September 5th to 8th: Osaka to Nagoya

Once again i find myself with an internet terminal to use, but no ability to upload pictures. Besides the usual summary here is my guide to eating on a budget in Japan. In my case its usually a matter of filling myself for cycling than eating good stuff. And apologies to my Muslim friends, but i dont think any of this is Halal.

Yoshinoya: Beef Bowl 380JPY/ Pork Bowl 330JPY (both Regular): good for breakfast and for something more filling consider adding a half-boiled egg (60JPY) or just ordering 2 bowls (660JPY). The Large bowls (480JPY) are not good value. Free flow green tea. 24 hours.
Sukiya: Beef bowl 390JPY/ Beef+Unagi bowls 640JPY: The beef isnt as good as Yoshinoya but theres more variety overall. Set meals go for 400-500JPY (usually rice+miso soup+main dish). Free flow iced coffee. 24 hours.
Matsuya: Beef Bowl 350JPY/ Pork Bowl 320JPY (Regular): Better value than Yoshinoya and there's a bowl of Miso Soup with every order. Free flow water and sometimes green tea. The yakiniku set for 640JPY is yummy.
KFC: If you have a 1000JPY budget than the current promotion is good. 5 piece chicken and 2 packs of fries for 990JPY. Very filling. No drinks though.
Mr Donut: A good place for breakfast meals. Lots of donuts going for between 100-200JPY each. 3 or 4 would be sufficient. Free iced water. If you go midday-evening there's sometimes a 100JPY sale for some of their more expensive donuts.
Royal Host: A bit expensive overall but try them for breakfast. A 3 pan-cake, hotdog and egg set goes for 500JPY. Softdrinks, coffee, orange juice etc are free-flow so it makes up for the cost. 24 hours
Joyfun: My personal favourite. Assorted sets go for 399-499JPY and there's free flow of many beverages. Add a side for 199 (Yakitoris, fries, cheesecake) to eat your fill. 24 hours.
Convenience stores: You can find one at almost every corner. Bentos go for 430JPY and sandwiches for 210JPY. No drinks. 24 hours.
100-YEN Shops: You can buy cup noodles for 105JPY (w/tax) and a 1-litre drink for the same price as well. Only good if you have hot water.
SPECIAL MENTION: The 250JPY store in Kyoto. All bentos go for 250JPY and i had 2 big chicken drumsticks for 180JPY. Best value meal i had so far.

September 5th: Osaka -> Kyoto (35km)

My lonely planet guide lists Kyoto and Tokyo as the only 2 MUST visit cities in Japan. Frankly i didn't enjoy my pass through of Kyoto. The exact reasons i do not know but i couldnt wait to leave (spent my night in a net cafe again) the next morning at 7am.

September 6th: Kyoto -> Suzuka (75km)

Today's ride was simply the best i had so far in Japan. Beautiful roads and mountain once i left Kyoto. Weather was 24 degrees at some point and it was fantastic day for cycling. Suzuka is a lovely town as well. Probably if you ask me which place i would want to settle down in Japan i would say (so far) either here or Moji. The ryokan i stayed in was a great experience too. Big clean tatami room and shower areas. The hot bathtub was simply heavenly after the shower! And i forgot to mention but right across the street are 2 gigantic shopping malls so yeah..it was really GOOD.

The lady-owner of the ryokan did not speak English but was extremely accomodating. She gave me a free Onigiri breakfast (even though i did the breakfast rates the day before), gave me a litre of Green tea and a towel and ice pack to wrap around my neck to protect from the sun. I have to give top marks for the entire experience in Suzuka.

September 7th: Suzuka -> Nagoya (55km)

Nagoya is the 3rd largest city in Japan behind Osaka and Tokyo. The streets running from the station has some impressive buildings: JR Central Towers, the largest train station (by floor area) in the world and HQ of Japan Railway Central; Nagoya TV Tower, oldest TV tower in Japan; Midland Square, 5th tallest building in Japan and HQ of Toyata International etc. Good 'sightseeing' if you're a big-city fan.

I'm staying in a dorm with 2 other guys and guess what? One of them is a cyclist touring Japan as well. He's also from Yokohama, which makes him the 3rd person from that area i've met and talked to on the road. Either Yokohama is some cycle touring central or people just can't wait to leave that city. Guess i'll know when i reach there.

