I am back. When I left it was sunny and the kids gave me hugs and waved bye-bye, but by that evening Mika and Luna had broken out into the Chicken Pox, and by Sunday they were both covered in spots! So, feeling like I should be home for moral support, plus the rainfall on our second day dampening our spirits, I wasn't feeling the touring magic on Sunday. But the trip TO the Tango Peninsula was a good one.

My favorite parts of this trip involved food and talking to friends. I got to eat FLYING FISH sashimi for the first time. That was great! As were the horse mackerel and snapper. Most of the cooked fish was good too, though I don't care for turban shell (sea snails) even slightly. We had fish for breakfast too which...really is a alien idea to me, but this is my third touring event where fish was served for breakfast -- as well as raw egg over rice. Japanese sometimes seem like they are competing with China for the "What kind of odd shit can we eat today" awards. I am a relatively open-minded person, so it only took me one touring trip (the Yamabiko ride) to get-over eating what I consider "dinner food" for breakfast. That is just what there is, and Splendor doesn't stop for snacks between breakfast and lunch, so you just eat when you can. It does bring up the point that eating sweet breads, such as pastries, pancakes, french toast, or waffles is really a cultural thing. I have always said that "my stomach cannot handle lunch/dinner foods in the morning" but I guess that was cultural training. Sunday's lunch of deep fried, breaded pork cutlet over rice with eggs on top was boss by the way.

Naturally seeing the Splendor guys and riding with them was good. Riding in the hills was good fun, and I was really glad to get to hang out with Owen too. Owen rocks. Hope you take time to look at the photos, though it may take a few days to make any comments on them.

Part of the fun of going to the Tango Peninsula (in Kyoto Prefecture btw) was stopping by the famous land bridge, "Amanohashidate". This photo I had to take off the net because in typical Splendor fashion, we stopped to see it from afar but did not actually go to see it close up, or visit the viewing point. Splendor is about riding and meeting each other; not site-seeing. Still, it is really famous and I would liked to have walked on at least part of it. (Too big to cross unless that was your plan for the day I think) I could have ridden back to see it from the hotel I think if I took 30-45 minutes to go back. So instead, when we arrived at the Yosaso hotel (与謝荘) and the beer began to flow, I took a short ride into the hills to see this alleged "Daibutsu" (large statue of the Buddha).

Nobody I was with ever heard of it, so I expected something not very old, and likely not very big. It was more of the type of statue you would see in a large garden, where the garden is actually the main attraction. But, the little adventure was good for me, and I took some time to calm my head, get centered and all that. And this brings up a point which is that riding in the hills of Japan is one of the few kinds of riding I really like here. Totally opposite to hwy. riding. Anyway, it was a little funny because the hotel owner who gave me a map to the "Daibutsu" said it was about 2km away, and it was 10-15km and he wrote down only 2 of the FIVE turns that I needed to make. But, even though I was in the farmlands, I managed to find just enough people to stear me in the right direction, or redirect me when I went too far. These mini-adventures really make me feel good because I drive with my sense of feeling, and I always know when I am going the wrong way. For example, I knew that I was supposed to turn right back there even though the man specifically told me that there was no turn, and that my target was on the left. (I confirmed this with a farmer and I was correct). So that part always makes me happy. (A kind of "In your face" to the people who tell me that you cannot trust your "gut" or don't believe in another kind of perception.)

The down side is, after a couple of incidents with car drivers in Kansai I actually no longer enjoy riding my bike in Japan when alone anymore. There is no sense of freedom or joy just "red alert". So the ride home was not very enjoyable for me. It just isn't the motorcycle riding I grew to love. I am actually used to horns and middle fingers like in the US, but while people seem more angry there, but nobody ever deliberately TRIED to attack me with their car. I know, you wouldn't think based on the good attitudes of the Japanese people who live in the US that car drivers in Japan would be so massively aggressive but some are extreme.

In summary:
1. Riding to the coast -- thumbs up
2. Riding with Splendor -- thumbs up
3. Meeting Marcy, Owen, Hiroshi, Yuka and all the guys -- thumbs up
4. Food -- 3 thumbs up
5. Small "Big" Buddha -- thumbs up

Thumbs down to rain and Japanese highways.

Side note: 2 of the 3 "1000 mile" trips I have been on with Splendor were just 300 or so miles for me (They live farther North). Yet their annual trips to Kitakata are over 1000 miles round trip for me, and the trip to Hirayu hot springs is pretty far too. ...no Kitakata 1000 patch for me though.

Links to Photo albums:
My web album
Owen and Yuka's web album
Video of the Tango 1000 Ride is HERE!

Financial and mileage details just in case you cared...or I care later:
Gas was 130yen/liter at most places and 123yen/liter at the cheapest. In USD that is: $5.18/gal. in town, $4.89en/gal in BFE. INSANELY expensive!

5/23 Gas 1171(9L/2.38Gal.); Tolls 3100 (2400, 700)
5/24 Gas 2000(14.24L/3.76Gal); Tolls 4900(900, 450, 2850,700)
...total 11,171en for gas and tolls for a 543km trip. ($117. for 337.4 miles)

A $158. hotel fee included 2 large meals with as much beer/coffee as one could drink. (20people drank 58large Japanese sized bottles of beer Sat. night) In Splendor, the fee is split evenly whether you don't drink or are a lush.

Total trip cost was $275. Probably the cheapest Splendor ride I have been on in Japan.

My bike got 55 miles per US gallon (23km per liter), which I think is pretty awesome.
And the odo is still at 24177km/15,023miles

Labels: Motorcycles, Splendor, Tango 1000