Random Thoughts from the Road

There is a rhythm to the ride, which is starting to fade into the background. The countryside is starting to look similar, as are the cities. The energy of Tokyo and the crowds of the tourist sites in Kyoto are fading further from memory, replaced by the daily life of cities and the slow pace of the country.

After leaving Fukui, I had a ride to Kanazawa to see the sights and have the first rest day of the trip. I wanted to love the city, but it (or perhaps, I) was missing the energy to love it. It did offer a much-needed break and a chance to see a museum and garden.

"Swimming Pool" Kanazawa Modern Art Museum

The following days of riding were enjoyable, featuring relatively comfortable temperatures, wind direction and elevation. With no remarkable items to share, this is a good chance to offer some random thoughts I have had throughout the trip.

• My butt hurts. This has been thought or said out loud hundreds of times

• There are almost no bugs that I have faced when riding

• My first exposure to Japan was, I think, a Reading Rainbow segment. I miss that show and the foundation it gave me in reading, and also in understanding and seeing the world.

• Audiobooks are great...until they are not. There comes a point in a ride where you need music to set a tone, a beat for the ride.

• No headphones are also needed at times, just listening to the sounds of the road passing by

• Japan is eerily quiet and without life for large stretches. It is not just that I am riding in uninhabited places, but the villages have almost no life in them. It feels like a ghost town at times.

• Sunday is the exception to this; there seems to be a lot more going on when people are not working than during the week, which makes sense.

• Rice is at various heights. It seems to be taller the further North I get, perhaps because there is a single planting season here?

• Vending machines are everywhere, but almost all are for drinks.

• The distance between major towns is about 20km

• Sports fields are not covered in grass. Both soccer and baseball are played on large gravel fields.

• Schools seem somewhat run down, at least judging by the landscaping.

• Convenience store hype in Japan is completely justified. The food options and quality are really high and make for a great meal. This is why I am counting the stops throughout the journey. I wish more of them had seating, though....a place to rest has been lacking throughout the trip.

• The last hour of a ride is tough; it doesn't matter if it is over 100 km or 50 km. When you sense the destination is close, everything takes longer.

• For all of my planning, I missed considering Chamois Creme. It was hard to find in Japan, but Amazon came through and has made the ride much more comfortable.

• So much of my downtime is taken up with putting on various creams. Sunscreen and Chamois Creme in the morning, Diaper rash creme in the evening (does wonders for saddle sores), Aloe Vera to help the areas I missed the sunscreen and Ibuprofen gel for the knees and other sore areas.

• I need to drink more water.

• Salt from sweat gets everywhere.

• I need a lot less than I normally travel with

• Japanese drivers are extraordinarily considerate. One example of this is that in going through tunnels, trucks will wait to pass, knowing there is not a lot of clearance. They will often give a wide berth.

• There is no greater joy than going down a hill after climbing up one.

• Japanese food is delicious, but sometimes McDonald's or Starbucks hits the spot.

• Scenery is starting to run together, making photos and videos less interesting to take (for me). I am glad I started out taking a lot, but will work on getting back to taking shots of the road in the days to come.

• I am moving faster than I thought I would on this trip, but also have a lot more to go

That's all for today!

Day 12

Distance (day) - 84 km

Distance (total) - 982 km

Climbing (day) - 260 m

Climbing (total) - 6709 m

Convenience Stores (day) - 3

Convenience Stores (total) - 20

Tunnels (day) - 2

Tunnels (total) - 52

Day 13

Distance (day) - 92 km

Distance (total) - 1074 km

Climbing (day) - 296 m

Climbing (total) - 7005 m

Convenience Stores (day) - 2

Convenience Stores (total) - 22

Tunnels (day) - 2

Tunnels (total) - 54