September 8th: Nagoya

My dad and younger brother are flying over to Nagoya tomorrow for a 1 week holiday. So i'll be taking an extended break from my cycling trip and touring with them (by train or rented car) around the area to Mt Fuji and maybe Nagano/Tokyo. I'm not really sure how to plan this because of my bicycle but things will work out somehow i guess.

September 2nd - 4th: Kobe to Osaka

I had my longest ever stop-over in Osaka, which is perfect because i can finally take a long rest and recuperate; i figure its time for me to take a break from just cycling through cities and to start sight-seeing like a tourist. And unexpectedly, after squeezing around Osaka on foot and train for 2 days, i had a rekindling of my desire to get back on the saddle and hit the roads.

September 2-4th: Kobe -> Osaka (pics for Sept 2nd, Sept 3rd, Sept 4th)

A somewhat famous place that i did not expect to pass leaving Kobe for Osaka was Koshien, which is 'hallowed' ground for Japanese high school baseball players hoping to make it pro and has been featured prominently in many Japanese baseball movies, dramas, anime, manga etc. I just saw the sign while cycling and took a detour.

Osaka, Osaka..where do i begin? I'm going to try just give an all-in-one picture of my stay there. First thing, the hotel i booked online turned out to be superbly high-end (high end considering what i've stayed in so far perhaps?). All the front-desk staff speak English and there were athletes for the IAAF Osaka 2007 meet staying there as well. Service is top-notch and there's even a hotel shuttle bus every 20minutes to and from Shin-Osaka station.

September 2nd happened to be the last day of the Osaka 2007 (PHOTO) meet so i thought i would head down to Nagai stadium to catch the night's events. Change of plans went i saw the ticket prices: 10,500JPY for the cheapest available seats! That's like $150 SGD to catch a few hours of running! Cheapskates like myself unfortunately, can't get close to the stadium so i just wandered around the fair grounds (PHOTO), had dinner and some Takoyaki (8 octopus balls for 200JPY, that's the most reasonable price for food i've paid in Japan so far!) and went back to the hotel.

I bought a 2-day subway/bus pass for 2700JPY which comes with free tickets to 24 attractions in Osaka. The pass is real good value since the subway costs a mini-fortune to ride on. 3 stops from Shin-Osaka to Umeda costs 210JPY (~3SGD) and the ticket to the stadium the previous day was 310JPY. I had a little merry-go-round in the train lines in the maze that is Umeda station before i finally got orientated with the rail system. First stop:

Shin-Umeda City and its Floating Observatory (normal ticket 700JPY, free with the pass!) 170m up that offers a 360 degree panoramic view of Osaka City (PHOTO). Spectacular! And the building design really looks unique. I met Yannick who's from France (Paris) up on the roof of the Observatory and since both our next stop was Osaka castle we decided to go together.

Osaka castle looks fantastic from the outside but inside (my first visit inside a castle since its free with the pass) is really really disappointing, in the sense that it's been so renovated that i hardly felt any shred of the past remaining. More like going back to the future.

I had dinner with Yannick (PHOTO) and we exchanged e-mails and said goodbye. Next day was a visit to the other places on the pass, including Shintennoji temple (oldest temple in Japan), Tennoji Zoo (been so long since i visited a zoo, never thought i would enjoy myself) and WTC Tower Osaka at night, among others.

Quite frankly, the place i enjoyed the most was Den-den town, Osaka's version of Akihabara. Best find was Metal Gear Solid for the PS1 for 1000JPY. Been looking all over for that to complete my MGS collection. The best place to look were the 2nd hand shops. Wish i had more put aside more for shopping, but i would never be able to carry it on my bicycle anyway.

It's getting late (0014) so i think that's all i can write for tonight. Tomorrow i'm on my way to Nagoya which is around 150km from here. Should be a 2 day ride if my mood doesn't swing. Good night from Kyoto!

August 30th - September 1st: Miharu to Kobe

This is the cyclist i met in Miharu while writing the previous post. We went for an Okonomiyaki dinner together (a specialty of the Hiroshima prefecture) and had a nice chat. He used to stay in Singapore when he was small. He made me laugh when he said he missed bak ku teh. In the midst of everything i forgot to catch his name (i do know he's 20 though, and from Kanegawa). And he starts riding at 6am everyday so we shook hands and said goodbye before i went to sleep.

August 30th: Miharu -> Fukuyama -> Okayama (90+km, pics here)

Despite the "-yama" (yama=mountain) in the 2 cities name, today's journey was relatively flat. No real climbs and overall the weather has really gotten cooler so it's much easier cycling. It's also a good sign that i'm cycling lesser hours and covering more ground since the first day i started.

