CHINA

Back to China (boo) then onwards to Beijing

13/05/2011 to 16/05/2011

Russell was still sleeping so i didn’t bother to wake him, instead i just left a note in his frying pan. Again because me and Russ had drank so much the night before i didn’t feel like having any breakfast which saved some time. It was a beautiful day and i had no trouble getting to the general area of where i needed to catch the ferry, unfortunately finding my exact location was much more difficult. I was given a few dodgy directions which didn’t help but i did find the international ferry terminal eventually which i had hoped was better sign posted.

Getting onto the ferry i felt very sad to be leaving Japan, in all truth i didn’t want to leave and was seriously questioning the whole trip. Japan was meant to be a break from it and after i would be raring to go again but my enthusiasm for it all had only dwindled. I was thinking about my options as the Russian visa was looking highly unlikely.

My options are as follows:

1.       After Beijing go back to Chengdu and continue my trip from there but i would spend more time in china and not get to Mongolia,

2.       Cycle across china from Beijing again missing out Mongolia,

3.       Go to Mongolia, buy a motorbike and travel round for a couple of weeks then go back to China and carry on from Beijing or Chengdu,

4.       Carry on as normal, cycle to the west of Mongolia then catch a flight to Urumqi and carry on to Kazakhstan from there.

these people werent waiting to sit
like me we all stood

Each option has its ups and downs but this is probably the only chance i will ever have in my life to cycle Mongolia and the only time i am mentally and physically prepared for its unique challenges, i.e no roads. I still had 2 days on a boat to think about it and a few hours on a train from Shanghai to Beijing (30 hours).

On the ferry the sea was surprisingly calm and there were a few people to chat to so the whole thing went by smoothly. Getting into Shanghai i got a burst of energy, still i was missing Japan but it was made all the easier coming back to somewhere where i know my way around and how things work. 

So the first thing i did was head over to the railway station to book an evening train up to Beijing. Already things were very different to Japan, walking into the train station i had a guard shouting at me no bicycle but  this being china i just ignored him and bought my ticket which unfortunately was a standing only and again there was no certainty my bike would be allowed on. Welcome back to China, grumpy and unhelpful staff.

To kill time i sat outside a coffee shop drinking tea but this was disturbed when my back tyre out of the blue decided to explode. Having no tubes left and the patches i had were not big enough i needed to find a bike shop. Luckily in China there is lots of people with little bike repair stands looking to rip a foreigner like me off. One found me then tried to charge me an insane amount which i had to haggle down but as he had already done the job i was unable to walk away.  Job done i spent the remainder of the day drinking tea before heading to the train station and stressing the point my bicycle has to come on the train.

Surprisingly it wasn’t difficult, at first there was the ‘no no’ shake of the hand but i stood my ground blocked the queue and in the end was allowed through and to make things even easier i was escorted by somebody who spoke English to where i needed to be. As things went well i now had 3 hours to kill before the train left, this was spent reading my on book, ‘lonely planet Mongolia,’ in which time i planned a route out. In between i was entertained by the curious Chinese which now i had a break from it i found lots of fun, even more so as I knew a few Japanese words which seemed to register with them (or they appeared to). The time came for the train journey, i was meant to be standing but i chose to sit until i was made to stand, i picked my seat well as i got chatting to a bunch of university students from Beijing. We played cards and chatted away, after about two hours into the journey the owner of the seat i was sat in did turn up but i was pretty sleepy by now and had figured out a good way to stretch out fully and potentially get some good sleep. Using my shoe as a pillow my head was placed under the seat, my torso hung out in the aisle while the rest of me was under the opposite seat, people just stepped over me and i was fairly comfortable though was well short of getting much in the way of a goodnights rest.

Morning came and i exchanged details with my new friends and before i knew it the train was in Beijing.

Beijing: end of the 2^nd leg

16/05/2011 to 30/05/2011

Getting off the train i didn’t have any plan or idea of what to do except to look for a hostel, so after discovering my bike would be two hours late i set off on foot.  It was extremely hot and humid and i really wasn’t up for hiking around but i carried on until i jumped on the subway to the next stop where following the map i had torn out of a lonely planet i continued on foot. The hostel i was looking for wasn’t the easiest to find and when i did i didn’t think much to it so i headed back to the train station to pick up my bicycle.

While waiting for them to fetch my bike i planned out a route that i would go in search of a hostel. When the bike did come there was a bit of excitement as the workers couldn’t believe the size of my bike and were keen to see how it was ridden so i give them a demonstration. Time was getting on so i searched for a place to sleep, it didn’t go well the hostels i was looking at didn’t seem to great but eventually i found one that i liked.

The following day i was going to check out hotels for when mother arrived but first i wanted to head over to the Mongolian embassy to get an application form. Finding it i discovered it didn’t open for another hour so i had lunch and coming back the queue was much bigger. I grabbed and application form and having all the items i needed i thought i may as well apply and get it done. The line didn’t move fast but i got chatting to Dutch couple who also were cycling around and realizing that we would be in Ulaanbaatar around the same time thought it would a good idea to meet there. The line took forever but when it was my turn the shutters came down and i was told to return tomorrow. Balls!

