Cycling the Length of Japan: Day 0, August 15, 2013
A very sleek charging station at Tokyo’s Heneda Airport
Quite a breakwall structure protecting the Wakkanai port
For me, one of the advantages of travel is going from a place defined by regular patterns of almost complete predictability, to being instantly plunged into a steady stream of unknowns. It’s these experiences that forces one to start learning: learning about a different culture, and learning about oneself.
Also, when travel has a constantly changing daily environment – in this case cycling – it requires a complete and total focus on every moment, otherwise, a) you could get hit by a car driving on the “other” side of the road, b) you’ll leave something important in the last hotel, c) you’ll get lost, or d) you’ll miss seeing something really interesting.
This type of travel is an exercise in being aware, and staying outside your head. Not an easy thing.
robert j. mang cycling/travel 