Okayama JR station just before sunset.

Nothing particularly special about Okayama (modern, big blah blah) but there's alot of Karaoke joints around the station. Unlike Singapore, Karaoke establishments here take up entire buildings and blocks and you really cant miss it cause there's lots of lights and neon signs around each.

August 31st: Okayama -> Himeji (90+km, pics here)

Before leaving town, i had a little sight-seeing detour in the morning to Okayama castle.

Okayama-jo, also known as Crow's Castle because it's painted black.

I appreciated this castle much more than the one in Hiroshima because the surroundings are more 'natural'. In Hiroshima, everywhere you look in the background you can see modern buildings which kinds of spoil the magic. In Okayama, the castle is flanked by a lake (PHOTO) and Koraku-en Garden , which according to the pamphlet is one of the 3 'great' parks in Japan. The park was too big to explore (there's a hill and even a tea plantation on its grounds) and it was getting late so i left for Himeji.

Route 2, which i have been on since i came on Honshu, can be a real pain sometimes. Like the road leading to Hiroshima, there are certain portions where, despite it being a national road, cyclists and pedestrians are not allowed on and i have to make a longer detour below the flyovers or by-passes. Well, just look where today's detour led me to:

I've been tricked!

No kidding.. that small fence on the top right is where Route 2 leads into a by-pass, and this is the 'road' that the cyclists and pedestrians get to take. Its understandable if you're walking but this is ridiculous! (by the way, this is 15km from Himeji) Sometimes when i'm tired, i even have difficulty pushing my bike up a single kerb to rest.

It took a Herculean effort to drag my bike up and around the by-pass into a small village, where i followed Route 179 into Himeji. Of course, this added an additional 5km into my trip. Note to others who might be taking the same path; at the previous town of Aioi, hit #179 straightaway and save yourself a lot of trouble.

No entry to latecomers!

Himeji is also famous for its castle, Himeji-jo, which has been voted as the most splendid castle in Japan. It was 5 mins to closing time when i reached Himeji so i couldnt enter the castle (stupid detour earlier). The grounds and park however, are really grand and well maintained. Very nice.

This is the only place so far in Japan where some people actually smile and say 'Konnichiwa' when they see me cycling on the pavements. And while in the castle grounds, instead of me asking people for help, this nice lady approached and volunteered to take a picture for me. Lastly, when i was asking a man for directions on the street, some passerbys actually noticed and joined in to offer assistance as well. We will call that being kaypoh in Singapore, but that's really fantastic service for a tourist like me.

Interesting bit of news i got on TV. The blue line indicates the normal temperature for Kobe (about 60km from Himeji) in August (it gets coolers) and the red line indicates what they're experiencing this summer, which is just crazy erratic.

September 1st: Himeji -> Kobe (65km, pics here)

Toydeath and me in my sexy riding tights.

Had a great chat with some Australians staying in the same Hotel (they saw me the previous day wandering in the castle grounds). They're performing tonight in Himeji and asked whether i would like to come along. I had to decline but their band is really 'wacky' from what i read on the Internet. They're called Toydeath and they dress up in outrageous costumes and play on stage with sounds from hand-modified toys (they call it 'circuit bending') they collect from all over the world. I didnt hear any of their music but i got to look and touch their 'instruments' which are really cool in a weird sort of way. Of course, i had to ask: have they got around to modifying a Guitar Hero controller? Answer: Not yet, but he's planning to.

What was planned to be a short 3 hour ride turned into one of the longest days i ever had so far. Firstly, bike trouble: my headset suddenly became much looser than it already was; my bicycle stand finally gave way to my bike's weight and for some reason, after lunch, my brakes just drastically faded. Fortunately, 13km from Kobe i found this huge bicycle store (Trek Concept Store), the biggest i've seen in Japan so far, which has great service akin to a car showroom (they have this waiting area (PHOTO) on the 2nd floor with drinks/food and Tour De France DVDs playing) while they service your bike. I burned about 3 hours watching a Lance Armstrong documentary there because it seems alot of people were having their bike serviced.

Sannomiya, next to the station and next to Motomachi (Chinatown). The amount of people on the street is overwhelming.

Secondly, i just remembered its Sunday and nearly impossible to get a Hotel unless you're willing to splash alot of cash. Also the Sannomiya area is jam-packed crowded! I couldn't ride on the pavements or on the roads cause people were just crossing at will. I had to push my way through the whole strecth. So i decided to camp in a park at first, which i gave up after an hour after feeling itchy and sweaty in my tent (no shower).

