GaijinPot

To read part 1 of this story, click here. The 2nd day of my trip across Japan set the core of a routine that would last for 3 months. Wake up, pedal for 6 hours stopping only for chocolate peanuts, find a campsite and a friendly face to talk to, and then pass out. The pedalling and peanuts were easy. Campsites and conversation were harder to find. I needed to camp to get value out of my 20,000 yen MontBell tent. But, I did not want to spend another lonely night listening for Yogies. My wish was to be in a secure campsite, with armed guards, by 2pm – four hours before darkness. Unfortunately, slowed by cat-naps outside conbinis, and fatigue from the 30 degree heat and steep climbs, it was gone 4pm by the time I got my tent up. By then I was so tired, I was experimenting with cycle-sleeping. The campsite was on the edge of Furano, a small town in a huge mountain valley famous for its flowers. Three families and a lone traveller already had their tents up.  It was 500 yen for a pitch, and 500 yen for a hot bath, a third of my 3,000 yen daily budget gone. The other 2,000 yen had been spent at conbinis, mostly on chocolate peanuts, sweet canned coffee and ice-cream. Delighted to finally arrive, I set about finding conversation. For each day of my trip, I had a target. Talk to at least 5 people a day. This should stop me going mad I thought, or perhaps prove that I already had. Conbini staff didn’t count. Otherwise I would have achieved my goal by lunchtime. I was seriously struggling to find 5 on day two. A couple, on a rent-a–car holiday, had practiced their English with me, and I’d had to ask for directions twice when looking for chocolate peanuts in Furano. But, these weren’t the illuminating chats I had hoped for. Fortunately, before bed, a rotund bearded gentleman in the adjacent tent shared his experiences of lone travel and remote camping. His tales were reassuring and encouraging – as were the biscuits he gave me. Even better, bears did not scare him, and he had a flare-gun if they did turn up.  Delighted to have my armed guard I slept well, awaking keen to start some real exploring.