Letter 23
Tuesday 03.09.13 74 km
Except for kimono and slippers in the room, this hotel is seen from the
outside, european style. But not the breakfast. Entirely japanese. No juice or
bread. Coffee there is, it has apparently entered the japanese culture. I took
it believing it to be tea. That was what stood on the mashine, but there was
also a note on it about something.
The 3rd of september, it's my birthday. I turn "folkepensionist" (meaning I
will have a pension for life from the government - not much but added to my
other pensions it's alright. Hmmm.
As usual there are bones in the fish, even a part of the spine. That's a bad
habit. The egg, which lies in a bowl, shows to be raw. Hmm. Apparently without
salmonella? I eat it with a spoon together with the rest of the rice. Nato,
which is in the white packages, I don't want. And what are the intensions with
the seaweed leaves in a package? I haven't a clue. It's the type which is in the
rice packages I buy. Now I've learned to open them properly. It was the german
girl who taught me, no she just said there was an instruction outside with
numbers: 1,2 and 3. She was quite right.
I could do with a slice of bread with real cheese. I watch a man: nato is
whipped first with the yellow paste and poured over the rice. Then you whip the
egg with the chopsticks and pour it over too. I wear just my slippers. Everybody
else wear their own shoes.
A new variation
All the way to Mori, the road follows the coastline, where the sea is calm
due to the lack of wind. When I've done half of the way to Mori, I feel it's
time to put on the raincovers. I haven't even finished then the rain starts.
Just a drizzle, but so dense, that my shorts are soaked in no time.
Just before Mori there's a nasty tunnel. Full of holes and quite narrow. I
try to stick to the white line, where the surface is best, and then I close for
the world outside, especially the noise from the trucks behind. I hope for the
best and just goes. It's a bad experience, but I survive.
I never see any mountain, but the road starts to incline, not violently but
persisting. Km after km. I've passed the half way point.
At last we seem be be up, arrive at areas where people live and a saving bus
shelter pop up. It's actually quite big and clean, I could easily stay here for
a couple of days. And there's a litterbin! To my surprise it's already 12.45. I
have to go on.
This bus shelter was really something!
I think it declines and inclines a couple of times before the final descent, that brings us to the flat land along the coast. But the road turn into highway and not even me can avoid seeing a bicycle with a red cross over. But there's a lane at each side of the motorway and then it starts going upwards. Not steep but staedily, and I can see nothing with the mountain side on one hand and the motorway on the other.
This way it goes on for long. Then comes a viaduct where I see the flat land
deep under us. Finally this too comes to an end and I reach the surburbans with
the usual game halls, garages, gas stations, home centers.
Around 3pm. I'm in the tourist info at the station and now 6 pm I've finally
taken off my wet clothes, taken a shower and eaten my "second-lunch". And it was
pissing for 54 km!!
Tomorrow it'll be heavy rain from 6 am till 6 pm, and heavy wind too. That's when ought to be on my way to Aomori. Need to study the timetables I've got. Unfortunately there's 3 km to the ferry terminals.
My birthday dinner will be eaten here in my room. I'm not moving an inch
before tomorrow morning.
The birthday dinner