By then it was already 11pm so i just decided to crash in at a Net Cafe in town. 10 hours for 2080JPY is very reasonable, considering i can sleep, surf the net, eat free ice-cream and drinks and most importantly, BATHE for a mere 100JPY (which is actually the cost for the towel). I might just decide to do this more often whenever i can find a net cafe.

2 very fantastic sight around Kobe, the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge (the longest suspension bridge in the world) and the Port of Kobe Tower:

Longest suspension bridge in the world! Wow!


Looks better at night with the lightings than in the day.

Tomorrow: 35km to Osaka! I booked a Hotel already online to play safe, Osaka Garden Palace, which looks very good for 4900JPY/night. And now it's time to try to sleep in the Internet Cafe! "Checkout" is at 0930 tomorrow.

August 29th: Hiroshima to Miharu

I posted previously that Hiroshima Airport was 'a couple of km' out of the city . Well today i found that 'a couple' means 40km away, which is still relatively 'near', by car that is. It's almost the same distance as Jurong to Changi Airport.

August 29th: Hiroshima -> Higashihiroshima -> Takehara -> Miharu

As per my regular morning routine, i was so comfortable on the futon bed that i thought of just paying for another night so i could sleep in. Somehow i forced myself up for the free breakfast provided with the stay, shoved my luggage in my bags and rode out of Hiroshima, the exit to Route 2 being a short 3-4km ride from where i was.

As always, nothing turns out as expected. I forgot to factor in the morning traffic in the streets and the insane number of traffic lights i got stuck in. By the time i reached Route 2, it was already 1 hour past when i left my hotel.

Thankfully, today's 75km ride was blessed with near perfect weather; light cool drizzle and 27 degrees weather all the way. Traffic was another story; lots of big trucks on the same roads today.

Tonight's rest stop is Hotel Todai (if i squint it looks like 'Hotel Toda') in Miharu which has free internet access! And i'm posting this as i'm waiting for my laundry to be done. Unfortunately the terminal doesn't allow for uploading of pictures.

Some facts and figures about my trip so far:
Days in Japan: 13
Average spent a day: $89.10
No of days spent cycling: 8
Distance covered: Straight line estimate=675km Actual=700+km probably

August 25th-28th: Fukuoka to Hiroshima

Greetings from Hiroshima! Took me 3 days of cycling covering over 300km from Fukuoka to get here. Weather has been topsy turvy for the past few days. It can be blistering hot one moment and raining heavily with no dark clouds in the sky the next, and then faster than i can find shelter, the rain stops and i'm in the sun again. I have to thank God that so far, i've not fallen sick from frequent temperature changes. Once again, a summary of the last few days:

August 25th: Fukuoka -> Kitakyushu -> Moji (pics here)

I have officially given up trying to recall the names of all the little towns and cities i've been cycling through. I just know that i started from A and ended at B. Today i rode Route 3 all the way through Kitakyushu prefecture (literally, North Kyushu), which is also a very modern string of towns and cities.

Taken at the clean breezy sea port of Moji.

The highlight was my ending point at Moji, or Mojiko (PHOTO, Moji Port) which is a delightful seaside town and the last stop on Kyushu before crossing the Kanmon straits to the main Japanese island of Honshu. I took a slow ride along the sea soaking in the breeze and sights and then just when i thought that maybe i had to cross to Shimonoseki to find a place to stay tonight, i found this cheap Hotel (PHOTO) just before the Kanmon tunnel road (PHOTO).

Nice big room but toilets and showers would have to be shared. My first time taking a traditional bath in Japan, where you have to sit on a stool and bathe. When i first got in there was this man with a lot of tattoos all over, who i thought would probably be unhappy since i was bathing standing up. However, looks were deceiving, and he graciously showed me the proper way to operate the bath. He even drew the stool and wash basin and laid it out for me. I opted not to go into the small hot spring bath at the end though, mainly because it felt steaming hot and i was already sunburnt all over.

August 26th: Moji -> Shimonoseki -> Ogori (pics here)

The day of the great crossing! I'm leaving Kyushu and arriving on Honshu via the Kanmon tunnel (PHOTO) which is about 1KM long and goes right under the straits. I was just imagining all the tons of sea water above me as i pushed my bike through (no cycling allowed in the tunnel)!

Its hard to smile for a picture when the sun is so bright...

