airforce base near by. The entire strip resembles the US more than it does Japan and I feel at home for a couple of minutes.

I stop by at a little tiny cafe` and chat with two lovely ladies. They are surprised that I have come from Hokkaido. I tell my stories with pride and eventually I leave as they wish me luck.

I finally arrive at the station. 10pm on the dot. Keiko finds me and brings me to her place. Keiko is a middle aged woman who`s done a ton of volunteer work around the world. The architect and I chat for a bit, but me having traversed the city all day, and her with her typical Japanese busy lifestyle, we both go to sleep. Tomorrow I enter....Tokyo.

124km