Bicycling The Netherlands D "1"

Do not be fooled! This is the start of our trip, not the end.

 After a night in the "warmest campsite ever" (aka our bed) we set off again in attempts to continue our journey. 

Some positives reflections on Day 0.5:

1. It rained --> at least it didn't pour  blizzard/hail/thunderstorm

2. Spokes broke --> at least they both broke near or in cities/towns

3. Had to go back home with tail between our legs --> at least the Netherlands is awesome and has public transportation at your fingertips that also allow tandems (with an additional fee).

Take 2 with normal bikes that hopefully won't break. (photo by Jason)

We started in Leiden where we left off and continued our trip utilizing the magical red signs that were everywhere. Or, Jason followed the signs because I can barely find my way back when I go to the toilet at restaurants. 

We went past some beautiful tulip fields near Lisse that distracted me from the fact that it was raining. According to Jason there is a Disney World of Tulips (Keukenhof), but we decided to bypass and just enjoy the free show (update: it was closed anyway for corona).

The colors were not photoshopped - I distinctly remember these uncanny hues!!!!!

(Are those giant tulips or just tiny people? Photo by Jason)

We stopped by the campsite we were supposed to stay at on D 0.5, the Ruigenhoek Goed Kamp, to pick up our "nature card" (a pass that allows you to stay at and reserve several camp sites around the Netherlands). Here I was able to practice my broken Dutch with the very patient and kind caretakers ("My have reservation in need of cancelling last night, because broken bicycles. Allowed is my green card to have?"). 

Overall, it was looking like a pleasant trek up to Alkmaar.

...then we started riding along the coast towards Zandvoort and I wanted to curl up in a fetal position and sob softly because all the hills that don't exist in the Netherlands are here. No photo documentation because the mental capacity I had was spent on just moving through the dunes with a hateful headwind and pouring rain. So instead, I give you an image that gives the false impression that things were just dandy. After the dunes, we ate a sad lunch of rolled up tortillas in Zandvoort with kidney bean spread (which was pretty amazing) under a store awning as passersby glanced at us pitifully. 

The calm before the storm, somewhere along the path from Noordwijk to Zandvoort to Ijmuiden.

Then additional moments of serenity again, like below of canals, rowers on canals, and of course, windmills. 

Many of these windmills don't seem to be used anymore most seem to be maintained. In Kinderdijk, people live in them explicitely to maintain them (and even get paid, I think) - I'll need to investigate.

Mixed once more with agony as it poured...and poured...and poured...

Can you detect the death in my eyes? On the ferry going from Ijmuiden across the North Sea Canal (Photo by Jason)

We eventually made it to Alkmaar, but that will be a post for the next and last episode of Netherlands sans maps!!! 

In total, Day 1 was 110 km (68 miles) in 7 hours. Does it get better? Does my 39-year old body that has only been on the bicycle for 20 minutes at a time finally shatter?? 

Bicycling The Netherlands: D 0.5

Such high hopes were involved in the taking of this photo...

Seems like we're in a different decade (?!) since my last post so I thought it might be appropriate to lift the rusty hinges off this blog and put some words down. And why not start back up with another bicycle tour? Because I like to give the impression that I actually enjoy traveling long distances on two wheels and that it doesn't take extreme bribery to get me to don hotpants that feel like adult diapers, endure excruciating posterior discomfort, and have the revelation that I'm hopelessly out of shape forced upon me.

But I digress. Moving to a new country during the pandemic sucked. Starting a new job in a new country during the pandemic sucked x3 (but my co-workers are lovely. Even in 2D). J and I were in a bit of a rut so decided to take advantage of the marvelous work-life-balance package that is part of virtually every Dutch job and took a whole week off like it was nothing to give our spirits a bit of a make over. And instead of lazying around on the couch eating bon bons and watching You Tube like I wanted to, I let Jason convince me to go on a bike tour. Because, you know, why not.

What was the bribe this time? 1) visiting our friends Y and A in Alkmaar, 2) seeing tulips 3) getting to ride the tandem, and 4) attempting the trip...SANS MAP! The benefits of visiting friends basically convinced me to do it (ignoring that you can also do this by train). The tandem was icing on the cake - I wouldn't have to always ride in front and break wind (in more ways than one) lest be left far behind, and we'd go twice as fast (or so my non-engineering brain figured). No map = bragging rights and potential stories.

Signs such as these make the crazy possible.

Me already looking apprehensive as the droplets begin to fall.

...the spoiler alert is the title of this post, because Day 1 didn't quite happen. Let's sum it up here:

1. It rained from the get-go (it's the Netherlands, yes, but the preceding 3 days had gloriously blue skies)
2. Km 20 (mile 12): Spoke #1 snaps
3. (the only) Bicycle shop in Zoetermeer did not sell spokes or new wheel rims (WTF: Dutchies - is this normal????)
4. Km 32.8 (mile 20.4): Spoke #2 snaps
5. Tire was so wonky we couldn't ride/fix it
6. Tried to lift our spirits to find a cutsie hotel to stay in at Leiden but of course neither of us have smartphones, and are too cold and dejected to ask anyone

Jason after finding out that spokes aren't necessarily common items in Dutch bike shops.