Anyway i headed off my new Dutch friends (Woutern and (forgot the name)  and they showed me where there was a book shop that sold English books and we got food together. Afterwards Woutern and i decided a few beers were needed so we headed to my hostel and had a beer or 6.

With a hangover i got to the Mongolian embassy got the application done and set off in search of Hotels suitable for mother. I looked at over 15 hotels and spent hours riding round, hung-over i may add, until finding that in my hostel the rooms for the price were nicer than what i had seen and the reception staff were friendly and spoke good English so i thought this would be a good place for mother.

I met mum at the airport and we spent the next 10 days looking at the tourist sites not rushing around because we didn’t have to. We went to the great wall, Chinese opera, the zoo, museum i couldn’t think of anything else to have done in Beijing by the end of it. We also chatted a lot about what was going on back home amongst other things and when the time came for her to leave i was pretty sad and down but i knew in a few days i would be right again. One night while we were on ‘the walking street’ as mother called it i bumped into a very old face Rupert. Me and Rupert worked on the bicycle taxies in Auckland, New Zealand for a couple of months together and i barley recognised him. We arranged to meet up later in the week to talk about old times and what is new.

The day mum left i changed back into a dorm room and tried to book my ticket to Ulaanbaatar where i would get cycling again. My enthusiasm for the trip was again that of excitement and much anticipation however there was a setback that  i am unable o get a Russian visa without a train ticket but luckily there is a border crossing back into china on the far west which has recently opened to foreigners but how one goes about getting across depends on who you ask.

My long search for suitable tyres bared fruit and all the bits i thought i’d need to improve my chances of survival in Mongolia i think i got together. After meeting up with Rupert on my last evening in Beijing i was ready for what hoped would be my final train journey till home. As long as the border into western china serves me well i hoped to cycle the rest of the way on my own steam except for a boat journey or two.  

Rest of Japan

Light weight touring

7/05/2011: Osaka to Kyoto 53.19km

I was late getting up and wasn’t in the most positive mood, in fact i felt quite down. I also felt that the old saying two’s company and three’s a crowd was ever present in Russell and Jens tiny apartment. As they went to Japanese class i set about trying to work out what to do, i had decided to go to Kyoto for a couple of nights and i decided to do it as light as possible so i rearranged my bags so all i had was the dry sack on the back and handle bar bag.

I didn’t set off till 3pm such was my moping mood but when i did i was rather enjoying how light my bike felt and i raced to Kyoto. The ride was pretty dull and uninteresting except for the race i had with a guy on his carbon framed bicycle. He overtook me which i don’t like so i sat on his back wheel, he was going at a pace and tried to burn me off but i kept up with him showing that my steel framed tank can match any light weight bicycle. This was the only part of the ride i actually enjoyed and when i made it to Kyoto i headed for the railway station and wondered what the hell to do.

I had no desire to camp, i was to be honest over cycle touring, normally i would travel a few months then work and take a break from it but now i had cycled solid for almost 5 months and not even half way through was getting board with it all. I knew feeling like this would come up at some point but i had decided to just get on with it and make sure i finish what i set out to do else i know if i abandoned the trip I’d regret it massively. There is the option of maybe finding a job in Japan and working for a month but i have to meet mother in Beijing who has her flight booked, i reckon its the mental challenge i have to get through but right now i have no enthusiasm for it.

I digress, while sat outside Kyoto train station i pulled out the guide book Russell had leant me to see if there was any hostels, i wasn’t planning to stay at a hostel but it gave me something to do to check it out then i’d take it from there. I rode over to the hostel and was about to ride right past it when on the balcony i spotted a beautiful blonde girl. I stopped checked out what the hostel was like, it was clean and not massively expensive in Japanese terms so i check in.

I had a room all to myself and the reception people said that its been super quiet since the earthquake that killed so many and has left a nuclear power plant on the brink. I still felt a little down but checking out the common room and discovering there was free tea and coffee my mood lifted. It improved further still with a beer and the news that Middlesbrough had beaten Doncaster 3-0 in the football thus making a decent end to a shocking season.  I gave me old man a call for the first time in a lot of weeks and by the end was feeling much better, enjoying just to have people around in the hostel environment again.  I then decided i might stay an extra night and you never know the beautiful blonde might appear.

Kyoto

8/05/2011

I checked out of the hostel as not having much in the way of belongings with me i wanted to see how i felt before deciding what to do in regards to staying an extra night or not. I didn’t really know where to go so first i headed to a market which wasn’t the most impressive i have been to but did sell Japanese foods and smelt and felt like Japan. Next i wondered around aimlessly before going to the Palace Gardens, it was about as interesting as watching paint dry but it did offer a number of trees to hide out of the afternoon sun. When i felt motivated to move once again i rode towards the hills as Kyoto city centre had not impressed me yet, it was only now i discovered the real Kyoto and it was what my guide book had recommended.

 I was pleased to have found the old side where there were Geishas’ walking around, running rickshaws doing their thing. At last i had found traditional Japanese building, i was now in the Japan one would imagine it to be like. There was a temple nearby but a 500 Yen entrance fee was way above what i wanted to pay, it would be great to have a look round the temples but at 500 Yen i’d prefer a green tea ice cream than wonder round a temple which I’m sorry to say does not interest me massively. I’m a bad traveller.

