Entries this day: AM_dream Day Kobe_arrival Three_Coin_Tosses Zzz Zzzzz_to_do_tomorrow

AM dream

7:45am JST Saturday 22 April 2006

(transcribed 12:33pm JST Monday 15 May 2006)

Woman asked about my toothbrushing - what time and her English was perfect. kept talking and she was fat and hairy, misshapen, then became okay after she acknowledged it. She gave me a pager, and her hubby came. She left and the pager went off with a secret message (secret from him). directions: take off jacket, go to the post office, get a key, get mail, bring it to counter, etc etc. I was slow to start because I wanted to be casual about it, and when I arrived the post office was dark, but still open. went in together with the woman and the secret message was on a Scrabble game board, so we could easily shake it up if husband came. he came and message was shaken, but not 100% gone.

Day

1:39pm JST Monday 24 April 2006 (day 13179)

It's been a couple of days, so I don't think I'll try to do justice to writing a full entry about it.

Suffice that the ride was long, and had a couple of great downhill zooms, and I was really happy to see Richard again, and super thankful to be treated to dinner, and to have a warm bed for sleeping purposes.

I took pictures of different tunnels; I'll use those as touchpoints for a story.

boat on building I was surprised to see this boat on top of the building, even though I had seen an billboard for it a couple miles before. I saw it and was like, "that's worth a picture!"	good night's sleep I rode a realllly long time after the amazing gift of hamburgers from Mamirun and friends. At one point I stopped at a pedestrian overpass, and sat on the steps and at one of the cheese burgers. I literally fell asleep while eating it! Woke up, finished eating, continued riding; I wanted to get to highway 163. Around 2:30am (April 22nd) I stopped to sleep here. I got up early; this picture was taken at 5:24am on the 22nd!	sleeping area, other direction
tunnel This was my first tunnel of the day. I don't 100% remember it, but I think this is the one with pretty tight turns on the hill below, and I was a bit worried for my safety. But not worried enough to slow down!	road 668 Took this picture as a timestamp after the tunnel and subsequent downhill run. I estimate I averaged about 20 something km/hour. Top speed was probably 40+ km/hour.	Ueno Park Ninjas I thought of Hannah in Memphis when I saw this sign for ninjas!!
red brick tunnel This tunnel was the start of another good downhill zoom.	sign for Nara! Super happy and surprised to see a sign for Nara! I consulted my map and confirmed it's the Nara that janette and I visited, with all the deer and the big Buddha and .... I had basically ridden TJ Bike there!!	long (1.1km) Kiyotaki Daiichi tunnel This tunnel was *amazing* for me on bicycle. Super long, super loud, *and* (if I remember correctly), I almost ate it when the sidewalk made a dogleg in the middle of the tunnel!! I was like, "what's that up ahead?" as some abberation in the sidewalk quickly sped toward me... OH SHIT! THAT'S A RAILING!!! And I slammed on my breaks (which didn't work for crap), and slammed down my foot to drag and stop.. Whew!!!!!!

Kobe arrival

22:25pm JST Saturday 22 April 2006 (day 13177)

(transcribed 12:39pm JST Monday 15 May 2006)

Made it to さんのみや station in Kobe to meet Richard. Many map points indicated with timestamps. 2 days from Koji's in Shima-shi. Wrote a Rob Update in Osaka-ish. Richard will be here in 20 minutes. Kathy Fey told me her life-calling search mantra "my heart and my income are connected." I have been using it today, including out breaths for "my heart" and "are connected" and in breaths on "my income" and my added "blessed be".

Sannomiya station is a happenin' place to be. Borrowed a keitai to call Rich with only 3 turndowns. Wanna go back to internet and free ice cream, OJ, hot cocoa!!

Three Coin Tosses

Three Coin Tosses

Hello from Osaka!  (almost)

I enjoyed over two weeks at Koji and Masako's farmhouse, with three meals a day and
relatively fun work on the farm, that included weeding (from weeds to dead bamboo
and trees), cutting and burning dead bamboo and trees, planting blueberries, and
turning over compost.

