Japan Exodus - Day 32: Am I Pretty?

I suppose not.

That is what I say to the small strip of norther coast cycled today. Looking back on the last twenty-four hours worth of photos, none scenic. I hope that I am not taking the Japanese country side for granted. I don't think I am. However, today was also marked with a good cycle to a lake side camp site I had my eye on since I crossed over into this prefecture. 

At the first break of the day I waited along a shadowless wall checking the future weather and route. Sometimes I get a good conversation from people as I wait, sometimes all I get is a smile and a gift. Today's morning brought a case of the later. An older man, who I had not noticed as I waited, came around and dropped this in my hands. He smiled his white beard. Before I could say anything he had already turned around and was walking down the way back to where I assume is his home.  

Now that this onigiri and sports drink is in front of me I enjoyed them both thoroughly, though I had not intended to eat breakfast this morning. Can't let a such a gift go unappreciated. 

Right, like I said, no grand photos today. This is the second photo of the day, and also literally my 4pm meal of the day. I had cross a few small hill passes, and small towns along the way. I am now exactly where I want to be, about ten kilometers away from the day's end, a lake where I hope the view is beautiful despite today's clouds. 

Sucks, today my sunglasses fell off my handlebars and I accidentally rolled over them. I had those glasses for over a year and a half! Now that was a dollar well spend. Oh well, as I told my friend Kyle on our first day: Don't worry if you forgot anything, the Daiso (Japan's dollar store) has everything you need.  

I might be loosing my mind. So, no change here today. 

I arrive shortly after my mid afternoon meal. The trouble with those meals is that I am never sure if I will be hungry or not through the night. Nothing like being hungry and trying to fall asleep, thats a horrible feeling. But, I had arrive at my location for the day and I would have to make do with whatever I could find in the case that hunger did call on me late that night. 

The lake where I wanted to spend that night was very beautiful but the weather was not so favorable. The dock offered boat rides to families much like the lake in Golden Gate Park where my mother worked. I didn't get in a boat though the image brought back many fond memories of eating pink popcorn and feeding wild birds along the way. 

Foot massage time. You can make out from the impressions on the floor that there are different pressure points to work out the stress all over your body, channeled through the soles of your feet. Or, souls, depending on what you think. 

 I like this place already, a small herb garden, the first that I have noticed, is grown along the way for people to use in their cooking. Dang, I really need to look into getting a stove or something. With this available mint though, I would be more in the mood for a mojito. 

What do you expect from rest areas as nice as this one? I met another traveler along the way, said he had been on the road for two years now, trying to make it across and experience all the prefectures of Japan. How many people do you know that make it there mission to really know their country in such a way? I know more people who cant even name all fifty states, much less experience each one as intimately as he has. 

A map of Japan. Yes. A bit squarish and cramped, reworked to fit into a nice image. Certainly not to scale or geographically accurate but there is a resemblance to the overall outline of Japan and every prefecture is more or less where it should be. The circled ones are the prefectures he has visited. You can see he has the whole north east covered well, Shikoku too, and is slowly making his way over to the west side of the country. 

Well, hunger did not exactly come across me again tonight. If you put food in front of me I certainly would have ate it. And yet, there was this shop on the second floor of the information and rest area inside the rest stop where you could nosh on a little something. Can you guess what I ordered so that they would give me this spoon to use?

Take a look at the top of this spoon, the tip is rigid with a specific design. Actually it reminds me of the Star Wars symbol for the rebel alliance. Take your best guess at what I ordered and check back again tomorrow for the answer!

With that my dear loved ones, I leave you again with hopes in my heart that tomorrow will be a prettier day to capture. My belly is filled, the nights are getting warmer which is a better or worse things depending on who you are. For me, I am happy to be tired again, and fall asleep without the slightest worry on my mind except maybe taking some more photos.

Love and relaxation,

-A