As it was getting late i headed back to re check in at the hostel, i followed the river back and discovered yet more of Kyoto i found to be just delightful. Checking back into the hostel i was given the same room and once again i was the only occupant. As i have found it difficult to find English books i having been watching (mind numbingly) a lot of movies.  In the movie room a the hostel they had put a Japanese animation on, to be honest it was awful in just about every sense but it killed some time and if anyone ever asks if i’d like to see a Japanese animation, i know i do not.

I was glad i came to Kyoto and stopped in the hostel, its a great place and the countryside around it deserved some exploring to but i was satisfied with just looking round the city and had no enthusiasm to look further afield though i had been told its amazing. Next time.

Back to Osaka

9/05/2011:  Kyoto to Osaka 58.79km

I took my time yet again before setting off back to Osaka. I felt rested and felt like cycling back to Osaka flat out, it was a beautiful day for it. So i set off and once i had navigated my way out of Kyoto i pedalled like a man possessed.  My efforts were not appreciated by everyone however, i was doing 35/40kmph on a two lane road yet one raged anti cycling driver seemed rather irate with me. For a few minutes he seemed unable to overtake and instead angrily hooted his horn demanding i cycle on the pavement. Eventually he pulled alongside seemingly discovering the use of the empty 2^nd lane, as he glanced across i give him fingers with a cheery smile.

I made good time to Osaka but once there i got horribly lost, the signs to where i needed to go never turned up as i thought they would and i spent an hour riding around trying to work out where i was.  I figured it out eventually and headed back to Russell’s for a cup of tea and a shower.

The rest of the day was spent wondering round sitting a coffee shops watching people go about their daily lives, its much better than television. For dinner we went out to a Sushi train with some of Jen and Russell’s friends. The sushi train was great fun, there is the normal belt that goes round but to go with it there is a second train, a bit like an express where after you have ordered from the computer it will come around and stop at your table, ingenious stuff.

The evening was spent in the traditional way with me and Russell getting tanked up on beer.

Osaka part II

10/05/2011 to 12/05/2011

I didn’t do a whole lot while back in Osaka, myself and Russell spent days wandering around sitting at coffee shops and nights drinking beer. The most significant thing i did was get a haircut for the first time in 6 months and have a shave for the first time in 8weeks. Soon enough the time came to say goodbye and pack up but luckily the alcohol numbed any emotion.    

Finishing the job

6/05/2011: Miyazaki to Nobeoka (then train to Osaka) 103.21km

Me and Russell were not in a massive rush this morning as we had a few goodbye beers in Murrays bar last night. It could be the last time i ever see Murray so a few beers were allowed. Just before we left the apartment a few drips of rain began so we headed to a starbucks for a heart warming cup of tea but the rain just got heavier.

There was a sensible option of just getting on the train in Miyazaki but this would cost an extra 4000Yen so we decided to cycle. It was wet but we were cycling, for a couple of fully loaded bikes a blistering pace, we got soaked but kept warm, it was only when we stopped we could feel the chill. Considering the rain we made it to Nobeoka in good time and caught an earlier train.

Train as mentioned before is the pain in the gluteus maximus of putting the bicycle in a bag. Russell being a cheeky sod reckoned we’d get away with using a scooter cover that we’d bought for 100 Yen (60p). We quickly rolled the bikes past the first possible obstructive station worker but on the platform someone came out of an office and said we could put the bikes of the train as they were. He disappeared back into his office and as the train was due any minute (you can rely on a train being on time in Japan) we opted to make a dash for it.  The train came, we bundled our bikes on and we were on our way, now we just had a change onto the famous ‘bullet train’ or ‘shinkanson’ to get away with then we’d be in Osaka. 

I was looking forward to the bullet train, it travels at 300kmph (i think) and would cover 600km in just over 2 hours which is much quicker than cycling and its much more luxurious than any other train i have ever been on. But we still had to get on the bloody thing with our bikes before any station officer decided we couldn’t. Getting to the changeover we ran and dragged our luggage to platform 13 and by luck the amazing bullet train we needed to be on was sat there waiting so we piled on with the doors literally shutting behind us. As the bullet train is on wider tracks this therefore means its wider inside thus meaning there was more room for the bikes, happy days. Once we were organised we took our seats and enjoyed the epic ride, when the train really gets going you can feel yourself being pushed into your seat by the G-force created.

In triple/ quadruple quick time we had made it back to Osaka, it was 11pm and after a stop for beers it was mid-night by the time we got back to Russell’s apartment to finish them. It had been a long day and i was cream crackered so as you can imagine slept exceedingly well. 

Miyazaki

1/05/2011 to 5/05/2011

The week down in Miyazaki was a good one but by the end i was ready to leave. We drank litres of soetue (not sure on the spelling) which is the cheapest alcoholic drink in Japan, its awful stuff and the fact it is used as an antiseptic or stylization in hospitals is enough to show its strong stuff. We didn’t just drink, on Murrays day off we headed to the beach, the weather wasn’t great but we had a go round a velo drome on which Murray even though he is 48 but he is a former BMX champion in Japan and New Zealand beat both me and Russell over a single lap. Murray has some of the most powerful legs in the world and he won the time off the start where both I and Russell were slow, over 2 laps and I’m certain we’d have smoked the old dog.