...so we hopped on the train back to Rotterdam.

The End.



Just KIDDING. To be continued....

Bicycling Japan: D16- D19

Day 16: Wakayama to Koyasan (~33 miles UPHILL)

Ready to brace the uphill with brand new tires (and a bleeding nose)! We headed off after our (scary) encounter with the Keirin-jo and followed a rather nice bike path along the river. Part of it was closed, but with the beckoning of the locals, we jumped a few fences and stayed on the path...until we hit a construction zone and could go no further, so went on normal road.

Then we hit the uphill. At first, it was fine. I thought I could handle it.

Then it got steeper.

And steeper.

...and steeper.

Jason said it as a Category 2 hill, if I heard correctly, but I was pretty delirious at that point. I say it was a Category 1 (but this is me, Ms-first-time-bike-tour). That tiny bump we climbed near Mt. Fuji? HA! What was I thinking?

We stopped at a mountain bar for some water and got congratulated (and a little ridiculed) for coming as far as the bar and go big laughs when we told the people drinking we were going to try and make it up to the top by sundown, since according to the map, we were supposed to be able to make it to our destination by then.

However, the sun went down, and we were still trekking on road. "Road" as in a one lane path big enough to fit maybe 3/4 of a car; left side, cliff. Also, no street lights, save for our head lamps. Fortunately, we only encountered one car coming our way (so I only thought we were going to die once).

After discussing the map while walking our bikes up a pitch black hill, we came to the realization that Jason had been reading the writing on the map incorrectly (I mean, how am I supposed to know he can't read Japanese?), and we were going pretty much the opposite direction from our end point...and we had only gone up 500 m and we had 500 more meters to go.

Somehow, we spotted two small dots that looked like lights, so we decided to chance it and go towards it...and lucky us, it turned out it was the train station right before the one we were supposed to end at (named "Gokuraku-bashi" or "paradise bridge" best name ever!). From here, one must take a cable car that will take you up 500m in 15 minutes.

Train station at Gokuraku-bashi

A picture is worth a thousand words, no?

Our destination. I've never been so happy to reach home.

Day 17-19: Koyasan!

We made it!!! OMG! I have never appreciated a warm, lit home this much in my life. And oh, Yuko-san, we love you so much. My mother's friend had prepared us the most delicious meal. All vegetarian, just for Jason. Gawd it was good, y'all.

The next few days we spent wandering around the town of Koyasan, a 1200 year old region where it is said Buddhism first began in Japan. It has a ton of temples and a huge grave site where you can find famous people's graves + plots that big corporations have put up in "memory of their diseased staff" but really...I think it's just a way to advertise.

Beautiful Shakunage flowers (I think that's what they're called....)

On our way trough Okuno-in, the really extensive grave site.

Grave site for Kirin Beer

Not sure why, but people stuck a bunch of one-yen coins in this tree.

These are said to be a collection of little Buddhas for every person found frozen to death in the area. 

Yes, we ate like kings.

Walking through the Nyoin-do, or the path the women took to get to Koyasan...except they weren't allowed to go inside the city. 

The cables for the cable car

Our gracious hosts: (Top after Jason) Yuko, Yayoi, (me), Chikai, Yuko's older brother.

BIcycling Japan D16-D17.

Day 16: Tokushima (Shikoku) -Wakayama (Honshuu)

Decided the night before we'd try and take the 5:20am (yes, am) ferry. Discussed wake up time, agreed on 4:30 am.

Wake up 4:30 am. Somehow tried biking 10km in 30 minutes half asleep. Major failure. After a few wrong turns, arrived at 5:20:01 am as the ferry was literally backing out of the port. My peoples, why so punctual, WHY?

Yelling match in front of poor non-English-speaking port guy about waking up too late/making wrong turns. Got tired of yelling, decided to hang around port and dry our wet tent/camping material whilst waiting for the 8:40am ferry (I may have my times wrong here slightly).

Napping/drying camping gear at port

made it!

Inside ferry parking area.

Section of ferry. We passed out on the right side there.

Arrive at Wakayama about 3 hours later.

Our goals are:
1) Find a bike store where they sell our freakish sized bike tires so I can get a pair of new ones since mine are bust
2) Try and find an internet cafe to wish our mothers a happy Mother's Day
3) Attempt to climb up to the top of Koyasan, which is our next destination.


1) Locate bike store that sells our freakish sized bike tires.

Okay one more Japanese: what is with your ability (let me correct--inability) to read maps? As in, I show you a map, you stare blankly as I point at the intersection we are standing on and scratch your head. Oh wait, that's right, you don't have street names.

Find a bike shop ("turn left at this light, go three streets, turn right, then make a turn at this ally next to the blue store, and then go a few meters and it will be on your left behind a green post"). Don't sell freakish tires. But manage to replace spokes and pump up.

