25/10/2014 - Cycle Touring Japan - Day 32 - A day and a volcano to remember.

 

Distance cycled: 97.4km from near Kumamoto to Aso and around the area, Kyushu, Japan.
Average speed: 17.3Km/h
Moving Time: 5h36m
Elevation Ascended: 2173m
Total Distance on Current trip: 2,750km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 9,540km
Money spent: $40

What an amazing day, it started off a little bit iffy as I was woken by locals peering into the small bushy area beside the road where I camped, but that was my fault for not making much of an effort to hide myself when ip itched my tent last night.
So, it was an early morning start and it was gorgeous, there was a layer of mist fighting to dissipate under the morning sun and everything around me seemed dreamlike.
It wasn't all that far to get to Aso where I would be spending a night or two at a hostel, it's suppose to be a beautiful area with the added bonus of knowing that it has the largest caldera in the world and is active.
To my surprise, when cycling the highway to Aso town I realized that I was cycling in the caldera not knowing I was in it; that is how big it is, it was only when the morning fog evaporated I saw the cliff faces that is the caldera wall.
Now, just to explain, this caldera is the result of a huge explosion creating this hole in the earth. There are now volcanoes growing out of the center which is Mount Aso. I expected the villages and towns to be on the outside of the large caldera but most of the townships in the area are inside - fertile volcanic soil is very good for crop.
Arriving at the hostel I wasn't able to check in till 4pm for I dropped off my stuff and went for a ride around the region cycling up to as high as I was allowed to go up mount Aso - reaching the summit of the volcano was prohibited at this time due to noxious gases pluming from the volcano.
Whilst up there I found a hiking path up a nearby mountain to take in the stunning scenery and all that surrounded me.
It was a 30km round trip back to the hostel and on the way down I had an extremely close call. At the ONLY junction of the 15 downhill stretch a vehicle pulled out in front of me, I was unable to stop in time so i frantically cut across to the wrong side of the road narrowly passing by his bonnet and the edge of the road. It was so incredibly close the stupid fuck! I'm lucky to be alive as I was gunning it down the mountain (within the speed limits).
Arriving at the hostel once again, still shaking from the incident only minutes before hand I ate some food and climbed up the other side of the town of Aso. This was to get to Dai**** an incredible viewpoint to see the sheer scale of the caldera, it definitely was worth the efforts to cycle up there especially for the photos I took and the uninterrupted descent (at night) all the way back to the town of Aso.
It was fan-bloody-tastic!!!
What a day, ideal if it wasn't for the near death experience.

 

Enter the town of Aso

The beauty that is Mount Aso

25/09/2014 - Cycle Touring Japan - Day 9 - An anniversary to celebrate 9 years of traveling the world (celebrations postponed)

 

Distance cycled: 14km
Average speed: 19.5Km/h
Moving Time: 43m
Elevation Ascended: 180
Total Distance on Current trip: 641km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 11,650km
Money spent: $6

Yesterday I was informed that a typhoon was passing over the region and it would be dumping down cats and dogs over a 24 hour period. This was bad news for me as I wanted to keep cycling towards Kyoto for the weekend. Instead I made the decision to hang back in the hostel until the late afternoon until the rain stopped and get a couple of kilometers in before dark.
This also saved me the cost of accommodation for the night.
Disturbingly just as I was saying goodbye to the staff of the hostel I was inappropriately told that many people had been killed by bears in the area... Really! Not what anyone needs to hear before leaving to camp out in the forests.
I clocked a whole 14km before I pitched my tent in some parking space beside a river that was fenced with electrified wire - nothing that would prevent a bear from entering it but I suppose it gave me some peace of mind.

Oh! Today is an exciting day too, 9 years ago today I left Australia and started traveling the world... And here I am in my tent with nobody or nothing to celebrate with... I think I'll postpone it for when I arrive in Kyoto.

24/09/2014 - Cycle Touring Japan - Day 8 - A whopping 17.7km!

