[This, and the next few posts are somewhat delayed, but I am trying to catch up now. Many social networking, blogging and photo sites are banned in China. It's taken a while to get around this. Not that I did it on my own, there is a whole industry around it - one just has to work out how it works, and you play a cat and mouse game picking the right private network servers.]
As soon as I had checked into the hotel in Narita I hit the hotel pool, a decent 18m lane pool, for a few laps. Not too many of course as I was tired. I then headed up to the top of the Crown Plaza to enjoy some Japanese beer and cuisine.
I had a bad sleep, but I suppose that was to be expected. I was up early to sort my bags. I had already checked my bike and a few extra things at the airport luggage store but suddenly realised I still had way too much stuff for a few days in Japan. So I headed back to the airport and checked a second bag in, and waited for my rendezvous with Kyoko. She is a professional travel guide and takes groups around Japan and the world. This time she was just taking me. I got to know her on Facebook about four years ago, and so finally we got to meet.
We boarded a train bound for Tokyo, which is about an hour from Narita. Our plan was to take a bus from there to Lake Kawaguchi at the base of Mt Fuji. However a typhoon had dumped copious amounts of rain on parts of the country and this meant the roads were closed. We had to wait for information about the road closures so we headed for a nearby shopping area.
My first foray into a Tokyo shopping area while waiting to find out what was happening with the buses. There was a cacophony of sellers trying to outdo each other with megaphones. The photo doesn't capture the noise!
On the way back to the station there was more noise. Some 'right-wingers' where proclaiming something about Nippon being the preferred name for Japan.
It soon became clear that the roads to the mountain were closed for the day. However there was the option of a train. So somewhat delayed and facing a slightly longer trip we got back on the train. It was a good way to see the countryside. I had hoped for the same in the UK, but there the trains tend to ride inside banks and hedgerows not affording much of a view. In stark contrast this train went straight through the villages. For the most part the houses were 3 - 5 metres from the train, but at times the buildings were less than two metres and the occasional bay window or lean-to almost touched the carriages. Certainly the garden bushes did at times.
I was fascinated how all the houses I saw were built on the level, and each property was terraced so there was never any slope. I soon realised though, that this land once just consisted of rice paddies and they of course have to be level. Now much of the land was covered by houses, but any empty piece of land was used to grow rice, or vegetables, no matter how small. I don't think I saw a single lawn on the whole trip. The houses are small, and they take up most of each property, with just a narrow strip of scrubby weeds between houses.
This area had a larger than usual section under rice. You can see the effect of the recent heavy rainfall.
A typical vegetable patch
Soon we reached the tourist village at Lake Kawaguchi (no motorcycles or shoes to be seen however) at the base of Mt Fuji. The mountain was shrouded in cloud, so I would have to wait for a good view.
A delightful evening out at a local barbeque style restaurant followed. Hot pots in the centre of each table allowed diners to 'braai' their own meat and veggies. Great food, beer and company! A great experience.
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