Day 2 Sunday 13th June 2010

Sleeping on the ferry. My bed was no. 22, in with the older couples, my first 'Grand bath' in public. Met good people on the ferry.
Arriving in Hokkaido.
Loaded up the panniers and off I went in search of a camping spot. It's acceptable to free camp on Hokkaido.
My plan is to keep the sea on my left and go where I will.
Cycled along road 141 into beautiful forested areas, up hill and up hill and rewarded by reaching Lake Shikotsu, a caldera lake surrounded by picturesque volcanoes.

Hokkaido Adventure Day 1 Sat 12th June 2010

Off to Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan to cycle, camp and holiday for 5 weeks.
When I started this journey the Bike Odometer was already on 473km.

Left Yokohama on Sat 12th July 2010 at 1.30pm.
4 hours on the trains with the bike, the panniers and a tent. Thanks to the kindness of some wonderful Japanese people for helping me on the trains.

View court (my apartment) to Oarai.
Motomachi - Chukagi to Naka Meguro to Ueno to Mito to Oarai where the train guards gave me a map with directions to the ferry terminal. Hooray I made it in 4 hours!!!
Purchased my Ferry Ticket 10,400 yen = AUD $76
MOL Ferry Co - SUNFLOWER
Two burly men strapped in my bike beside the motorbikes in readiness for the 19 hour sea journey ahead.
A great start to a brilliant adventure.

Pics on the way!!!

I survived cycling northern Japan and will post pics soon.

Kamakura

Rode to Kamakura, 50 km loop this morning to test the new touring tyres. All good.
Latest pic of me.

Fri 28th May

A great way to start the day - a 2 hour cycle in the sunshine.
Sunrise here is 4.30am - there's no daylight savings. So out on the bike before heading to work.
No students today, just a day to work on reports. Only 9 days of work to go then holidays - yahoo!

ah the weekend

Busy weekend.
Glorious sunny day on Saturday 21st May, on the roadie went down the peninsula and did 115km, home by 11.30am.
Spent the afternoon shopping and managed to hunt down a thermarest mattress, a down jacket, spare tent pegs and a couple of water proof sacs. It's all good - not long to go!!!

Sunday awoke to rain. Went out on the Centurion 700 Tourer for a couple of hours, since I have to get used to riding in all sorts of weather. Cleaned up the bike with a squirt of this and that to prevent the rust setting in. Living by the sea seems to make things rust in a flash.

Student reports all finished and now I have cabin fever, want to go out and do something fun but it's still raining.
Reading a book about a lady who cycles around some parts of Japan solo. I have lost interest in her adventures and want to get out there and have my own and besides she doesn't go to Hokkaido - where I'm going and where I believe it will be stunningly beautiful.

Happy weekend to everyone who gets to read this.

16th May 2010

Over the 2 days we cycled 97km with fully loaded panniers.
Love the new bike.
Almost ready for take off on 12th June.