It was great to catch up and the week flew by, i was ready for some peace though as Murray and Darren who lives between are both pretty crazy old dogs living it up till the early hours though Murray does this after he has shut his bar at 3am!

The Godfather 30/04/2011: Seiki to Nobeoka (then train to Miyazaki) 86.74km

Waking up i felt crappy and knew the outdoor living had got the better of me, i had a horrible cold which meant i was sneezing every few minutes, my head was rocking and had very little energy or enthusiasm to ride a bicycle. After i had packed up i went to the convenience store for the ritual of breakfast and a wash. While sat outside i got chatting to a local who was asking me about my trip. There was nothing unusual about this but he came back 5 minutes after he’d left with a hat, two drinks (one milky looking drink called ‘calpis’ pronounced ‘cow piss’) and 1000Yen. The 1000 Yen was hidden in the hat which had a message written inside, ‘Fight James’ and some Japanese which i decided not to try and translate.

  Russells train was an hour late and neither of us had a clue of how far we had to cycle to get to Miyazaki where we would meet Murray who we use to Pedicab with and nicknamed the ‘Godfather.’ When he did arrive i was sick as a dog, my dripping nose was uncontrollable and i felt like cow pat. After some food we were on our way, not to long into the ride we were waved down by a couple of guys who had bought us some drinks from a vending machine, i was doing ok for drinks today. We continued on and after an ice cream and a cigarette for Russell we appeared to have chosen the hardest road we could. The uphill’s were steep and down hills dangerous in spots, this made life for Russell very difficult as he was on his trusted fixed gear bike which he was pushing up some of the steeper hills.

As we had set off late we had the ambition to ride until mid-night to get to Murrays bar for a few beers. On the outskirts of Nobeoka it was almost 6pm, rain was beginning to fall and we still had 100km to go, a quick call to Murray confirmed that the rain would be coming down all night. Having already done 80km me and Russell (Russell persuaded me) to get a train the rest and we’d cycle the rest another day so my conscience could be clear that i’d cycled what i intended to.

Fixed gear +cigarettes 

At the train station whatever my body had been running on to get me this far was gone, i felt utterly drained but as Japan is Japan i needed to find a bag for my bike. You cannot bring a bicycle on a train in Japan unless its in a bag, i assume that the train companies have some shares in bicycle bags. I was done but Russell was pretty motivated in the search for a bag for my bike, we failed in the search and managed to squeeze both our bikes in the folded tarpaulin he used on the way down. We clambered onto the train which arrived on time, how strange is that.

In Miyazaki we assembled our bikes in the train station much to the annoyance of the ticket people as we were ruining their Zen. We then cycle a couple of kilometres to Murrays bar where we drank till close, then with Murray went to some more bars and once the sun was up went back (to what was Russell’s old apartment) to the apartment we had rented for the week, all arranged via The Godfather.

Updated...almost

Chengdu

10/4/2011 to 14/04/2011

Chengdu proved to be a good place to rest up and finish the ride in  China, not because it was an amazing city, no (its a nice place but not what i call amazing), but because of the people i met here. I hung around with Leon and Mary but Leon did leave and wasn’t due back till after my departure so i said farewell, exchanged e-mails as he planned to be in Kryzikstan around the same time as i myself. I got my train booked though i wasn’t convinced the seller understood my needs, i even qued with

 my bike to the annoyance or the guards who kept telling me to leave my bike outside but i acted like i didn’t understand, but pointing at my bike didn’t seem to get through. Having the ticket interpreted he hadn’t given me a sleeper on the 36 hour journey or made a mention about my bike. I met up with Kate a French girl who lives in Chengdu that i had met in Singapore, we only met for dinner in a really nice western style restaurant, we talked about the Chinese ways and what its like being in China. Thankfully she had a lot of the same opinions as me so i was glad to know i wasn’t the only person that the Chinese drove insane. But as she was busy with University which only took place on the three days i was there otherwise she said she would have taken me for a night on the town. I also got my first view of Pandas at the Panda research centre, which is a nice way to call it a panda zoo. I only spent about an hour there as despite the signs saying to be quiet. the hords of Chinese tourist there had to scream at a panda doing anything but  sleeping, i began to boil a bit and one instant of a Chinese guy about my age ‘wooping’  right in my ear at a panda running was a breaking point. As he wooped turned and stared at him till i caught his attention then i turned and walked away. I didn’t hear him woop as i walked off and out of the park.  Apart from this i spent the rest of my time in Chengdu just endlessly cycling around eating masses upon masses of food, and i bloody enjoyed it.

