It was mid-morning by the time the bikes were reassembled, the panniers re-packed and we were ready to ride out into the Osaka traffic.
The night had been restless. Kansai International Airport is undeserving of its spot in Asia’s Top Ten Airports for Sleeping.
A cheapskate’s accomodation woes
The bright fluorescent lights are never dimmed. The peppy piped in music doesn’t drop off till well past midnight. Silence and slumber at at last?
Nope. Now the eardrums are assaulted by a cacaphony of random beeps and gurrgles from all the electronics.
I know, airports are not hotels. I ought to just shut up and be thankful for the free accommodation.
Kansai does score points for security and courtesy. A policeman dropped by to check passports and when Eric informed him that ‘wife is sleeping’ the officer bowed deeply, apologized and slipped away soundlessly.
Concrete Jungle
Based on a few blogs and random Facebook comments, I had a vague notion that everybody loved cycling in Japan. I thought we’d love Japan cycling, too.
We don’t. At least not yet.
In places, it looks like somebody emptied a massive bucket of asphalt over the country and plopped down apartment blocks, Pachinko parlors and 7-11 convenience stores at random. Tracking down a nice shade tree is like trying to find a restaurant serving lunch during Ramadan in Jakarta.
We spend much of our time tangled up in the vast network of roads searching for the cycle way. It doesn’t help that the expected summer rains have failed and we’re sweltering in this concrete jungle.
Even lovely Kyoto with its myriad of temples and shrines has failed to lift me from my funk. I yearn for pine trees and cool meandering streams. Tall mountains and empty roads.
We’ll find them, I’m told, once we escape the Osaka-Tokyo corridor. For now, we’ll push on, appreciating the kindness of the Japanese and the odd spot of beauty we happen across.
Hi, sounds like a rough start and I feel your pain!
The key is to get off that main route and into the countryside. Head into the big peninsula south of Kyoto down into Wakayama, across the narrow Inland Sea onto the island of Shikoku, or go north over the mountains to the Japan Sea coast from where you can head west or east – all amazing options that will put the smiles back on your faces. That corridor is hell on a bike, but is a relatively narrow one; a quieter, more cycle-friendly Japan is waiting for you, and is closer than you think.
Ganbatte kudasai!
Thanks, Paul, for the encouragement and route suggestions. Will keep focused on the good stuff that lies ahead!
Great pics… can’t help but notice that your panniers look very clean and polished and well, new. Don’t tell me they made it through 94 countries too!! (Mine were dirt-stained, hole-ridden, battered and abused after about 8). Hope you find those roads your searching for…
Nah, those pretty panniers have only been through Asia–a couple years old, though. Gave them a good wash in OZ. Those quiet roads are out there and we WILL find them! Best of luck to you, Helen, on your upcoming Asia tour.
And readers, if you’re up for a good old fashioned adventure read, check out Helen’s Desert Snow
http://www.helenstakeon.com/desert-snow/
Wow, you guys are going to LOVE the roads up here in Hokkaido. And I too slept at KIX back in March and wasn’t all that impressed. Pretty bright.
Hi guys, am really enjoying your posts. Any chance of perhaps doing a blog for us Newbies on “Bike Touring Food”. What do you eat, what’s a yummy meal you can prepare quickly, any tips on using the Whisperlite International, what staples live in your ‘pannier pantry’ etc.
Thanks heaps 😀