'Sayonara' Ride around the Izu Peninsula

... something I have always wanted to do ... finally it happened : a ride around the Izu Peninsula. Labeled 'David's Sayonara Ride', it was to be our last ride together in Japan. The participants: Jerome, David, Graham, Juliane and myself (yes, I finally made it out of bed in time)






We met in Shinagawa, from where we took the Kodama to Mishima. The train ride only took 50 minutes - short - but long enough to catch up (having seen those guys in ages) and to discuss the route we were going to take. First step of action: Taking copies at the 'conbini' to be sure about the route.





The first hour (!!!) was spent finding road 17 - we had to ask for directions oftentimes. It was worth spending that much time finding this road - it led along the coast and saw little traffic. Just perfect ! The road eventually turned inland requiring us to do some climbing in order to reach Heda. We had a lunch stop by the harbor - where we had the opportunity to eat BBQ'ed fish from a street vendor. The ride out of Heda also required climbing ... all bearable,even enjoyable.



... the road eventually merged with road 136 - with the traffic also getting busier. We did not continue on the 136 for too long...as the most interesting part of the ride was yet to come ... the climb up Nishina Pass. Graham decided to skip this climb and continued on the 136 to Shimoda, where we would eventually hook up again.



The climb turned out to be a real challenge for all of us ... 8 km straight up ... with a steady incline between 10-14%. I had to stop more often than the others to catch my breath ... i dragged myself up very slowly considering more than once to give up. It took us close to an hour to reach road 59, where we would split paths. David, Juliane and Jerome headed back towards the west coast, heading for Shimoda, while I headed for Ito, from where I would take the train back to Tokyo.



Barely making it the top, my strength and energy was fully consumed. The descend was fun, but the remaining 40 km to Ito along busy roads was painful.

Nethertheless, it was a fantastic ride. Thanks to David, Juliane, Jerome and Graham to have made this a memorable experience. I will miss riding with you guys and the all the others who did not make it for this ride.

Tokyo Boat Cruise

2 hours around Tokyo Bay on this huge boat was a bit pricy (2500 yen), but well worth the money. Great view, girls preforming dances wearing traditional japanese outfit (yukata), and best of all: you can drink as many beers as you like. So I got fairly drunk within the 2 hours; luckily the boat wasnt moving too much. Got to check out, how much it is at Tokyo Bay Hanabi - it would be the best place to see the fireworks.

Tokyo, Japan

After 5 months of backpacking, I finally returned to JAPAN. I have been using the last few days to catch up with friends again. It good to be back, but it will take me some time to get used to life here again. I will keep you all posted.

Muang Sing in LAOS

we spent a few days in this town, which is situated just 9km away from the Chinese border. Its much smaller than Luang Namtha, but it attracts more tourists (if you wonder why than check out the internet). we rented bicycles, and checked out the surrounding villages...





these are the famous rice-noodles ...

Luang Namtha in LAOS

... a province capital, but that doesnt mean much in LAOS. Its a fairly small town with a laidback atmosphere, for which LAOS is loved amongst the backpacking community. And of course, there are the people, one of the most friendly, the nicest in all of Asia. They are poor people, but they are still happy people. They smile, they greet foreigners with a friendly 'Sabaidee' and strike up a conversation with you. The people amazed me the first time I visited LAOS, they amazed me even more the second time around. Surely, one of the main reasons for visiting this country.



As for Luang Namtha, there is little to see as far as sights are concerned. But, there are the villages inhabited by indigenous people, who live very primitive lives compared with western standards, though a TV seemed to have found their way into most people's home. But it was still a great experience, seeing adults going about their business, kids playing outside, while all sorts of animals were straying about the place. The people were surprised to see a foreigner checking out their town. But they were generally hospitable, unless you scare them off by unpacking your camera.








And there is Buddhism, which plays an important role in life in LAOS. Monks in their orange ropes are ever-present, making life in LAOS look 'colourful'.





And there is the great food (much influenced by Thai food)- a pure pleasure after 4 weeks of Chinese food. And there is Beer Lao - a national icon with great taste and strength!

Xishuanbanna

... China's Thailand. It has an atmosphere different from the rest of China. Its kind of laidback. seeing golden elephants, fancy golden road signs and the occasional temple, you could think you are actually in Thailand (ignoring everything else around you). But what really makes the difference are the 'Dai' people who build the majority in this part of China. They look half Chinese, half Thai and have dark skin. We took the opportunity to visit one of the 'Dai' villages near Jinghong.



You would expect to find Thai food here. It took as questioning a lot of people to finally find the ONLY one Thai restaurant in Jinghong. It was packed - a lot of Westerners were there too. But the menu contained more Chinese dishes than Thai ones, and the Thai food we ordered wasnt at all authentic. But I doubt the Chinese tourists that come here to 'experience' Thailand wont notice the difference.