Before leaving the hostel for the train Leon turned up, his plans had changed due to his visa so i said another goodbye to him and mary then went to the train station for the next stage. A Chinese train station is not a place for somebody who firstly does not speak Chinese, secondly has a bicycle and thirdly does not know how to get through the manic chaos of a Chinese train station. To begin with my bike would not be accepted, no point in arguing as no one speaks English so i staged one of the many silent protests where i would just stand there till something is done. Eventually i was take about 200m away to an oversized baggage place where there was seemingly a grumpy lady who did nothing but yell. To my luck there was a passerby who spoke very good English and h helped me. I had to take all the bags off the bike as she would not accept it with the bags on, why? Because it makes my life harder, then as in an airport my bags were scanned and she scrutinised anything that looked unusual, i had a lot of unusual things as i was cycling and camping. Time was getting on and the process was taking ages, with 15 minutes before my train they delivered a sucker punch, my bags and bike would be sent on the next train to Shanghai that would leave tomorrow and they were going to Charge me 145 yuan for the pleasure. I had no time to argue once all was done my English/ Chinese interpreter told me to run for my train. Going through more security checkpoints that were more fitting in an airport i just made my crowded train. Before i had taken my seat it was moving, i made it just in the nick of time, next stop Shanghai where its Formula 1 weekend so if luck is on my side, i have Shanghai planned out.  

36 Hour Train

14/04/2011 to 16/04/2011

After just an hour of sitting in a cramped uncomfortable seat i gave into the fact 35 more hours like this wasn’t going to work. I had originally set out for a sleeper but had been given a seat instead. I cracked and paid an extra 220 Yuan ontop of the 281 Yuan i had already paid for a sleeper, it was well worth it. I was given a sleeper at the very end on the train so it was much quieter than the other areas even though there was 5 other people in my section, 3 never got out of bed. There was only one guy who snored, he looked like a snorer and he was on the bottom across from me. To counter the snoring when it kept me awake i would shout abuse until he stopped or woke up then try to sleep. Food wise i brought as much as i thought i’d need which meant noodles, noodles, noodles.  For entertainment i had got myself a Harry Potter book fromhe book swap at a hostel, i have never read a Harry Potter book before and by the end of the train trip had almost finished wanting more!

Shanghai

16/04/2011 to 18/04/2011

Getting off the train i had a little laugh to myself, I’M IN SHANGHAI! I didn’t have a clue where i was though, my map ripped out a lonely planet book and GPS were in a bit of conflict so i had a McDonald’s breakfast to work it out. I realised why i don’t like McDonalds’ then came up with a plan, to walk south and see what came first the river which i could follow or the hostel. My GPS was massively wrong so i was lucky to have the map. I found the hostel i was looking for, it was bit pricey but this was Shanghai i expected it. Dumping the little possessions i had as the rest weren’t due till tomorrow morning i hopped onto the metro the check out the Formula 1 and maybe buy a ticket for the race tomorrow. The metro dropped me off right by the track, straight away i heard the roar of the Formula 1 cars and without thinking spent 780 Yuan on a ticket. It was most defiantly worth it, i caught the last part of the qualifying and felt that this would be a good end to china which has been incredibly hard at times.

Getting back to the hostel i wondered if i had made the right decision in blowing so much money (78GBP goes a long long way here) but it was done so after grabbing some food i let the lights of Shanghai dazzle me. I was in absolute awe of this city, it doesn’t fit in with china, thanks to the French (i believe) there is beautiful European architecture and across the river there is modern Chinese super structures and towers.

The next day i was up early to collect my bicycle from the train station, i was a little hacked off to see my pump which was strapped on to my bike had gone missing, i tried to point it out to the people who were taking care of my bike but it was the usual Chinese reaction of ‘what do you expect me to do about it stupid foreigner.’  Once back at the hostel i was straight back out again to get to the F1 circuit. While fighting the crowds on the metro i got chatting to an English guy and a Canadian who also were both heading to the F1. We chatted away which helped pass the uncomfortable metro journey and my new Canadian friend reassured me that i was right treat myself, it made me feel better about spending a week’s living in one go.

At the circuit i tried to see if i could sneak into a seat better than my own, it wasn’t happening, as the race start drew closer the seats filled so i did settle for my cheap seat which was still a pretty good view. A nice touch to the event was the large number of sellers on the wrong side of the fence where you could buy such things as beer for half the price that was being sold inside. The race was  pretty exciting as far as F1 races go and a fellow POM won so it was a pretty stellar day even though it was a long one and painful to the wallet.

My final day in China and i was over the moon about it, im looking forward so much to getting to japan and seeing a couple of good mates, drinking beer and really relaxing, it will be nice to have a break from it all. When i say break you may think me being rather soft and not realising how easy life is but when you spend every day alone with nobody to drink a beer with and talk about any old rubbish it does get to you a bit. I spend my last day wondering round (on the bicycle of course) checking out the sights and preparing my bags for the ferry journey tomorrow, of which i still have no clue whether or not my bicycle needs to be boxed as it is on a aeroplane or if it’s ok to just be rolled on and rolled off, guess i will find out tomorrow.

