Best of & Reflection

Some reflections on the trip around Kyushu

A week has passed since I came back to Fukuoka from my little cycle adventure. I can only say that I am missing it; waking up somewhere new every day, the daily routine of breakfast, pack up camp, cycling, search for an onsen, dinner, sleep, repeat.

Meanwhile, I’ve integrated into busy Tokyo life, with the best start possible at a friend’s flat right in the centre of town, figuring out how to live like a “local”, from finding out where and how to dispose of trash (seems much easier in an apartment than in “the wild”), finding a place to wash clothes as many people still use a coin laundry, seeking affordable food shopping, preparing meals, finding a nearby onsen and using public transport. It seems technology has moved on even more since I came here last in 2019, with an opportunity to include the daily commuter pass straight into the phone via its NFC function. This is so much more convenient than using daily travel tickets / the commuter passes (Pasmo, Suica). I’ve had a great week back in Tokyo, exploring the city and surrounding areas!

Street Festival in Ome

Each wagon represents a district in Ome, battling each other in style

River campsite in Ome

Let’s make some Takoyaki!

Mori Museum

View from Mori Museum on a rainy day

The days seem to be flying by here with a lot to do from waking up to going to bed. It feels strange integrating quickly into Tokyo life, which took me like 2-3 days, when just a few days ago I was seeking anything but a big city, longing for deserted coastlines, mountains and quiet roads for smooth cycling. 

Cycling

In the 3 weeks I have had mostly great days cycling around the place, especially on the more quiet countryside, mountain or coastal roads. But you’ve got to find them. Using Google Maps and switching between pedestrian and motorist views seems to do the trick, even though you have to be prepared for a surprise either way. It could be a steep local route with crazy inclines, traffic-heavy main roads or the flip side with smooth coastal pathways and river cycles across the most beautiful Japanese countryside. I was so glad my front tyre lasted another 800km after it partially ruptured when cycling through an unavoidable pothole. This was a major concern for like 200km initially, leading me to buying a spare but then not even needing it. These Schwalbe Marathon tyres are just the best tyres ever, they go through thick and thin. The bike also had some other small issues like changing a break pad and at the end of the cycle, realigning the rear wheel which had a bit of a buckle. I also noticed that some parts started to rust and I think it’s because it’s because it’s a very affordable “touring bike” and nothing fancy with high end parts. None of these issues put a damper on the trip whatsoever. Very different to previous cycles where I had to fight more frequent punctures, ruptured spokes, losing my rear rack and not finding good replacement tyres. It seems advancements in cycling equipment overall have made such trips ever easier and cheaper. 

Here some of my favourite days cycling and roaming around Kyushu:

Day 7: Getting into it, cycling, castles & campsites: https://1000mileschallenge.blogspot.com/2023/04/day-7-dainyu-to-imarin-beach-81km.html

Day 8: Hidden Pottery Village & Being Scared: https://1000mileschallenge.blogspot.com/2023/04/day-18-bikers-beaches-blue-skies.html

Day 11: Nagasaki, Museums, Hair Cuts & Best City Vibes: https://1000mileschallenge.blogspot.com/2023/04/day-11-i-love-nagasaki-0-km-cycled-but.html

Day 18: Beautiful Coasts, Shrines & Cycling: https://1000mileschallenge.blogspot.com/2023/04/day-18-bikers-beaches-blue-skies.html

Day 21: Mountain Magic: https://1000mileschallenge.blogspot.com/2023/04/day-21-mountains-nature-and-road.html

Day 24: Rain and some more rain: https://1000mileschallenge.blogspot.com/2023/04/day-24-last-ridetsuiki-to-fukuoka-68.html

People, Culture & Why I Love Japan

It’s hard to say whether I got lucky on this or other cycling trips to bump into so many nice people who’ve been hospitable, kind and often went out of their way to make me feel welcome. It often was the small gestures that took me most by surprise like people stopping in their cars to hand me water or a drink as they saw me cycling, or passing me a drink from their driving car; sitting in a restaurant and being invited over to someone’s table and being refused to pay for my dinner or people just being curious and wanting to practice their English in random cafes (Nobeoka), which then led to amazing tips for what to do in the city. This has made this cycling trip feel so special, being welcomed and also feeling or being safe; exploring a castle but leaving my bike-lorry unlocked at the bottom of a hill without fear anything would happen to it. This general feeling of being safe roaming around large cities, whether Tokyo, Nagasaki or Fukuoka at any point in the day or night or staying at random campsites by myself makes travelling in Japan awesome. It’s hard to describe but anyone who’s been to Japan will attest to this being one of the safest countries on earth (imho).

What’s next

I’ve spent a week in Tokyo now and will move out to stay in a more affordable city, whilst going back to work and also working for a Japanese NGO. This will be exciting and I cannot wait to get started. I’ll still be looking for cycle adventures to do but I am not looking forward to having to pack-up my bike into a bag every time I want to explore a more distant place that can only be reached by public transport. But hey, when in Japan…

Thanks for reading!