I left Sakata and headed for
Tokyo on a very humid morning. The
temperature in Japan has been record breaking the past week and riding with my
heavy gear was no picnic. My head was
exploding in the helmet and it made the ride extremely unpleasant. Luckily the landscapes and the countryside
were spectacular making the whole experience easier. I avoided the highway and the GPS, while
still confused about a lot or routes in Japan, took me through very tiny roads
through villages with manicured farms and rice fields. I had to stop often to cool off in the shade
of the forests and I must have drunk over 5 litres of liquids.
I am in awe of Japan’s bamboo
forests and rice fields and the peace and silence in the places I rested calmed
me deeply. The thermometer hit 43
degrees around 12 noon and going through villages I encountered a lot of
stoplights that made me angry. Waiting
for a stoplight in Japan is like going fishing in a lake without fish. Patience is the key, and it turns out that
the Japanese have a lot of it. No
honking, no noises and what shocked me the most was that the majority of the
cars waiting at stoplights turn their engines off. It is the first nation where I see
environmental attitude at a very large scale.
Everyone seems concerned about their impact on nature and takes serious
steps to preserve it. It is a beautiful
thing when a whole nation cares for the future.
The next morning I entered Tokyo,
knowing very well the mega size of this city and its traffic. Even though everyone drives in an orderly
fashion, it still took me 7 hours to get in and get out of Tokyo (of course, I
blame Garmin for this, the poor thing had no clue about one way streets or how
to find the way out to the South). The
heat was unbearable, I had to take my jacket off and my goggles and I got fried
by the sun. However, Tokyo impressed me
deeply and when I arrived in Shibuya crossing my heart nearly stopped; 4
million people cross this street every single day! The sea of people is indescribable: from all
directions, masses of people go about their business as if this is very natural
to them. I parked the bike next to a
Metro entrance and watched the flow of people for about an hour. A homeless man came and sat next to me for
the whole time and we chatted away while having coffee. He was a very nice young man, speaking
excellent English. I am not sure what
misfortune hit him to become homeless, but I appreciated his companionship.
After the mayhem of getting out
of Tokyo I finally managed to find the road towards Mt. Fuji. I wanted to spend few days here, to explore
the 5 lakes around the mountain and rest.
I was feeling very weak from my hard riding in the heat and my body was
exhausted.
Once I hit the countryside, the
temperature went down, especially that now I was climbing towards Mt.
Fuji. The Yamanakako lake (where I am
camping at the moment) is at 1000 m altitude and Mt. Fuji stands at an
impressive 3776 m. People told me that
this time of the year it is rare to see the top, due to clouds and humidity,
but I was lucky a couple of mornings when I got some good photos around 5:00
am.
Mt. Fuji’s lakes are impeccable:
clean, scenic and perfectly placed at the foot of the mountain, as if someone
planted them there for a special reason.
The Japanese love visiting them and many are camping here in the
summer.
As I pulled in the Misagi
campground there was no one at the reception and a very nice man that was
camping told me I can set up anywhere and in the morning I can pay for the
camp. He also helped me with his own
WIFI device so I can talk to Carmen that night.
In the morning we had coffee and got to know him and his companions a
little better. I have had so many
experiences by now with the generosity and hospitality of the Japanese people
that I cannot even count them; people give me food and drinks all the time,
they offer help in any way they can and I found no place so far where I wasn’t
welcomed or treated royally. I am sure
that everyone has different experiences while touring other countries, but I am
fortunate enough to be spoiled here in Japan.
I spent the next 5 days fishing
in the lake, swimming, tanning and just taking in the fantastic sights. I am in love with this country and its
incredible people! When I see virtually
the entire population going for jogs in the morning at 5:00 am, or thousands of
children playing tennis by the lake on their many tennis courts, when I see how
much is spent on safety and on facilities to help their children develop full
lives, I am convinced that this country has a great vision and passion for the
future.
My last night at Mt. Fuji treated
me to a spectacle of Japanese culture and Japanese nature: there was the
Festival of Fireworks in the village, with thousands of people and I was the
only foreigner. People greeted me
respectfully, served me food and drinks (yet again) and I felt very fortunate
to be a part of a true Japanese festival.
While the evening was drawing close, I noticed a strange mist on the
lake, rolling in waves from the mountains.
It felt like out of a horror movie... Soon after that major lightning
and thundering began to shake the mountains.
Meanwhile, for one and a half hours the fireworks lighted the sky,
mixing with the lightning from above and with the sounds of the thunder. It was so mystical I felt I was not on this
planet anymore! I sat in my tent,
listening and watching this show of splendor from man and nature and wondered
how did I end up here, lucky enough to spend some time in this amazing country.
Soon, my experience in Japan is
drawing to an end, and it is so far, the only country I wish I’d stay longer...
However, I have a feeling that this is just the beginning of a great
relationship with this country for many years to come.
Next is Yamaha factory in
Shizuoka and shipping the bike to Canada.
New adventures await and soon I will have only the 2 Americas to
complete my circumnavigation of the globe.
Photos below will tell you the
story much better than I can.
Spectacular scenery from Sakata to Tokyo
Entering Tokyo
Mist approaching in the evening