Shanghai/Osaka Ferry

19/04/2011 to 21/04/2011

I was up and away earlier than i needed to be but i wanted to make sure there would be no mistake with my bicycle. Thankfully there was not, arriving i was ushered to take the bags off my bike by a man who i assumed worked there then he took my bike away, no box required. There was a small queue formed so i stood in that while we all waited for 9am to come so we could begin check-in. There was another large group that had shown up and they had decided to queue at another entrance. My lot had got it wrong and from being at the front i was now much further back but worry not. A check-in lady was doing a lot of shouting to the mass group, i had no idea what as it was in Chinese but it turned out she was wanting the likes of me to skip the queue which was all one group and go through to the baggage scanners and begin the check-in process. Everything went as smooth as expected although there was a slight problem with the face recognition at the passport checks. The passport guy scanned my passport picture then pointed a camera straight at my face to make sure the faces match, unfortunately with mine in flashing red letters the words ‘face defect’ kept appearing. Obviously this isn’t something he had dealt with before and was asking about what the hell to do. In the end i think he was convinced i was the man in the picture and let me through.

Getting onto the ferry i was rather excited, i had already made friends with a Dutch couple and they were the people i hung around with the whole journey, even getting in a few games of table tennis. The food prices were already much higher than what i have been paying in china but apparently this was cheap for Japanese food. I could tell already Japan is going to be expensive! The boat was fairly subdued as everyone was sea sick or violently sea sick, compared to a lot of vomiting noises i heard i got off lightly by just feeling terrible. I did learn how to combat the sickness, by just going to sleep and when i’d wake up i would fine so i’d eat as much as i could before i would begin to feel sick again. My plan worked and as japan grew closer the seas calmed and the boat livened up. Checking in to Japan was much more awkward than checking out of china, they wanted to know every little detail about where i was staying etc. As Russell was due to meet me i had no address so they request his phone number which i couldn’t be bothered getting so told them he didn’t have one, eventually they settled just for his name. Once this process was done i was sniffed by two dogs then had all my bags checked as did everybody before finally i stepped outside into the sunshine smelt the Japanese air for the first time and waited for Russell.

Osaka

21/04/2011 to 25/04/2011

I didn’t have to wait long before Russell showed up and from the last time i had seen him he’d certainly smartened up but apparently this is what a girlfriend and trying to impress employers for a teaching job does. We had a bit of a ride into the city to get to his apartment where i was going to stay till i rode to Misazyki to meet another friend. My first impression of Japan wasn’t as i imagined, when i thought of japan i expected super modern techno looking but what i was seeing was England 1960’s apartment blocks and a never ending entanglement of motorways, its was Derek trotters paradise, nelson Mandela building galore.

Russell showed me his apartment and it was small but cosy except for the toilet which was so small sitting had to be done with the door open! Russ then showed me around Osaka centre which again wasn’t massively spectacular but different to anywhere else i had been, we then tried octopus balls which seems the be the local delight. After which it was time to try the beer, we bought a few cans and sat by the river chatting about anything. Back at his flat Jen his girlfriend showed up. I already know Jen from Sydney, we shared a dorm in a Hostel and that is how her and Russell met. Few more cans of beer later i crashed out.

The rest of the time in Osaka was spent drinking beer, sorting my Chinese visa out and getting over my Harry Potter faze by renting out 3 of the movies, the books are much better. We had one big night out where being abandoned by Russell and Jen i was left with three finish girls on their holidays for company, we all went to a night club where i had my first true experience of a Japanese toilet which has a button to lift the toilet seat, wash your backside and even call for assistance! In the club i was by far the tallest most bearded bloke inside, also you never got the feeling a scrap was going to break out, everybody was at peace. We also went for a ride out to Nara to visit a bunch of dears that when you bow, will bow back for a cracker of course. It was all capped off with a fruitless trip to the Russian embassy where the message was ‘we don’t want you in Russia and I’m not going to help you get one easily,’ all washed down with more beer.

 Japan is Go Go Go

26/04/2011: Osaka to 20km north of Sumoto, Awaji island 74.32km

It had been over two weeks since i had done my last ride in China so i was looking forward to being back on the road again but having said that i was in no rush to get moving. Having a sleep in and in general taking my time it was mid-day when i got going but a stop at ‘Life’ supermarket and a cup of extremely good tea with Russell at a Russian cafe made me even later. I said my goodbyes to Russ even though he was going to meet up with me in Saiki in a few days time. With the route i had chosen with little thought other than the way russ had cycled before sounded pretty dull so i thought i would go a different way, i would have 3 crossing to do as i would be on four different islands, i had no idea how or in some places where but decided it would be a hurdle i would overcome when i got to it.

Finally on the go Japan was pretty much how Russell had describe to me, just endless urban sprawl, i cycled 45km and nothing changed, towns cities just seem to roll into one i hoped it would be like this all the way to Mizayki. As i approached the first of my three crossing the wind got up strong that cycling on the road was taking a massive risk. The wind would catch me side on and blow me across the road, any car that happens to be overtaking would turn me and bicycle into road kill so i stayed on the pavement which in Japan is a shared cycle/pedestrian path.

