Japan Day 33 - Full Circle, We Arrive Back To Izumisano

This is a hard blog post to write. It will be the last day I spend with my big sister. I haven't seen her in over a year; and the very quick five weeks we spent every waking minute together has gone by so quickly. 

Pictures help. It's so nice to have family and memories.

I won't make this into a sad story becUse don't feel that I've lost my sister. We met half way around the world to cycle some of the most beautiful parts of Japan durring the most precious time of Spring. She'll be gone but I will see her again. She has to continue her adventure too.

A stand alone tent we had the incredible fortune of spending the night under on the one night we spent outside. The morning came with a curious field attendant. Obviously we were camping here last night, but, perhaps the camping season has not started yet. Gabi communicated with the man and explained that we would be up to the office shortly to settle the bill. He seemed satisfied with that answer and drove off with a bow. 

We reached the office after packing and breakfast to meet another man behind a desk. I asked for a piece of oaper and explained pictorially that we had arrived last night and wanted to pay. With a smile, tow words exited the mans mouth with cold breath, "no money."

Shocked and happy to hear, we said thank you many times and left with a wave. Unexpected good fortune is the best way to start the day =)

We camped next to Universal Studios Japan, and whatever this building is.

Just for laughs. "Where'd you go to school?" Asked the daughter's father. "Kinky poly tech, Sir."

The rest of the day was dedicated to a cycle down the coast aimed at the airport. There, we had arrived full circle. Alive weeks had come and gone yet the wonder that greeted us upon arrival had not disapeared, had not faded. We arrived at Izumisano with wide eyes, albeit a little more comfortable in our surroundings , a little wiser. 

Our old friend Yoske was even there to greet us. All hungry for something to eat, we rushed home to drop off our bags and get right back out the door again for dinner. Laughing the whole way, catching up on our stories and what we've come to love, Yoske asks, "How about something new?" 

So we drove to a new restaurant serving a relatively new dish, dipping Udon. I explained that if I had ordered this by mistake, I would have simply put the broth right into the big bowl with the noodles. The comment sparked a laugh and we were instructed to move the noodles instead. Grab the udon, place in broth for a moment and enjoy! 

Improbable occupancies like this happen more often than you imagine. How many fields of flowers would you have to cycle through to place a flower so perfectly between your spokes without trying? And yet there it was, greeting us with the sun.

My Polaroid snapping friend made this one of the last moments my sister and I had in Japan together.

Talk about full circle. This is the very same restaurant that sister first ate her first Japanese meal at. What a treat. The food is of course delicious as always. However, looking at the clock as we ate, I did some quick math. We had to hurry if we were going to get my sister to her flight!

Quick, quick, quick! I unstarpped my multi tool, sis unpocketed hers and we got to work dismantling her front rack, fenders, pedals, and adjusting the handle bars to have the Bianchi fit inside a borrowed RINKO bag (there is no way the train conductors will let you and your dirty bike on their pristine train. Hence, everyone "must" place bikes in such bags). 

Running through the train terminal to be on time! 

We spent last night and this morning, for hours, trying to track down a bike box. Finally after sitting with the information desk and convincing the very sweet attendant working there to call local bike shops, hardware stores, and sports departments asking for a bike box. But, no dice.

This was a serious problem. No bike box means that sister could not take her bike on the airplane. 

What to do? No bike shops had boxes to sell or even donate. Then out of luck, United Airlines said they would sell my sister a box! Phew! Literally, we got this news just a few hours before sis had her flight.

As you can see, the box is huge! We actually decided to rebuild the bike up a bit after taking the mandatory train to the airport and pulling it out of the RINKO bag. 

Bike built up again. No way we would leave the valuables unattended. Spent our last few minutes together packaging her bike up with care and putting the happy bike on the plane. Now it can brag to all the other bikes in sister's shed about life here in Japan.

Sister had an amaIng time. She doesn't have to tell me, you can read it on her face.

And so it went. We got her passport out, hugged, laughed on last time about the better times, laughed harder about surviving the crummy days, and she walked off past the gate I could not enter.

Finally, I am not a numbers guy. Never have been much to compare total km even though I know my ballpark figure. Today is the exception.

From when we began at KIX international to Hiroshima along the coast, Gabi and I cycled 435 km. Then back to Onomichi was a mere 112 km. Across the suspension bridges and into Takamasu we cyes another 207 km though I am not counting what we did in Noaahima. From there it was a quick ride past Naruto and into Tokushima in 77 km. After the early ferry to Wakayama, we cycled 145 km along the back roads to Kyoto. And then from the Emperial grounds back to KIX, another 104km...for a grand total of 1,090km (that's 677.3 miles to you Americans)!! Nice!!

I am very proud of us for this mini family vacation though I know sis has to go back to work, breaking norms of what it means to be a female bicycle mechanic in a predominant male field.

Incredible Love to sis and all my friends and family who are here. Not goodbye, it's a see you later.

-A

Ps. Days later I now really miss having someone around who knows what I mean when I spit out half thought out sentences, or creat question that already anticipate answers to someone who follows my discordant logic. Sure, my tent feels a little bigger now but food doesn't taste as exciting. 

