And so my fellow binglers, we have reached the end of the cycling in Japan. Last we spoke i was in hiroshima, and from there it was a short ferry ride over to Shikoku, my third island. Two fast and furious days through mountain passes and through gorges and canyons took me west to east and another ferry ride back to whence we began, Tokyo.
My idea was to get back to Tokyo to head west, hitting Mt. Fuji and then make my way to Osaka. It was two days to get to Fuji, its surrounded by moutains. The top of the cone was covered in snow and even more after a night of rain on me and snow on Fuji. Stopped by the Earth Embassy for a tea and a chat before camping in a nice bird sanctuary.
From Fuji it was downhill to the coast and then just days of ugly riding along the very industrizlied southern pacific coast of Japan. Though i did have a chance to bike on the Pacific Bicycle Trail, though it actually wasnt by the coast.
Anywho, after several days of ugly riding, a day of rain i finally shot across 100 miles to reach Osaka, camped one last time and checked into the J Hoppers hostel and am offically calling my touring adventures over as of today.
Here are the final stats:
50 days cycling from September 13 to November 1
3,000.1 miles (5000.1km)
60 miles average per day, 12.42 mph average.
241 hours and 46 minutes cycling
Longest day 113.62 miles, shortest day 9.43
28 nights wild camping, 8 nights paid campground
7 nights hostel, 3 overnight ferries, 2 nights internet cafe, 1 minishuku, 1 night couchsurfing
3 flats (all rear wheel)
3 islands visited: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikuko
8 National Parks: Akan, Shiretoko, Daisetsuzan, Shikotsu-Toya, Joshin-Etsu Kogon, Chubu-Sangaku, San-in Kaigan and Fuji-Hakone-Izu
3 expressways illegally cycled, 1 gay park camped in, 2 days with no biking
5 books read: Grapes of Wrath, A Walk in the Woods, Knitting under the Influence, Temple of the Golden Pavillion, The Mystic Massuer
4 ferry rides, 10 different convience store chains visited, 5 100 miles or plus days, 1 fall and 2 new scars
Next up is a little west coast action, going from San Francisco up to Portland and finally Seattle before returning to the Garden State, aka New Jersey．So for now, reporting from Japan, i guess thats all she wrote. Till we next meet in the United States of America, ta ta
1 comment:
Hi Ross,
Love your cycling adventure. I am doing a first-time road trip, alone, cycling from Tokyo to Osaka, down the east coast towards Nagoya; what would be the recommended route, preferably on tarmac. Someone said take Route 1 out of Tokyo, I think that's a highway which is not really viable. Do email any advice or suggestion to poeticplayground@hotmail.com. Thanks for the time!
Tommy from Singapore
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