 

Distance cycled: 17.7km from just outside Takayama to J-Hoppers hostel.
Average speed: 12.5Km/h
Moving Time: 1h25m
Elevation Ascended: 493m
Total Distance on Current trip: 627km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 11,664km
Money spent: $45

All is good and well, I survived the night despite being startled awake by a large mammal that sprinted past my tent making a hell of a lot of noise, it was either a monkey or a bear... I can't be sure, either way it was a frightening experience for me.
Due to the my now soiled sleeping bag but mostly because of a restless night I found it difficult to gather myself and pack up my stuff; which I now find quite odd most people would have got out of that location ASAP. Instead I paced around the small area looking for insects to photograph.

I knew I wouldn't have been able to check into the hostel in Takayama till after 3 so I took my time to get there.
Arriving at the hostel I met all the staff and indeed they were very interested in my traveling story so I pulled up my blog and website on the main computer for them to look at. It was then followed by "oooooohhh" and "ahhhhhhh's", they were all incredibly friendly and helped me later when looking for denatured alcohol that I use to for my stove to cook - without them I am sure I wouldn't have been able to find it.
Takayama I found to be quite pleasant with small shops that offered unique , non-mass produced items of artwork and sculptures certainly a place to come to fill up your shelves at home. Luckily for me I don't have a home and despite liking a lot of little random trinkets and clay figurines I cannot carry more weight.
The evening took me and a Malaysian man to a 300yen restaurant where everything on the menu was the equivalent of $3, this was my kind of place where I could try some random Japanese dishes, one of which being Hida beef, which is not quite the famous Kobi beef but close too - and it being incredibly tender and a hell of a lot cheaper I'm still willing to put the money forward to try real Kobi beef. In other thing on the menu I ordered was raw octopus in a wasabi sauce, it was also delicious but only for those with the acquired taste for wasabi.

22/09/2014 - Cycle Touring Japan - Day 6 - Injury no. 1

 

The temple in Matsumoto.

Distance cycled: 94.3km + 2km in tunnels from behind an abandoned shop to a dam 1,000 above sea level.
Average speed: 17Km/h
Moving Time: 5h33m
Elevation Ascended: 1548m
Total Distance on Current trip: 538km
Distance until I have cycled the circumference of Earth: 11,753km
Money spent: $25

Here I am in my tent in considerable pain. My lower left calf is throbbing probably due to pushing myself too hard through the tunnels today simply to get out of them and let the traffic behind me pass.
Arrgggg tunnels! I hate them with an unbridled passion, never is there enough room for cyclists and they stress the fuck out of me. 
I don't know where I read that Japan is a one of the best places to cycle tour, drivers here do not know how to deal with us on the road, they would sit behind you at an arms length away slowing down all the traffic behind. It's infuriating and the stupid thing is that most people drive tiny little hatchbacks  where two of them would fit in one lane of the road side by side, they have plenty of room to pass me without crossing the road markings to the incoming traffic.
I know you could say that they are just being courteous but they are not doing me any favors sitting behind my ass watching me.
I had some tough hills to climb today nothing at all that i didn't manage and I'm getting into the Japanese Alps now so the terrain is going to be interesting and with any luck the weather will stay as it has been these last few days.
I managed to arrive in Matsumoto to  see the Castle which is one of 8 of its kind still standing in Japan. I did only see it from the other side of the moat because there was a beer festival going on and I have my priorities in order.
I did meet a Flemish couple who were kind enough to offer me some of their leftovers and we stayed chatting for a while over a single (and costly) beer.
I do hope my leg is ok for tomorrow because I have to ascend 1,700 more meters to get over this pass and I believe my only other option is to descend the wrong way back to Matsumoto.

 

Morning vending machine coffee..

 

Entering a town of Sewa.. im sure its pronounced “Sewer”

The view over Sewa

Matsumoto Beer festival.

Entering into the mountains

Messing with black and white.

checking at the Dam

And where I camped.