Japan Day 32 - Spent The Day Underwater

Having bid a goodbye to our new friends (and a promise that I would return in a few days after sending my dear sister off at the airport in style), we left our home in Kyoto. It may be the last big urban area centered around tall grey buildings, polished river banks streaming cold water and lined with trees shading small patches of grass for lounging, and a large enough population to never repeat a face for a while. 

We cycled into a comfortable hotel in Osaka to hide from the dark clouds and frigid wind, to be given a comfortable room that surprisingly was made out for disabled people. To us, this meant a slightly larger room than normal and a slightly variant spacial orientation of beds, desk, bathroom, and furniture amendments that made everything...accessible. 

While putting my bags down on the bed, lost in those incongruous feelings of being in a familiar yet somehow uneven place, admiring the layout of our purchased comfort, a small string coming out if the wall fifteen centemeters off the floor caught my eye. Never seen that before. So I pulled it. 

Bad idea. Logic lapsed my mind before I pulled the "help, I've fallen on the floor and can't get up" wall mounted trigger that only comes equipped in rooms like this one. Well, at east the staff are very attentive.

After the alarms quelled and a movie turned on in the background, I began to drift off into a well welcomed nine and a half hour nap. 

The next morning we left wth no dissallusions - we had to cycle to the airport, and quick. Sisters flight is only two days away and we still have to get there, explode our bags to rearrange/re exchange all our belongings, track down a bike box, pack up, meet another friend at the airport, and find a place to sleep. 

But, priorities first: we weren't going to leave without visiting one of the World's biggest aquariums.

Unlike that horrible day we cycled under rainwater for the better part of the day on the run to Onomichi, today we will submerged ourselves in water of a different kind. Tank water.

Osaka proper. Sis and I missed this central area of urban city the first time through. Now, it leads the way to aquatic adventures.

More manhole covers for the collection.

You can't tell from this distance, but the curvy domed structure behind me is actually home to the Osaka baseball team. An unexpected travel highlight =)

Flowers we parked our bikes next to. Right before we reached the massive underwater space, sis and I agreed that we should eat. Better to go in full than to rush through hungry.

And so we ate.

I was concentrating on this Korean BBQ ramen soup as sis chowd her tempura bowl. 

Waiting outside the large aquarium.

I am no marine biologist. I don't pretend to know all the scientific names or even most of their colloquial names. What I can tell you is that we spent many hours here, watching, reflecting, pondering, waiting, and wondering underwater. Highly recommended. I submit these photos to you without captions. So scroll and enjoy.

This ray fish was so happy to swim on top of us. S/he did so many times.

Where the sea otters call home.

Of course, at feeding time, the employees put on a show.

Emperor pinguibs standing unnaturally still. 

Even dolphins swim these underwater caves.

Diversity of Life.

This octopus is amazing, pulling itself into an even smaller space than the one before seems to be no great feat.

Cuttle fish!

What's the worlds third largest tank by volume worth without such iconic animals like the hammer head?

Turtles!

Ok, so this exhibit is not obscured in black and white, it my effect. These crabs look so much more creepy and scary this way!

You don't get to be one of the Worlds largest by skiping on the exhibits. I'm happy to see so many aquatic conditions, habitats, and arrangements of species. Besides the large tank you more or less walk through and under, there are separate tanks to hold more sensitive aquatic animals. Like these jelly fish.

At the end of the underwater experience and about four hours later, we weren't led to the gift shop I was expecting. What we walk into was rather a very unexpected petting zoo! 

The ray in the middle of this pictures is trying to escape by using it's wings to fly. Didn't work the way s/he had planned it out.

Well five hours and one kilometer of walking later, it was time to go. We left and I opted for a McDonalds I've cream dessert because why not? As I sat on the red and yellow bench enjoying my white dairy substance filled cone, a man in a buisness suite walked up to sister and I and asked if we were looking for a place to camp. Indeed we are, I said. And so we get to talking and it turns out he's been all around on bike and looking out for fellow travelers =) He pointed us in the direction of a free ferry that will take us to an island campground. Too perfect. The man left in a hurry but not before we gave him many thanks. And that's how we came to this gate, waiting for the ferry to take us to our unknown home.

Waiting, waiting for the ferry.

A full day of underwater exploration and travel by water. The wet theme of today's adventure will unfortunately continue because the night forecasts slight rain. Though by the look on my sisters face, you wouldn't guess we where heading into rough water.

High spirits when following a tip from a complete stranger. 

Before we could settle in, and this is pretty much a standard rule when traveling, there is one last obstacle to conquer. Be it head wind for the last five kilometers, a huge mountain climb, a no bike bridge river crossing, or in this case, a steel cyclone of a bike path up to the underbelly of a bridge.

Sis putting in the last bit of work for the day. Mind you, we didn't know at this point whether we would even find a campsite after this stretch. It weighs on your psyche sometimes, although it pays dividends once everything works out and you remember how awesome a random encounter with a stranger can be.

Sister chugging some sweet OJ from the Lawson's before bed. Lights out!

The night did bring a little rain in fact, and we did camp outdoors. In a hopefull set of circumstances, we turned out ok. Not only was there a campsight right where the stranger suggested, and not only did this rare campsight offer us a full proof rain cover, not only that but in the morning we tried to pay the field manager for our stay and he insisted that we don't pay. I have no words to crystallize the kindness these people show to wondering travelers.

Hurry up! Only one full day left! Sister leaves tomorrow! 

Love,

-A