Nothing much interesting today to report. Was feeling unusually tired so i only rode 50+km and stopped at Ogori, which is a town in the Yamaguchi prefecture. Oh yeah, the weather was again scorching, road signs said it was 36 degrees!

August 27th: Ogori -> Iwakumi -> Hiroshima (pics here)

My longest 1 day ride yet! 150km from Ogori all the way into the night to reach Hiroshima and a good 2 nights rest. Its funny, i was so tired the day before and almost decided to extend my stay in Ogori to recuperate more. And i ended up covering so much ground, amidst 2 sudden downpours and 34+degrees sun. Its really a case of mind over matter i guess.

Didn't make me go 'WOW!' but a pretty place overall.

Had a 15 minutes detour in Iwakuni to see the famous Iwankuni Kintai Bridge (the orginal bridge was made entirely of wood, no nails whatsoever). Scenic town but nothing really mind-boggling.

Hiroshima is a funny place. Unlike Fukuoka or Nagasaki where i had to search for Hotels with vacancies or within my budget, the problem in Hiroshima is locating a hotel! I arrived at 730pm and managed to find a place at 1030pm! That's because the only visible hotels are the Love Hotels (big neon lights) or the really grand ones (cos they're big). The normal small business hotels are extremely well hidden.

Anyway found a moderate price place (4700JPY) which had authentic tatami rooms and futons. The owner's daughter speaks almost perfect English. It's also a coincidence because she's going to be working in Singapore from next month onwards at DHL. Anyway the futon was suprisingly comfortable. Actually i wouldn't know. I was so tired from cycling and hotel-finding i just knocked out after my bath.

August 28th: Hiroshima (pics here, no desc. though, will be added next time)

Hiroshima is a big modern city. Big streets, easy to navigate and the airport is just a couple of KM on the outskirts. It's served by train lines, a subway, street trams and buses. However the buses are pretty expensive even for short distances. I'm used to paying 100JPY flat for rides but a short ride today to the Peace Memorial Park cost me 210JPY which is nearly $3SGD! That's the price of a night-rider service in Singapore for a short trip!

10CC - Bloody Tourist; that's the only thing i had in mind.

Like Nagasaki, the main aim of my stop in Hiroshima is again to visit the A-bomb memorial. However, because of the sheer amount of tourists (most had come from the IAAF meet in Osaka, 1 1/2 hrs by Bullet Train) and school children in the area, the 'mood' wasn't really there for me. And the A-bomb Dome was fenced up all around so the closest i could get was 10metres away from it. On the plus side, with so many foreigners around, i got to speak to alot of people today.

'Peace' in the Southeast!


That's a shadow across my face, not my latest tan line.

The other main attraction nearby was Hiroshima Castle (PHOTO). Which wasn't really interesting. I also checked out Hondori (PHOTO) which is supposed to be one of the hottest areas in the city which is where i found this internet cafe to update.

One thing i seem to notice: I think i might be the sweatiest person in Japan! At least from a couple of feet away, i don't seem to notice anyone sweating their guts out like me while walking in the sun. Is it possible to grow immune to this kind of weather? I've been staying in climate like this for 20 odd years and i still break a sweat everytime. How on earth do they do it?

Whats on the cards for the next few days: I'm just thinking whether or not to stay here a couple more days till its September and then cycle to the Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara etc). Because i remember that the forecasts for the next few days are rainy. And getting drenched is no fun at all. If i do decide to hang around i will probably visit Miyajima tomorrow which is a 40min train ride away. Otherwise, it will be onwards to Osaka!

August 22nd - 24th: Nagasaki, back to Fukuoka

Welcome back to Fukuoka! Where the number of traffic lights outnumber motorbikes! I think it's fitting that i'm back to where i started exactly 1 week from when i landed in Japan. I'll take the first week as a prologue before i really make my way up north. Journey back here was largely uneventful except for my night camping up Mt Hirokouka. It was all nice and good until 3am when there was a downpour all the way to 7am. Was wet and soggy all the way till the afternoon sun came and dried me out.

August 22nd: Nagasaki -> Isahaya -> Omura -> Ureshino (Mt Hirokouka) (photos from this day here)

A beautiful lake up Mt Hirokouka in Ureshino.

Some extremely nice guy named Nakamura (PHOTO) from the Ureshino city office drove me up 10km up Mt Hirokouka when i asked for a camping site (and because it was getting dark). Beautiful scenery all around and a lake smack in the middle of the mountain. Unfortunately, there wasn't any reception in the area so i couldn't SMS home to tell them i was safe (something which kept me up all night worrying..)