There was a huge suspension bridge connecting the two island but on motor vehicles may use so i now had a mission to search for a ferry which according to google maps does exist. I had trouble finding it and now i needed somebody to ask the streets appeared to be empty! This being japan though things are either well sign posted or you just take a look at one of the many town maps hidden around. Finding the ferry terminal there was a boat waiting so i paid my 650 Yen (bit  pricey for my budget) and i took the scariest ferry ride of my life. The water was very choppy which made the little speed boat i was on fly from one to the next wave sometimes tilting the entire boat a little too far for my comfort, all i did was old on. Now i was on dry land things looked much different, it wasn’t an endless urban sprawl but rolling hills, forest and open land and plenty of camping spots. The weather ahead didn’t look promising, the wind was blowing hard, it was little chilly and it was getting late. Upon spotting a huge statue facing out to sea i thought what a great idea to camp underneath it and as luck had it there was good spot. I double checked with a local if it was ok to camp, i was given the thumbs up then he pointed out his house and said if i needed any water to knock.

I set camp up and even though i wasn’t totally hidden from sight i felt completely safe apart from the paranoid thought of a Tsunami! The reason for my security is in Japan there is virtually no need for the police, you could leave your wallet open full of money and people would just leave it alone, everybody follows the rules except for the Gaijins (foreigners) which is why the Japanese don’t want foreigners here spoiling their harmonies’  society. I slept easy.

Island hoping

27/04/2011: 20km north of sumoto (awaji island) to Oshima railway station 94.98km

(catching up)

Packing the tent away the weather didn’t look very promising for the day, the wind was also up a bit and as usual it was a head wind. I had another problem to contend with today, i had to jump across to another island the only obvious way across was via a suspension bridge which doesn’t not allow bicycles across and from what i had gathered and which was backed up a number f times there is no ferry across.

Turning off the road i had been cycling along i was nearing the end of the island and coming close to the bridge. I stopped to ask somebody how do i get to the other side, he wasn’t sure but confirmed there was no boat crossing. He told me there was a bus and then proceeded to call the bus company to find out what time it comes, where and if they take bicycles. This is so typical of Japanese people to go out of their way to help, he drew me a diagram and told me i had till 12pm when the next one would turn up. I didn’t understand his diagram much but by some miracle ended up at the place he had directed me where after a fruitless attempt at hitch hiking i waited (inside the bus shelter as it was raining cats and dogs).

The bus did arrive, on time i might add, the bus driver was too keen about my bike but in the end let me shove it in the luggage compartment underneath the bus. The initial plan was to get off as soon as i crossed the bridge but the rain was coming down hard so i enjoyed the bus ride. In Japan as nobody breaks the rules and can be trusted you pay for the bus at the end. I was in for a shock as the bus journey across the bridge cost me 1600 Yen (10GBP) which was a bit much but Japan was going to break my wallet much more than this before the end.

In the town of Tokushima i found tourist information and got myself some maps, had some lunch then battled into the head wind along what was pretty much a flat straight road. The rain threatened again and at about 5pm it was coming down hard. I had read a book by another cycle tourist who in Japan said to sleep at railway stations so when one turned up i checked it out. The waiting room had a long bench and was sheltered from the wind and rain, if i could avoid setting my tent up i would. The last train was 11pm and there was a toilet and sink which i could freshen up in. There was a couple of birds living in here too, when darkness fell they would keep the place clear of bugs. I watched them countless times fly out from their nest, catch a moth and drop it outside before sitting in their nest to rest. At about 10pm there were only 3 more trains left before the line terminated till the following day so i got some sleep and once again slept very well this time though there was no worry of a tsunami.

J Japan

28/04/2011: Oshima railway station to Awa Railway station 158.72km

I was awake just before the first train arrived and outside was a beautiful day. As i was packing away kids were on their way to school looking at me puzzlingly as they passed through to the platform.

Riding was about as good as it gets, i cycled through a stunning valley, not too hilly, not too windy under perfect blue skies. I had been feeling a bit down yesterday but today i was high as a kite really beginning to like Japan. I had no real plan of how far i wanted to cycle today i just knew i needed to get over to the next island by Saturday morning to meet Russell.  

At 1pm i was almost at Kochi so stopped for a break and gave Russell a call to sort out plans for meeting up.  Just before i left the convenience store staff decided to have a chat, as they spoke no English and i speak no Japanese it was limited but they gave me a map and translated some of the towns into English lettering for me.

Getting through Kochi was a slow process, i made poor time and saddle sore was setting in but eventually i found my way mainly thanks to the map that had been given to me and my lunch stop. At about 6pm i hit the town of Susaki and decided after my successful night in a train station the night before i would check this one out. It was very nice indeed but too nice, it was staffed and they locked it up after the last train but i got them to fill up my water bottles and headed off to the next train station. I found a little train shelter overlooking the ocean, it was a perfect spot with million dollar views. I debated whether to set my tent up but as the weather was good i decided to sleep in the shelter despite being in full view of the railway line.

I had diner got organised but my paranoid tsunami thoughts were given a real test when a world war two type warning siren went off, i kept a close eye on the sea, worked out some high ground i would run to and what was going on in the nearby town. Nothing seemed to be stirring but it left me a little nervous. Yet again i had a good night sleep mostly undisturbed, the homeless life isn’t so bad. 