Some of the work was heavy duty, but overall, quite a great bargain for me,
currently a bum!

I left their house by bicycle yesterday, headed for Kobe to meet my friend Richard.
After about 60km traveled, I stopped at McDonald's and ordered a cheap high calorie
meal.  On my way to sit down, a high school girl was like, "excuse me" in Japanese,
and asked something about where I had started.  She told me she had seen me
earlier!!  Wow!  I had my mapbook handy, and asked her to show me where.

(this is the amazing part:)

She hadn't seen me earlier that day; she had seen me two weeks ago on my way to
Koji's!!!!!!!   I was utterly shocked at the coincidence, and amazed she
remembered!  She and her friends bought me three (3) sandwiches (2 cheeseburgers
and 1 chicken) and an orange juice.....  Oh my gosh what an incredible blessing!!

I asked their names and sat with them a while, working across the language barrier
to communicate.  They gave their nicknames:  Mamirun, Ne-san, and Mayapon.  I gave
them each a card featuring Francois (made by Hitomi (with whom I have now 100%
broken up, for those keeping track)) and wrote on the back where the pictures had
been taken.

Quite quite quite an incredible meeting!

I rode well into the night, for going was slow and I wanted to get to Kobe by
today.  Slept just off the side of the road from 2:30am and got started again this
morning at 7:30am.

More slow going up hills and some super super fast going down down down the other
side.  My most recent was most exhilarating (mom, don't read this:) I was zooming
down with traffic on city-type highway going basically 50km / hour (given that was
the speed limit, and that's how fast traffic was going)..  Got to some lights and
had to squeeze the brakes fully *and* drag my shoe to stop in time.  Totally
Fantastic.

(I should get my brakes fixed; they don't work as well as new)

- - - -

Before going up a hill, I found the sidewalk turned into its own little street and
broke away from the main road.  I followed it, enjoying a little break from
traffic, and assuming it would rejoin the road shortly.

I saw a squirrel, and a fowl, both running across the road, and heard countless
birds in the trees and bamboo forest all around.  Such a beautiful area!  The
little road didn't go anywhere near the big road, and soon turned into a gravely
muddy road.  I decided to flip a coin to see if I go on or not.  "Should I go ahead
(or should I go back?)"  Flip: Tails.  Go back.

I went back and found the main road wasn't a hard climb at all, and included a
great long downhill on the other side (nothing like as dangerous as the one
described above!)

- - - -

Having not yet made it even to Osaka, and being late to meet Richard, I looked for
an internet cafe, where I hoped to get his phone number.  Found a cafe, but it cost
350 yen just for the Member Card, which included no internet access.

Found another cafe, and almost didn't go in.  But did a coin toss, just in case.
"Should I go in?"  Heads.   "Should I pay for internet here?"  Heads.

Went in.  290 yen includes membership, 30 minutes of internet, AND includes the
drink bar.

And the drink bar includes Soft Serve Ice Cream!!!!

I may be here all night!! 

Zzz

4:29am JST Sunday 23 April 2006 (day 13178)

Far too tired to chronicle all that has happened today, but the Rob Update did a good bit.

Met Richard at his station; he took me to dinner at Royal Host, gave me money, put me up in his ex roommate's extra room.

I just finished three loads of laundry (including my sleeping bag), and am just about to go to bed bed bed, and discover wireless access available here in my room.

I may never sleep!

Zzzzz to do tomorrow

4:38am JST Sunday 23 April 2006 (day 13178)

1. * upload pics from London

2. upload other pics

3. write about 22nd April

4. Check to see how long it will take to ride to meditation place

5. * Check to see how long I can stay here

6. resend email to Lisa N in Tennessee

7. * Get TJ Bike brakes repaired

8. other stuff

8:35am JST Monday 24 April 2006

(* finished as of last night)