The 'happy' camper.. and this was before the downpour! (Check out the tan-lines on my hands!)

After setting up tent and trying my best to fall asleep, suddenly a torchlight came shining into my tent. It seemed that i had dropped my bicycle glove in his car and he drove all the way up from town again to return it. You can't imagine how bad i felt. My hats goes off to him for all the trouble he went through in helping me. If i was in his situation, would i have done the same i wonder?

August 23rd: Ureshino -> Takeo -> Saga -> Tosu -> Fukuoka (photos from this day here, only 3!)

After the Takeo, the rest of the road back to Fukuoka was flatlands all the way. Which was good. Covered over 110km today because i started extremely early (thanks to the morning rain). Just a long ride with nothing interesting at all happening.

Leaving the coast and heading inland to flatter (whew!) roads.

Back in Fukuoka, it was extremely difficult to find a hotel to stay. Most were fully booked or priced out of my budget. Eventually, after 2 hours of hotel-hunting, found a twin room for 5,900JPY. Like i said, most rooms (single rooms especially) were full everywhere. Very nice having such a big room and 2 beds to myself (the 2nd bed being for me to throw my clothes all over). Had Ramen for dinner (the shop owner gave me a 2nd bowl free!) and then a well-deserved night's rest. I also called Mom before sleeping to tell her how i was.

August 24th: Fukuoka (photos here)

Today is R&R (Rest and Research) day! Basically an excuse foｒ me to find an Internet cafe and update and to find out more on how to get to my next checkpoint (Hiroshima). Also did my laundry this morning.

I've been craving for regular fast food for the past few days and today i went all out on KFC! Taste as good here as it does back home. I walloped 4-piece chicken, 2 pastas and a drink. I'm glad my appetite is back. Haven't been eating much for the past few days.

Some interesting things i've observed in Japan the past few weeks:

Dust bins (or dust-box as they call it): Japanese are very into recycling (bottles and cans esp). Which is a good thing, except that it's nearly impossible to find a regular rubbish bin on the street! Most of the time i just chuck tissues and plastic wrappers into my bag and empty it when i get to a hotel.

Toilets: Even the most desolate and run-down petrol stations out in the rural areas have fabulously clean toilets! Some even have air-conditioning in them, even when the main station shop doesn't have it. Truly incredible.

Public transport: As i learned the embarassing way, trams and buses in Japan are all ride-first, pay-later. Also, the entrance to public transport are the rear doors, and you leave and pay your fare from the front door. Most fares for inter-city transport are 100JPY ($1.30~)

Service: It amazes me how people in the service industries are so courteous and enthusiastic. From the people on the street giving out flyers to just about any waiters in restaurants to the gas-station attendants, everything is done with a big smile, a loud voice and plenty of gusto. Just how much are they paying these people an hour to give such good service i wonder? What a stark contrast compared to the people working in Singapore.

Day 3-5: August 19th-21st, Fukuoka to Nagasaki

I actually reached Nagasaki yesterday evening at around 1815 and checked into a youth hostel for 2 nights. Which means i'm due to hit the roads again tomorrow morning, a very boring trip back up to Fukuoka on mostly the same roads to really start my cycling journey. Nagasaki is a just a (very long, 320km+ to and fro) detour because i wanted to visit ground zero of the A-Bomb attack (coincidentally, it was on 9th August (1945) as well, same as our National Day). Before i write my impressions of this city, a recap of my last 2 days journeys:

August 19th: Fukuoka -> Karatsu City -> Imari (pictures from the 19th here)

So much for my intention to get up early. Alarm set for 0645 but by the time i was downstairs loading my bike it was already 0930. Said goodbye to Fukuoka and finally mustered the courage to ride on the roads. Took route 202 which arched along the coast to Karatsu (PHOTO, Karatsu City in the BG) before cutting back inland to Imari (PHOTO). Terrain is generally hilly, full of valleys going up and down (i felt they were mostly going up..) but once in the areas out of Fukuoka traffic is relatively low. Moderate head winds which made cycling all the more difficult, not to mention the weather was HOT (as usual).

UMI!

HOWEVER, despite tough conditions, the best thing that made cycling in Japan feel good is that motorists are super mindful and respectful of cyclists. Despite most of the road being single laned, i never once felt squeezed to the curb because every car/truck/lorry would swerve around me (some quite dramtically, right into the oncoming lane!) so that i would have space to cycle. It's funny how i have some sort of invisible barrier around me that no cars will go near. Again, roads are very safe to cycle. Road sides are also relatively clean from sand, glass, gravel etc.

