{"id":4638,"date":"2013-06-15T08:48:44","date_gmt":"2013-06-15T06:48:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/?p=4638"},"modified":"2020-01-02T05:27:35","modified_gmt":"2020-01-02T10:27:35","slug":"dangerous-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2013\/06\/dangerous-expectations\/","title":{"rendered":"Dangerous Expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"

It was mid-morning by the time the bikes were reassembled, the panniers re-packed \u00a0and we were ready to ride out into the Osaka traffic.<\/p>\n

The night had been restless.\u00a0 Kansai International Airport is undeserving of its spot in Asia\u2019s Top Ten Airports for Sleeping<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A cheapskate’s accomodation woes<\/h3>\n

The bright fluorescent lights are never dimmed.\u00a0 The\u00a0 peppy piped in music doesn\u2019t drop off till well past midnight. Silence and slumber at at last?<\/p>\n

Nope. Now the eardrums are assaulted by a cacaphony of random beeps and gurrgles from all the electronics.<\/p>\n

I know, airports are not hotels. I ought to just shut up and be thankful for the free accommodation.<\/p>\n

Kansai does score points for security and courtesy.\u00a0 A policeman dropped by to check passports and when Eric informed him that \u2018wife is sleeping\u2019 the officer bowed deeply, apologized and slipped away soundlessly.<\/p>\n

Concrete Jungle<\/h3>\n

Based on a few blogs and random Facebook comments, I had a vague notion that everybody loved cycling in Japan.\u00a0 I thought we\u2019d love Japan cycling, too.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t.\u00a0 At least not yet.<\/p>\n

In places, it looks like somebody emptied \u00a0a massive bucket of asphalt over the country and plopped down apartment blocks, Pachinko parlors and \u00a07-11 convenience stores at random.\u00a0 Tracking down a nice shade tree is like trying to find a restaurant serving lunch during Ramadan in Jakarta.<\/p>\n

We spend much of our time tangled up in the vast network of roads searching for the cycle way.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t help that the expected summer rains have failed and we\u2019re sweltering in this concrete jungle.<\/p>\n

Even lovely Kyoto with its myriad of temples and shrines has failed to lift me from my funk.\u00a0 I yearn for pine trees and cool meandering streams.\u00a0 Tall mountains and empty roads.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll find them, I\u2019m told, once we escape the Osaka-Tokyo corridor.\u00a0 For now, we\u2019ll push on, appreciating the kindness of the Japanese and the odd spot of beauty we happen across.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The best part so far, a beautiful camping spot in the grounds of Nara Palace. The security guard popped by on his bike and after realizing we spoke no English just smiled and was on his way. Gotta love the Japanese and their indulgence towards foreigners.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Baseball is as Japanese as sushi and geishas. These boys were out playing early Saturday as we cycled away from the airport.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Cycling is incredibly popular in Japan. From schoolkids to fashionable young business people commuting to the office and old grannies on their way home from the super market, two-wheeled travel is the way to go.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Classic Japanese temple in Nara City<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The Zen tradition hangs on in Nara.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Our couchsurfing host, Hiro, in Kyoto! I’d say at least 30 people assisted us in finding his place. One kind group of gas stations attendants even dispatched a random motorist to direct us to Hiro’s home and call him to announce our arrival. The silver lining to all the stress and hassle of navigating in Japan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The graceful beauty of Kyoto. We may have missed the cherry blossoms, but the temples are extraordinary any time of year.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
The Kogas make it to country 94… well 94 for my Koga at least.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Tradition slams up against modernity as these young women tap away at their smart phones while visiting a temple in Kyoto.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Even the cemeteries are overcrowded!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Schoolgirls screw up the courage to approach us and practice their English. They read off a list of questions, we respond and they dutifully note the answers for their assignment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Finally a switch from the usual spaghetti of the last 9 months! Fried udon noodles with egg are our new staple meal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Looks idyllic! Don\u2019t be fooled, there\u2019s a major highway 500 meters away and chock a block houses right around the corner. We somehow managed to stumble upon this small patch of forest just as it was time to set up camp.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was mid-morning by the time the bikes were reassembled, the panniers re-packed \u00a0and we were ready to ride out into the Osaka traffic. The night had been restless.\u00a0 Kansai International Airport is undeserving of its spot in Asia\u2019s Top<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4647,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[197,49],"tags":[196],"yoast_head":"\nDangerous Expectations - Worldbiking.info<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.worldbiking.info\/wordpress\/2013\/06\/dangerous-expectations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dangerous Expectations - Worldbiking.info\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It was mid-morning by the time the bikes were reassembled, the panniers re-packed \u00a0and we were ready to ride out into the Osaka traffic. 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