Letter 60
Thursday 10.10.13 11.61 km
My roommate Kelvin from California sat fumbling with a guitar after a
songbook he'd found. Then he
turns the pages and I see the title. "Catch the Wind". "Ah, that's Donovan", I
say. "Yes, I've never
heard of him - do you play?" And I take the guitar and sing, while he holds the
songbook. "Wow, you
have a great voice", he says. Mnn, it has it's limitations, but as long as I
stick to something it
CAN do, it's fine. Donovan too didn't have any great voice. "Here, There,
Everywhere" he doesn't
know either, is young people today totally ignorants?
The morning goes as planned. The folded cardboard is under the tent. Yesterdays
reasearch is worth
gold. 7.02 I leave Backpackers Fuji and 7.55 I arrive at Narita Airport Terminal
1.
During the next one and a half hours I pack the box and put th bike in its bag.
This time I can take the lighter
with me in the handluggage but not in the box. With japanese accuracy my box and
the bike are being
measured in every direction and weighed.
While I stand there packing, a lady comes and asks, if I've let out the air from
the
tubes? That's what I always forget but I've had no problems so far. "No, thank
you for telling me..." Japanese accuracy once more.
In security I have trouble. I have exactly the same items as in Copenhagen -
except the lighter,
but nevertheless....
My first thought is that it's the tool for the pedals that's the problem, and it
is - also. The repair
kit for the tubes, the unbraco tool and the knife and fork set AND the tool for
the pedals are removed
and everything passes the scanner once more.
Now the rest is ok. He takes up a plasticbag and unfolds very neatly a tape
measure. Then he measures the tool for the pedals very, very carefully. Is it
more or less than 15 cm? He seems not to be sure. Measures once more. Then he
gives it back to me. It's apparently ok. Packs the tape measure back into its
bag and take a close look at the knife and fork set. He gives this to me also.
Then he opens the repair kit and inspects each item. Takes the glue. Can he open
it? Yes, of course. He opens and sniffs... Then he leaves - "Just a moment,
sir...." Comes back a couple of minutes later. "Sorry, sir..." "You can just
throw it away, please!"
Yes, careful they are. Noone must be able to critizes their work none so ever....
But till the end I find it a bit difficult being a cyclist i Japan!