Cycling Japan: Ride days 8/9, August 24-26
Ride 8 was a short leg from Mori to the ferry at Hakodateko, and then a 3.5 hr ferry ride to Aomori, which is the furthest northern city on Honshu. Nothing terribly notable about the ride, but on the ferry, economy class passengers get to choose from three very large carpeted rooms (no shoes!) where you can take a vinyl covered cube to use as a pillow and plop yourself on the floor. The gentle rumbling of the engines, and the movement over the water put me to sleep in about 8 seconds.
If you’re wondering why this photo is such crap, well, my camera died. I bought a new one for this trip only to have it die before I left so I got it replaced only to have the exact same thing happen…again. So, I shipped that useless piece of junk home (I’ll deal with getting my refund later), and I bought a new one. Fortunately, this was my rest day in Aomori, so I spent it camera shopping, and working with Japan Post, which I”m sure would normally be pretty easy, if you speak Japanese that is.
This awful shot was taken – Alison, hold your breath – with my phone!!! One phone camera shot, and it sucks. I told you. I tried to make it presentable, but PHONES HAVE ZERO DYNAMIC RANGE and no controls, and no lens, so unless you’re in a shady park, or you process the hell out of it in Instagram, it’s really not worth looking at. There, I said it, and I feel better.
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Ride 9 was wonderful, and one hell of a climb. For those of you in Santa Fe, it’s a bit more than the ski-basin in both distance and gain, but I’m lugging those panniers, which I don’t do when I ride the ski-basin.
Sun dappled road through a National Park
Anyway, it was the perfect climb: a twisty road with switchbacks, a good surface, not too many cars, and plenty of 11-13% grades to challenge the old legs.
A thermal spring feeds this lake. Very strong sulfur smell.
Free tea near the top of the big climb.
A nice place to fill a water bottle
robert j. mang cycling/travel 
All sounds great Robbert! What gears did you put on that bike? The ferry looked comfortable, a nap on the floor, listening to the hum would seem good. Didn’t look very crowded. How has the dietary changes been? craving a green chili cheese burger?ha
Saturday four of us did Bandeleir Loop, Russell ran over a 4ft+ snake on the way back in Jacona. It didn’t seem hurt at all. We put it over to the side of the road where it hissed and coiled to make us think it was posions.
Allan
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It is so good to be hearing your adventures by the day (and to see that you have not lost your dry sense of humor!). And you look so happy drinking tea! Wendy Mini
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Hi Bobby, Please let us know where you are and please bring us up to date. Happy you two are together again… Love. Patti
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