One thing you should know is that the hardest part of cycling with heavy loads is having to stop and then accelerate again. This made me think twice before stopping everytime i wanted to take a picture, so i suppose unless i stop for a break or there's something really eyecatching there wont be many pictures on cycling days.

All in all, covered quite a lot of distance for my 1st day. The only thing of note is how some pigeon 'bombed' my helmet (PHOTO) while i was riding under a bridge. Didn't even notice till i took off my helmet.

August 20th: Imari-> Hasami -> Omura-> Nagasaki (pictures from the 20th here)

Again, a late start at 1000. Had lunch in Kawatana, yummy Yakiniku (PHOTO) (the sauce mainly, which even made veggies taste superb). There was this really helpful old man in Hasami who insisted that he escort me all the way through town in his car (i just asked whether i was going the right way) and even offered to give me money to buy a drink when we parted. I think i will have fond memories of this small town because of this experience.

Hasami +1! Nice country-side town.

Omura is a nice city as well. Modern and uncluttered. The main street has basically every kind of shops on the side and the streets are wide as well so even with so many cars it didn't feel messy. Was very tired by then (and about 20km to Nagasaki) so seeing a Mr Donut shop (PHOTO) was a GOD-SENT... I ate 3+2 donuts. Thank goodness for sugar! Asked some school girls for direction out of town. Very helpful.

This road was so steep i had to rest halfway...

It may seem like all i do is complain about how hard the ridings conditions are, but so far, the climb up from Isahaya to Nagasaki City is the worst! Talk about shooting a guy when he's down. Anyway i'm glad i managed to finish this 160km+ trip in 2 days, way over my 50km/day plan but at least i saved 1 day journey.

August 21st: Nagasaki City (pictures from the 21st here)

This is just my general impression, but so far i feel that Nagasaki is the least friendly city i've passed through. Some people actually avoided and me walked away when i approached for help (maybe i look like some kind of wacko?) . Sort of like Singaporeans standard in terms of helpfulness. Maybe because i'm already conditioned to believe that everyone in Japan will go out of his/her way to help tourists.

I still need more practice with my phone camera..Missed out her friend completely..

But enough about the people, the main reason i came to Nagasaki was to see the A-Bomb site. I truly felt quite emotional when i walked into the Ground Zero memorial. And Nagasaki Peace Park was beautiful as well (i didn't expect the Peace Statue to be so big!). Was worth the journey to see this place.

Ground zero, hypocentre of the A-Bomb explosion


Peace Statue, i was tempted to pose like the statue but thought better of it..

That's all for this update. Like i said, at least another 2 days of cycling to reach Fukuoka again, and then on to Hiroshima!

Day 2: August 18th Fukuoka

Note: If you were looking through the photos and couldn't make head or tail of what was in the photo i don't blame you. I went back and added some descriptions to all the pictures and uploaded the remainder of yesterday night. Today's photos (w/description) are here.

As proposed, i took my bike and tried to cycle to Momochi Beach/Seaside Park, forgetting that it's Saturday and both road and pavement are crowded! Effectively, my cycling speed through town was just a little faster than walking.

I had control of when the shutter would be pressed and still managed to look more surpised than him...

Did i mention that i forgot to pack a cycling helmet? I was looking for a bicycle shop as i rode along and i stopped someone to ask. He turned out to be someone who spoke above average English (by Japan standards) and EXTREMELY helpful. He went out of his way to guide me to a bicycle shop and served as translator for me in the shop. Oddly, they didn't sell helmets. Guess it wouldn't sell in a city where no one wears it. As my guide remarked, "Do you see me wearing a helmet?"

Anyway, cycled through to Yahoo! Dome (PHOTO), Momochi Seaside Park (PHOTO), Fukuoka Tower (PHOTO, the tallest seaside tower in Japan, i don't know how they defined it), the Fukuoka City Museum (PHOTO) and Library (PHOTO), all of which are magnificently impressive buildings. I never thought a museum or a library could looks so cool. As for the beach (PHOTO), well... if you know me, you'll know i hate the beach. So i just took a quick look-see from above and left. Didn't want to get sand in my shoes. And there were more guys than girls anyway.

A very beautiful museum

Tomorrow i'm waking up early (to beat the sun) and cycling to Saga City! Not sure where i'll end up (not in a hotel though) cause it depends on how quickly i reach my goal. Might travel further if i reach earlier than planned.