Go to another bigger bike shop. This place was amazing. They did NOT have tires, but spent like 30 minutes calling every bike shop they knew in town and finally found a shop selling our freakish tires. Japanese, I love you. Thank you, 町のじてんしゃ修理屋さん！

Got to shop selling our freakish tires.

Bike shop that sold our freakish sized bike tires!

The warped tire that basically ruined two days of our life.

Jason replaces my tires. Gives himself a bloody nose by punching himself with the tire wrench trying to replace freakish tire. oops. Love you, man.

Jason fixing my tire.

...and giving himself a bloody nose.

2) Finding internet cafe:

Negative. Okay folks, what is up with you and your smart phone craze obliterating internet cafes?? We couldn't find one. Not even a Manga cafe. eeerrrrggghh!

So instead, Jason found a river, stripped down, and took a dip. I guess he deserved it after the wrench assault.

While eating lunch, I happened to look up to see that we were sitting right in front of the Wakayama Keirin-jo, or the Wakayama Bicycle racing rink! Of course, Jason insisted we check it out, so we did.

For some reason, it was FREE to enter. When I asked if races were going on, I got a "yes, but it's on TV," from the security guard manning the parking. We should have known better, but we were a bit confused, so ventured in, expecting this amazing show of be-buffed men in spandex whirling around in their hipster cycles around a rink.

...Instead, we found the population of Japan we had never encountered. Deadbeats, mafia-retirees, used car salesmen, what have you. OMG. wow. Photos do not give justice. Euro-trash? I give you Asia-trash. Holy hell. In our entire trip around Japan, we never felt so scared. Really.

The rink was pretty cool though...even though the "real" race was just on TV (everyone was just there placing bets).

Don't let their seemingly normal demeanor fool you. Up close and personal, it's scary.

Looked at watch and decided we needed to skedaddle to Koyasan so we could get there before the sun went down. 

Japan Bicycling: D14-D15

D14: Shimanami Kaido-Miyoshi (~57 miles)

Had to tear ourselves from paradise aka Uncle Gann's house. Let me tell you, it was hard! Especially since...it rained for the entire day we rode. Definitely fowled our moods. Lots of griping (me) and bickering. But it was a really nice ride. Peeps, if you ever have the chance, ride through the Shimanami Kaido. It's totally worth your time!!

Rode acroass to the lower mainland, Shikoku...and my tire problems started.

First, it was a flat.

And then another flat.

We found a side stop at a seemingly abandoned house where we fixed one of the flats.

Got to Miyoshi.

....and got another flat!!! It was soooo frustrating. Found that my front tire had a bump on it. so switched it to the back.
....got another flat.

Tired, hungry, found a "sento" or public bath and had the most amazing bath. Y'all, highly recommend. They're everywhere, since some apartments here in Japan don't have showers/baths in them. They're about $5 which is a bit pricey for every day, but oh man. It's great.

Camped at a really big park in Miyoshi, heading over to Tokushima the next day to take the ferry to Honshu, to trek over to Koyasan. Found like a microscopic piece of metal wire lodged in my tire. GAAAAHHHHHHH.

Day 15: Miyoshi to Tokushima (~50 miles)

Woke up, ate some breakfast and pedaled to Tokushima. There aren't may pictures on this stretch because the frustrations over flat tires were so overwhelming, we forgot to take pictures!!!!! aiiiii!!!

Got to Tokushima, really hungry and tired and irritable because I was getting flat tires every 30 minutes, got some pizza (Japanese: corn and mayo, really?), and slept under (okay, er, 100m from) a bridge.

Bicycling Japan: D10-D13

Day 10-13: Uncle Gann's Island (no biking)

So. Uncle Gann's Island. He found it while looking for a place to make traditional wooden Japanese boats. The art of making these boats is dying so he wanted to contribute to the movement of keeping it alive and hired a carpenter with the knowledge. He's had quite a few made and has and donated them to universities and kept some for people to look at. He built his "summer home" on the island with the intention of making it a place where students could come and study boat making, etc. It's like, amazing. And the island is like, amazing. We ate, drank, slept, and ate again, went sea-shell hunting, kayaking, and walked around the island (which takes about 45 minutes).

All around really pampering and it made me really soft and really wary of continuing our trip!!! Thanks Uncle Gann.

Uncle Gann's friends who own a dairy farm in Fukushima also came to visit. They were super fun and we had many entertaining nights.

Ushima, Uncle Gann's house on the right. He designed it himself. 

 

There are all these little islands surrounding Ushima with interesting statues and buildings from the old days. 

Uncle Gann with "breakfast"

He can be a bit crazy at times.

Enjoying the view (through the window)

The OMFG biggest spider ever. GROSS.

Yes, we drank all that. And then some.

Hard to see, but one of Uncle Gann's Japanese boats.

Uncle Gann's organic lemon orchard. To the left is a neighbor's garden. She's 81 and tends to it all on her own.