September 26, 2024
Day 2: Shiraoi to Arutorimisaki
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There are worse places one could sit out a stormy night in one's tent than Bubetsu Forest Camping Field. A covered pagoda would have been ideal, but as it was, there was no danger of flooding. We stayed dry, which is paramount, and we even dried our towels in the vestibule of their very cozy bathroom. I wish we had a better experience overall, but the owner was so nice in accommodating a couple of wayward cyclists, that we left with a good feeling in our hearts.
When things are wet, it takes us much longer to pack. We were up with the "sun" at 5am, and we finally departed at 8am. By that time, blue sky was starting to peek out behind the grayness, giving us hope for good weather to come.
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We soon came upon a beautiful little park. A perfect spot to tweak a few things on my bike. Most annoying was my front fender lightly rubbing against the tire. It was so easy to fix that I chastised myself for not having taken care of it sooner. And, silly me, I had forgotten to move my mirror to the left hand side. We set out our tent footprint to dry in the sun (no quotes this time!). It didn't take long at all.
Today's scenery was a mix of city, beach, and industrial scenes. The route Komoot chose for us took us on both main roads and little side streets. The variety was enjoyable.
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Even though we faced headwinds much of the way, we made good time. We'd cycled 2/3 of our planned distance before lunch. It was pretty slim pickins where we happened to be riding, so we "settled" for this hole-in-the-wall soba restaurant that was really quite spectacular. I didn't know exactly the right way to eat cold soba noodles, so I had to stare at other customers eating to sort of get the hang of it. I suppose that's part of the fun of travel.
One tip we absorbed from watching Korean YouTubers as research-tainment for this trip, is that konbini often have external power outlets you can discreetly use to charge your gadgets. We use them to top up our power bank. This has greatly decreased the "battery anxiety" that has only become worse now that we have more gadgets than ever.
Speaking of which, the new chairs (not electric, thankfully), the mattress pump, and the bike computer are all winners in my book. The pump doubles as a tent lantern. This seemed pretty gimmicky to me at first, but we certainly make good use of it. It'll help conserve the non-rechargeable batteries in our headlamp.
We were very happy to finally come across a bona fide Japanese bike route. It's just paint, but there's something so reassuring about this message of " bikes belong here" versus "bikes are only tolerated here." Japan has a strong bicycle culture, but it's of the mamachari, or city bike, variety. Riders of these bikes feel at home on sidewalks. We'd rather be out on the shoulder, or lacking that, on the road itself. Every time we tried the sidewalk, we eventually gave up and moved out on to the road. Fewer bumps, fewer dips, and better visibility at driveways, add up to a less exasperating experience.
Our destination for the day was a free campground on Cape Aruto, which Stuart had recommended to us and had just happened to be an appropriate distance from our previous camp site. We stopped at this local grocery called ReasonableShop UROKO for supplies. My wife thought it didn't look reasonable at all. It did take a while to find what we needed. When we were checking out, this nosy older man in front of us began to complain to the cashier about where we had parked our bikes. I was oblivious, of course, but my wife decided to stand up to him, and a short but tense exchange followed. I don't know how she did it with her limited Japanese skills, but needless to say, I was very proud of her. This issue comes up occasionally for us: why don't you park your heavy and bulky bikes in the tiny space we've allotted for bicycles? I mean, come on, turn on your brain for a moment and answer your own question. So far, what I can gather is that Japanese culture values both politeness and creating/following overly-complicated procedures, and the two are bound to conflict with one another frequently. Koreans tend to be more direct and more pragmatic. I guess I'm OK with either.
A short gravel road led us to the cape and to our home for the evening. It is nothing short of spectacular. A nice breeze, ocean waves lapping softly, the occasional clack of a train in the distance. No bugs, a view that can't be beat, water and toilet facilities. Three neighbors who keep to themselves. Rice with cabbage and gobi root side dishes. After yesterday's wet camping experience, we deserved this little slice of paradise.
Today's ride: 69 km (43 miles)
Total: 163 km (101 miles)
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