Dead Sprint to Happy Thanksgiving

    Since we've been biking from north to south, it's been downhill the whole time. A little trick of the trade I call it.  The bad part is that the trip has been going by way too fast. The only thing worse than a vacation ending, is dreading your vacation ending before it actually ends. "Put that in your book." 

    After walking my bike down the mountain pass from Nara because my brakes were so bad, HQC and I strolled into Osaka. I like how a lot of the cities have a similar feel, IE Osaka is a smaller version of Tokyo, Hiroshima is a smaller version of Osaka, Iwakuni is a smaller version of Hiroshima, etc. Haters will disagree. 

    Fun fact: The Status Quo and I spent last Christmas in the Osaka-Kyoto area without even realizing it. Makes you think, huh?

I had to force Holly to get in this pic. Sometimes in life you have to twist people's arms. That's the moral of the story. 

Last stop to get Japanese Taco Bell and I wasn't going to pass this up. The fast food chains that frequent America are subtly different in other countries. So while you may be outraged that I'm eating junky fast food. It's OK.  

Look how good it is. You can't beat Taco Bell.

Here's Osaka style Okonomiyaki. FYI: Hiroshima style is better IMO.

This sweet old man changed my spoke. He had a very high pitched voice.

Look at the statue. 

This apple costs a dollar. It was huge and very delicious. 

This nice old lady sells takoyaki for cheap. 

One gold coin. I love it. Takoyaki have octopus inside.

Around this area. we got cussed at by a Japanese bicycle rider. He was waiting at a red light and we went around him going through the light (as we typically do). He catches up to us and goes around us spewing forth the loudest, meaning Japanese swear words not normally uttered. 

No one in America wears clothes like these. 

Hiimeji Castle. One of the better castles in Japan.

Look how well-behaved our bikes are.

Nice little port city.

These are all solar panels. I love it. Wished they didn't have to be so intertwined with dumb politics. 

Here's your Japanese Kanji lesson for the day. from left to right, that's how you read each word. Michi is the first character, then no is the second, then eki is the third. And Mitsu is written out in Hirigana. Pretty neat, huh? Now you're fluent in Japanese. Michinoekis are my favorite. 

At this time, The Asian Pear and I had a choice: bike up north to Tottori and follow the northern coast. Or book it hard and make it to Iwakuni in two days (over 300km) just in time for Happy Thanksgiving with coworkers. We chose the latter. 

The forecast called for rain up on that northern coast. And we also wanted our resupply food from Brand and Jill. Say thank you!

Now that means we have to leave in the dark.  

It's fun to ride in the pre-dawn hours. Mixes things up and keeps us on our toes.  

Look at her go.

Here's a manhole for the sword museum we visited outside Okayama.

Swords take two weeks to make. The sheath and handle take three months.  

City lights over the water are always dazzling.

Empty streets at 8PM.

Even an empty Hondori. They're fun to ride through when no one is there. 

Finally after 14 hours of riding we can go to sleep.

Oh, hey there Iwakuni. It's been a while. Now that I've been biking for a few months, things in the city stand out differently than they did before, primarily signs and 7-Elevens.

Time for Happy Thanksgiving with all the friends! Yep. Definitely worth the 300 km.