Back on the efficient route 4 northbound, I latched on to two Japanese cyclists who were heading towards Sendai from Tokyo (?) riding Colnago Carbon bikes. Expediency, versatility and economy had one of them with a backpack and the other with a capacious seat dry bag and fannypack. They were definitely riding light. Though speaking little english, they were gracious enough to let me tag along drafting in the back and were motoring usually at 35-40 kph. On the steeper inclines they would slow down and wait as I caught up pulling my loaded panniers and bags.
After about 45 minutes, I didn't want to slow them down and anyways I had to locate my next stop which would be a designated campsite. I said thanks, goodbye and a kio-tsukete! (take care!) for good measure. We would meet again a few conbinis up the road.
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| Asahi Brewery |
On route 4 near Motomiya I passed these giant tanks which I had no clue at the time what they were but hindsight and google maps shows it to be huge vats from Asahi Brewery. Man, that's a lot of brewski!
At Motomiya I turned left, then back north on Nomen road which wound around a bit, stopped at a conbini for food and had a steep short climb looking for my campsite. I had planned this spot earlier but going deeper, could not find the campsite. The road climbed into an overgrown section that looked like it was damaged from earthquake or landslide deterioration. At one point the overgrowth got so bad I dismounted and continued walking up till light started fading and the road showed no improving or the campsite. I went back, got my bicycle and went to a spot I had noticed earlier for a potential site, cleared a small spot of branches and set up my tent on a soft bed of fir. I cleared an area down to the soil, heated water for ramen and coffee and after my dinner, fell asleep to the sound of bats screeching high in the trees.
Left shows the unused deteriorating, overgrown road with some rocks fallen from a slide. There were actually off road vehicle tracks which were maybe a week to 2 weeks old. The map on the right shows where I stayed and the missed campsite to the north.
A unique Momentum Bicycle I spotted on one of my forays into Sendai. Momentum Bikes in the US are distributed by Giant dealers and are usually the lower end recreational models with cheaper stamped cranksets.
My next place would be a place on the outskirts of Sendai. For some reason, I had gotten the days mixed up by 24 hours probably because I kept on figuring the hour/day back in the US on calls home. Though the host bent over backwards to try and accommodate me for my error, I told him not to worry as I found a few internet kissa nearby. I didn't bring up my error and just let it go. To his credit, he later refunded the payment on my missed day.
Japan's 24 hour Internet Cafe's
Internet Cafe's in Japan that are open 24 hours are an emergency alternative to a rest stop. You will quite often see them being used by salarymen/women who live too far to get home after an overlong work day. They charge by the hour and you usually have to join a membership. They usually do not speak any english. Depending on the place, it may or may not be quiet, some seem to have bad ventilation systems or filters that need changing. (Japanese are notorious cigarette smokers) As a slight consolation, all offer free tea, coffee, soda and sometimes ice cream. All sell ramen and sometimes have meals made which you can purchase and have delivered to your booth. You can opt for a booth with a chair (sometimes a recliner) or a large cushioned booth almost large enough to lay down on. Some have showers, this one didn't. They have wifi, a PC for surfing (Japanese Windows) plugs to charge your electronics and headphones. The booths offer minimal privacy with short doors and sometimes windows that staff can look into for security.
Internet Cafe's in Japan that are open 24 hours are an emergency alternative to a rest stop. You will quite often see them being used by salarymen/women who live too far to get home after an overlong work day. They charge by the hour and you usually have to join a membership. They usually do not speak any english. Depending on the place, it may or may not be quiet, some seem to have bad ventilation systems or filters that need changing. (Japanese are notorious cigarette smokers) As a slight consolation, all offer free tea, coffee, soda and sometimes ice cream. All sell ramen and sometimes have meals made which you can purchase and have delivered to your booth. You can opt for a booth with a chair (sometimes a recliner) or a large cushioned booth almost large enough to lay down on. Some have showers, this one didn't. They have wifi, a PC for surfing (Japanese Windows) plugs to charge your electronics and headphones. The booths offer minimal privacy with short doors and sometimes windows that staff can look into for security.
Tired and wanting a hot shower, I rolled into Sendai hoping Miyagi Guest House would have a place in the late AM. Walking into the courtyard entrance I went to the front door and saw the dreaded "No Vacancy" sign, turned around and walked towards the street scanning my smartphone looking for other places. The host came outside and asking me if I had a reservation, he told me 'I was lucky in that there was one cancellation'. I stayed there two nights resting and walked into downtown to buy a good sleeping bag and a few other camping accessories in a Mont Bell store for the Hokkaido area as my sleeping bag liner would not suffice for the northern climes.
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| Looking NNW on the Hirose Bridge in Minami-Sendai |
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| Young female students crossing Miyazawa Bridge in Sendai with Naginata used for practice and discipline. |
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| My route Fuchu to Sendai |
At Sendai I had originally planned going off to the east and follow the coast after another cycle tourist that had planned going that route. The host who was a man of few words, even less in english, and with a minute essence of pleasantness briefly suggested I should continue taking route 4. There was something in his demeanor that told me he knew what he was talking about and the next morning I rolled out following his recommendation.
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