Day 0-1: August 16th - 17th, Changi Airport, Bangkok to Fukuoka

NOTE: All the photos i've taken and will be taking will be uploaded to my FLICKR account. Today's Photos in full res can be found here. Check them out but keep in mind: 1) it's hard for me to appear in any of my photos without having to lug a tripod around and 2) i'm not a great photographer to begin with so don't expect much.

First post from Japan! Said farewell at Changi to family and friends (PHOTO) and transited through Bangkok airport (Suvarnabh) which is a super modern shopping extravaganza of an Air Terminal (it puts our Changi to shame in terms of shops and boutiques (PHOTO)) but the architechture feels really drab (grey) and cold, much like the Thai people. I think everyone from the flight stewards to the airport was super unfriendly (some quite rude). So much for my impression of Thai hospitality and warmth. And due to me taking a wrong turn i had to walk a total of 1.37km to reach my gate (no kidding, they even had distance signs as if to boast that their airport is so big)

Reached Fukuoka Airport in the morning (about 845am after going through customs). I went around to some secluded spot at the end of the airport to assemble my bike. After nearly an hour my bike was up (PHOTO) and i went to find my hotel. The weather is HOT! Or to be more precise,　it's exactly like Singapore. First lesson learnt: Keep off the roads in town! Cars and trucks were aplenty and everything was quite confusing. I stayed on the bicycle and pedestrian friendly sidewalks all the way to the hotel (Fukuoka Toei Hotel, PHOTO).

My bike mingling with the other bicycles on the street

As a mode of transportation, the bicyle is KING! Everyone from businessman in suits, old grannies, OLs and teenagers were zipping here and there on the sidewalks. And as i was just taking my own sweet time to explore, old grandmas (the most unlikely of speed maniacs..) were overtaking me all over the place. In my defence, it's not easy mingling with cyclists and people on the sidewalk when my bicycle fully loaded weights a good 45kg. Swerving with the weight is highly difficult. Trying to ride with one hand is just asking for a kiss with the asphalt.

Kego Park, beside Fukuoka Station which is the busiest human traffic place i've seen so far

Checked in and took a long nap cause i couldn't sleep the entire flight. I went out of the hotel around 6pm to do some look-see and find dinner and found myself at this Internet Cafe, which is a super great place to hang out and be entertained(games, magazines, manga, movies, Internet, showers, tanning salon and food!). It's open 24 hours as well. A great way to spend the night (~$25SGD for overnight use)

As per my friend in Fukuoka's recommendation, i will be checking out the beach tomorrow(Saturday) and the sports stadium. Sunday i will be cycling down to Saga (50km away) and probably camping a night there before continuing on to Nagasaki (100km from Saga) early Monday morning. Here's to better cooler weather tomorrow!

All my bags are packed and i'm flying off to Japan tomorrow!

This is it! T-20 hours to takeoff and the beginning of my 'grand aventure'!

I've been doing packing and re-packing over the last 2 days because it seems everytime i think i'm done, i'll remember something else that i forgot to pack. And it's not easy cause I've never had to pack for any trip as long and with so much restrictions as this. Anyway as of an hour ago, this is the bulk of my luggage..

..which are basically the 4 bags off my bicycle, which has been packed as well:

Whether i'm under or over packed only time will tell.. Possible 11th hour additions might include a fishing rod and equipment, and whatever else i'll 'suddenly' remember tomorrow. And of course, in the worst case scenario, i can always purchase whatsoever i'm lacking in Japan itself (space permitting of course).

After some reading today, i've decided to set Cape Soya (the northern most point of Japan) as my goal. However it will be nearing freezing; 8degC (high) to 0.5degC (low) if i reach Hokkaido in November so for skin and bones sake i hope i reach it as fast as i possibly can on a bicycle.

For anyone interested, these are my flight details tomorrow. I'll have to transit at Bangkok (cause it's Thai Airways, which is ~$300 cheaper than a 1-way SIA flight):

Changi Airport Terminal 1 Flight TG410 departing 2040 16th August
- arriving at Bangkok Suvarnabh, Thailand 2200

I'll have a 2hr50min break in Bangkok before transiting:

Bangkok Suvarnabh, Thailand Flight TG648 departing 0050 17th August
- arriving at Fukuoka, Japan 0800 17th August

That's it! My last post from Singapore. Barring me finding an Internet cafe in Bangkok (and not dozing off in the airport), my next post will be written in Japan! Wish me luck on my journey!