Japan Exodus - Day 29: Inside Aingst

For some crazy reason, I thought camping out on the grass would be no problem. There was a storm coming, and I knew that I would likely stay the whole day undercover - but I thought I could wake up at 5AM (as I usually do these days; that which signals the morning penetrates even the tent) and pak up before the rain that was scheduled for a 6AM wake up call.

That was before I arrived at the rest area and ordered a little dinner. After which hung around by my bike waiting for the cover of twilight to begin setting up my things for the night. It's around this time when some folks come to talk briefly with me on their way back home. Simple questions and requests for me to stay safe are made. Sometimes an unexpected treat is given. So, I did not find it out of the ordinary when an older gentleman came to speak with me for a good half an hour. He didn't speak English but it was understood by the end of the conversation that he is the facility manager.

When someone asks me where I plan to stay the night, I am usually happy to tell them that I have a tent to build. But with staff, the tent answer can be taken one of two ways. Either a staff will be impressed, or they might ask me not to camp on the facility. I don't think the rain had anything to do with the manager's reaction when I told him I would camp, as I held my breath. He told me to please camp under the cover, as a big storm would wash me out in the night. I thankfully, happily, agreed.

Yeah, check out this wicked storm coming up from the south-west. In the middle there where you see all the yellow and red is Kumamoto city, where the earthquake of just a few days ago hit the worst. They are in real trouble there because so many houses have been unfit by Japanese government inspection officers to live in. Extreme reconstruction is needed in many cases, complete overhauls on others. Can you imagine? And now this storm....

I am currently on the north- east side, along the norther coast. Its a little hard to see on this map just where. But, the storm is moving my way, and today the whole day the wind and rain decided for me that there would be no ridding of the bike.

Hey, but you know me, I make friends. This crazy motor biker came in late last night just as I was ready to get into my tent for the last time and fall asleep. He was surprised that I was going to bed so early, around 7:30PM. I told him that when this rain hits tomorrow, we would have plenty of time to catch up and exchange stories. 

When the morning came, we did just that. There was just the two of us at first. Some other RV-ers came out later in the morning to join us. When I asked if he wanted some coffee (from the vending machine) he told me to wait just a moment before he braved the storm and went to go unhook a box from his soaking wet motor bike parked in the lot. Upon his return it was not a request for coffee that he made, but an offering. 

My new friend is not the first person to bring a stove with him, almost all the people I have come to meet this time around Japan have a stove and make me wonder if I should pick up a little one myself. I have the room, I could swing it if I find a good one. I'll see...

After some delicious fresh coffee - nothing like that first cup - the guy told me that he must be on his way. Amazing, as the wind was really kicking up. He said he had a schedule to keep however. Well, before he left he told me to please sign his helmet so that he could remember me. I obliged. There was only one other message written in English: "Four wheels move the body, two wheels move the soul." True words.  

There he goes, into the belly of the storm. So glad that I don't have a schedule to force me out into this miserable weather. Also, everyone chooses their own level of comfort. I have cycled with people who keep just one small bag, cycle and sleep in the same clothes, with not even a sheet to keep them warm at night - and on the other end of the spectrum people who cycle with five bags on their bike, and hauling a trailer with some more things. We all choose our level of comfort on the road, there is no one way to do things. For him, going off in the rain was not just something that he did to keep schedule, I want to also think something that he was OK with doing.   

In some parts of California, I think you can get a fine for doing this. Washing out the front of your facility with a hose when there is a water shortage. Not that there is a water shortage in Japan, probably not ever. But, really? Hosing down the floors under a rain storm? Something seems wrong here. 

So I waited. Catching up big time with computer work that I had been putting off because I was just too tired at night. Now, with nothing but time on my hands, my to-do list got a lot shorter as I watched the waves move away from shore under the sheer power of the storm's wind. 

Lunch! Japan might not know how to do breakfast, at most places they copy an American version of breakfast on a smaller scale. Lunch and dinner are a different story. Bento boxes are everywhere, cheap, and made fresh daily. One great thing about hanging around this place all day is that I get first dibs on when they put out fresh food!

When I had enough of work, another task occupied my time. I had send home two or three boxes worth of things from my home in Tosa back in Kouchi, Shikoku. Still, I carried things that I had room for, but didn't really need. Extra clothes, some books, maps, and a few other small things. With the rain I had the perfect opportunity to re-arrange my bags and make major adjustments to my packing setup. 

Another reason for this is that I had begun to research airplane tickets back to USA and figured that the Japanese post would indeed be the better option to send a few unneeded trinkets back home, rather than the 200$ the airlines charge for adding an extra bag or going over weight. I have to take my bike back with me, don't forget. 

Along the process of packing and unpacking, I found an R2-D2 toy that my siblings sent me in a care package. I couldn't send this little guy back home, he is coming with me on this journey, and I found the perfect place to tuck him in for the ride. 

Dinner time. Bags re-packed and a heavy amount of things to send off at the next post office, a mostly checked off to-do list, and some breaks in between, dinner came before I noticed. Tuna shashimi, a dinner box, and a bag of local oranges. I have had worse when I had more options before, so this is not a bad dinner, not at all.   

Around 6PM the rain started to let up a little bit, thought the wind was really still blowing the cement planted flags over. I had been staring at a far off island all day. It was not that far if I could see it. Can you? Its just right over there. My legs did most of the convincing really. They were ready to go from the coffee and had a good rest, they didn't want to spend another night in the same place. They needed a little exercise and decided to go out in the sprinkling rain. If for nothing else, for a change in the scenery.  

As I was packing everything up for a final time, a grandmother came by to talk with me. I think the sign I made is really a blessing. More so than just seeing a wondering traveler go along through there town, people read the sign and are so impressed that even if they don't really talk with me, ask to take a photo. This grandmother did talk however, and told me to wait just a moment (that phrase in Japan is mentioned many times a day). She returned with a corn meal soup she was cooking in her trailer and some grilled meat onigiri for me. I smiled at the soup, it was exactly what I needed for on this day. The onigiri I told her I would save for a night snack later on. She was very happy to help me along the way, and asked me to please enjoy the prefecture of her home. 

Not at all far, not even 10 km to the next small island. 

Tomorrow I'll tell you all about the nasty bridge that I took to get to the island, and how a little spooky my camping is tonight. For now, there is little battery left on my laptop from working all day so I say good night quickly and hope to make some real tracks tomorrow and bring up my daily km average. 

Love,

-A