Shimotsuke to Otawara

Continuing on route 4, I made really good time because the roads were well maintained, sometimes newly paved and any hills were engineered with very gradual inclines a direct benefit to cars, commercial trucks and cyclists alike. My next reservation would be in a business hotel. I had sworn off AirBnB after having such an unpleasant experience. (A week later, AirBnB would refund my payment).

I think this was City Hall in Shimotsuke

There were a lot of curiously playful giant jellybeans on it's lawn,

And finally my pleasant room in Select Inn Nishinasuno Ekimae Hotel in Otawara.

Left is a business shrine just outside the Hotel.

The business hotel was a little aged with wifi only available in the common area by the check in desk. It made up for it by having a complementary delicious coffee machine to sip java while doing some needed surfing. The front common area was brightly lit and welcoming with a bakery and sweet shop right across the street and the Shinkansen station was just out the door and to the right.

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Fuchu to Saitama

Hotel Livemax Annex in Fuchu looked like a business hotel with tiny rooms. There was no place to lock and park my bicycle but with a bit of guesswork with the young non-english speaking check in person and a map, I found that to my relief there was paid bicycle parking 2 blocks away under cover and with a 24 hour security guard. After securing my bicycle I thanked my cycle tourist friend for his guidance around the west and said goodbye as he pedaled home with about 30 minutes of daylight left. At the hotel there were no 'non-smoking' rooms available and the room smelled of stale cigarette smoke even with the AC going. The room, and bed sheets were clean though and there was a small private bathroom with a deep tub to soak in. (these are great after a long days ride). 

In the morning, I gathered all my gear checking out glad to breath the fresh air outside, turned in my parking stub paying the nominal parking fee and pedaled out of Fuchu towards Saitama.

Route 17 towards Saitama

I recently found out that Japanese Fire Engines are custom ordered. Each station department has specifications and needs towards the city they serve which are ordered  and specially assembled for them. So every time you go by a Japanese Fire station you are looking at a customized vehicle. I saw quite a few stations going through Japan and half of the stations I saw were always doing some form of training. 

Saitama looked like a nice suburban town and it seemed to bode well for my next AirBnB reservation...

Warning: Explicit lyrics..

While I was trying to figure out how to get into the place, a few neighbors were out and about tiding up their areas, avoiding eye contact and muttering under their breath '..it's difficult..'  I went to the local supermarket to get food and asked AirBnB if this was the right address. When I informed them of the condition, they said they would try to find me another place which I thought very unlikely considering the area and the sun fast setting on the horizon. I was even thinking of wild camping in a local park until I heard rain drops on the some of the corrugated tin outside. It still smelled of a sort of a latex gesso haphazardly painted in places. The wiring was wretchedly old worrying me of a short and possibly a fire. The one saving grace was that the drafty bathroom had hot water, the upstairs main room had a tatami floor and the room closet had futon and pillows seemingly thrown in there by a prior guest wanting to leave quickly. 

As I left the next late morning, I folded all the futon and comforters, closed the gate filled with bugs and overgrown weeds and gladly pedaled away and wondered what a stark contrast compared to my AirBnB experience in Oiso..

I'll not name the place on the off chance that it may have 'improved'.  I'll be honest, I would have loved to own a place like that and make improvements. Some would say things like  it's a 'diamond in the rough'. I would say it's more like the piece of coal...

AirBnB guest beware, there apparently is no one screening these places. As the Willy Nelson song goes "Some days are Diamond, some days are stone.."

..spotted further down the road behind a locked gate but thought this is a good place for this picture..

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Shinkansen to Odawara Pedaling to Oiso then Fuchu.

Bicycles on board the Shinkansen

For those that have not traveled on Japan's Shinkansen, it is spacious, clean, very smooth and super fast. Some have cart service with food, snacks and drink but most of the time commuters purchase a bento meal at or near the station.

Shinkansen from Nagoya to Odawara

Getting aboard the Shinkansen with your bicycle is a complicated affair. You must disassemble it so that when it is fully bagged, the bicycle must fit in the space behind the last three seats in the rear of the car. (basically remove front wheel and maybe handlebar/pedals). Because the environment, station, train and commuters are very clean, the bicycle needs to be as fully covered as possible. You must inform the ticket agent that you have a bicycle ('Jitensha') and will be charged accordingly. The ticket price varies according to distance traveled, reserved/non reserved and sometimes class. There are smoking and non-smoking cars. You will hand your ticket to the gate agent and use the wide ticket gate usually on the far right side to get your bicycle through to the platform. The platform usually has numerical signs associated to the number on the train car which will also be annotated on your ticket. If you are not sure, have your ticket in hand and ask a  platform agent. A reserved seat will usually have you seated in front of or very near your bicycle. 

Keep in mind that the Shinkansen is on a very tight schedule so boarding and disembarking must be done in a timely manner. Having panniers and bags will have you hustling to get all your things so it is important to prepare ahead of time. For example, I have my rear panniers and front drybags lashed together with several fastex straps. Sometimes I can fashion the straps into a backpack harness. Quite a few Japanese cyclist have opted for folding or compact bicycles which require minimal disassembly and take up very little space on the train as well as in the garage or house. 

Shinkansen Nagoya to Odawara

So, I got onboard the Shinkansen to relax for the short ride which would take several hours. It was overcast and got thicker as the day progressed and was unfortunate as I had hoped in missing seeing Fuji-san from afar on bicycle, (I climbed Mt Fuji and saw my gorraiko in 2014) I might see it from the train. It was not meant to be. A bit sad, I nonetheless enjoyed the ride into Odawara.

At Odawara I disembarked, reassembled my bicycle and rode 17 km on newly paved roads to my AirBnB at dusk. I had the hardest time finding it as the house was in the center of a group of houses with a small path going out towards the street and the map apps had the location in the wrong place. With the exception of a few missing cooking utensils, It was a very nice place including very high speed internet.  After two nights I left late Sunday morning thanking my very gracious host.

Self-made meal

The above was made from groceries at the local market my first night. Not as tasty lacking any spices and creativity but having the nutrients that I craved. The 'dog food' like substance was Hormels from a can. 

Conveyor belt sushi

The next night I ate a little better. My cycle tourist friend treated me to a Conveyor belt sushi place. It was very different, fun and much more flavorful! The prices weren't too bad either. 

I pedaled off late Sunday morning following a shoreside bikepath with trees on both sides. I made good time until pedestrian traffic all of a sudden got so dense I nearly ran down a beautiful Labrador retriever.  There was apparently a large festival by the harbor and the streets, sidewalks and paths were full of people, families and even surfers cycling to the beach with their boards on special mounts. I turned north away from the festival and took the first main street east to rendezvous with my friend. He then lead me North and we finally arrived in Fuchu late in the evening but not before I returned the dinner favor and treated him to lunch earlier at Denny's.  Denny's in Japan though having the similar 'look' to what we are familiar with in the US has a menu which is eastern influenced and incredibly tasty. I had 'Karaage' which was Japanese styled, very tender, white meat fried chicken. 

Cycling west around Tokyo.

My route Oiso to Fuchu

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