On to the next island

29/04/2011: Awa railway station to Seiki 103.06km

I woke up to the most amazing view imaginable, the sun was rising out of the ocean turning the cove and sky into a fiery colour you see in holiday broachers, it was too good to take a picture of, in fact it was so beautiful i turned over and slept another 20minutes but i was out of the sleeping bag before the first train came. I had breakfast at the nearest convenience store (there is a number, Family Mart, 7/11, SunKus and my personal favourite Lawsons) where i also made use of the impeccable toilet which has more gadgets than a Formula 1 car.

I was on my way but my saddle sore from yesterday was still biting a bit and my body was feeling tired, i guess sleeping on a bench isn’t the most restful night’s sleep in the world. I didn’t have as far as i first thought to get to Sukumo where i would get the ferry across to the next island where in Seiki i would meet Russell.

I made it to Sukumo just after lunch where after a quick game of match up the Japanese letterings i found the ferry i needed. I was in perfect time as i had just enough time to casually buy a ticket and stroll onto the ferry and organise a few things for the 3 hour journey. The ferry wasn’t busy and i found a room all to myself, i laid on the floor and felt my body cease up, this little break was much needed and it gave my saddle sore which had come numb a chance to recover.

In Seiki had a little look round, mainly for a place to sleep, i found a great place to put a tent just at the end of the ferry dock car park where i cook dinner and observed a few strange goings on one of which included an hysterical argument which after a 5 minute walk turned them into a happy couple, funny old world. I was to bed later than normal but i had no rush to be up in the morning as Russell’s train wasn’t due till 12pm.

End of a mission 9/04/2011: Outskirts of Ziyang to Chengdu 129.07km

It was a perfect day to ride, beautiful clear sky, very little wind, not too hot or cold and most importantly smooth silky road not too hilly. My bike didn’t feel overly great, but i think that had something with the half a ton of mud that was clinging to it, i didn’t mind the day was too good after yesterday’s crappy weather and worse roads.

After lunch i decided to put on some music, i rarely listen to my music while riding but today it seemed fitting and only lifted my mood even more. There was a number of Chinese cyclists just out on a days ride with it being a beautiful Saturday. While climbing the only major hill of the day (climbed about 400m to 500m) a Lycia clad cyclist dared to overtake me, i decided he wasn’t going to get away from me, so on my fully laden steel tank of a bike i showed him how to ride a bike and kept right on his back wheel. He understood my game and tried sprinting away but i kept right on him. I wondered what he must have been thinking, a guy on a 50KG bicycle (who had about 1000km on him) keeping up with a guy on a bike no more than 10Kg with the rider dressed for the tour de France. The guy seemed about my age and appeared to be a keen cyclist so i was pretty pleased with my effort. Near the top though i stopped to take a picture of the stunning view, it was to be my last climb in china so i wanted to look at my effort. Going over the top the cyclist i had been chasing down was up there with a load of mates and gave me a big thumb up as i passed, then i headed down hill but the traffic was unbelievable heavy, seemed everyone from Chengdu comes here for a day out, it was manic and i even saw a few crashes.

I hit the bottom of the hill and the real build up to Chengdu, i was almost there now i jut had to navigate through a city i did not know. Luckily the cyclist i had chased up the hill was just behind me with his mates, he stopped and said they were all heading into the city and i could follow, so i did.  One guy spoke good English but there was still some confusion. I wanted to stay at a YHA hostel as they tend to be clean and of a good standard but did not which ones i had marked out were YHA’s. They did not quite understand and so took me to the University that they went to and really just wasted time. I got a bit fed up a decided to head to a hostel oi had marked. The main English speaking who told me to call him Mr. Wan came with me but where it was marked on my GPS there was nothing. I went into a hotel to use their internet and find out where the YHA hostels were. The one i was heading for was a YHA and was a little further down the road.

Finally finding it, firstly i bumped into a French cyclist then got in and was told there was only a double room available for a 100 yuan, it was quite late and i didn’t want to go looking around for other hostels so i hummed and harred hoping they would find a solution to suit. Just as it seemed hopeless somebody checked out of a dorm leaving me a bed. PERFECTO.

In the dorm was Leon and Mary both English but both had a travel bug. Mary lived in China and spoke Chinese where Leon was an eternal traveller, when he finished working as a teacher in south Korea he cycle back to England on a similar route as me. Kyrgyzstan was his favourite place and showed me pictures. It was not the Deseret i imagined it to be, it was more like New Zealand and look just amazing to cycle and camp in. They then invited me to join them for dinner and we were joined by a Chinese girl. We went Tibetan and it was the best food i have had in China but i loved it. Tibet is one place i will cycle one day but while China continues to repress the most amazing, holy, peaceful place on earth its not likely i will be able to cycle round. Chinas occupation of Tibet is something i truly deteste china for. They went in, and got rid of the essence of Tibet and banished his holiness the Dali Lhama. I could go on forever about the subject but words wont change anything, the rest of the world wont do anything about the injustice caused here but a civil war in Libya is more important. FREE TIBET!!!!!!

It was late by the time we had finished, the hostel owner promised me a beer which i took before bed, the end of cycling china but one day the mountains of Tibet and the Tibetan plateau will be conquered.