Dear Reader, It’s been a bit of a slog over the past couple of years whereby it seemed that around every corner some sort of perverse trial or dicey tribulation lurked. Yet, being the kind of sick individual that I am of whom craves a challenge, with a mind slightly scuttled and a soul in…
Tag: cycling
Record Breaker
Mt. Osore – Aomori 78 miles I awoke early as usual, in sync with daybreak, slightly surprised to have fallen asleep to the sound of desperately hungry bugs. Yet, as I emerged from my tent, all was still; the heathen swarms having dissipated back into the depths from whence they had came. A thick…
The Remote Part
Hakodate – Mt. Osore 38 miles It was a short 90-minute ferry ride from Hakodate to Ōma, a small town upon the tip of the axe-shaped peninsula of Shimokita. Ōma is famed for having some of the most delectable and pricey tuna in Japan, an abundance which can commonly be found in Tokyo’s rampant Tsukiji Market….
Hokkaido Summer: Farewell to the North
Oshamanbe – Hakodate 87 miles When I slept, I dreamed of Pokémon, most notably an unofficial Pokémon that goes by the name of ‘Anusmouthmon,’ and the less said about his party trick the better! His ethereal-realm antics however wouldn’t put me off my breakfast of chocolate croissants from the ever trusting Seicomart; a supermarket that…
Hokkaido Summer: Cosplay by the Lake
Lake Shikotsu – Oshamanbe 82 miles A multitude of mountains paved the way for the 60-mile stretch between Lake Shikotsu and Lake Toya. With the comfort of clear skies, I made exceptional progress, my only concerns being the weekend drivers who drove by as if they had just been given a day pass to behave…
Hokkaido Summer: World Cup Karaoke Mountain Man
Sapporo – Lake Shikotsu 53 miles Between an 8-hour karaoke binge and England’s next World Cup match, I’d had very little time to rest. Normally, a 4am kick off would have been deemed an unheard of feat, yet I was still running on an excess of alcohol fumes and raring for England’s next humiliation to…
Hokkaido Summer: Back to the Big Smoke
Mashike – Sapporo 74 miles When I awoke I was able to add a new tick to the list of places slept upon my journey thus far: Hostel – ✓ Baseball Pitch – ✓ Park Bench – ✓ The House of Pubes – ✓ Hotel – ✓ Tsunami Evacuation Point – ✓ Refugee Shelter –…
Hokkaido Summer: The Bus Stop
Shosanbetsu – Mashike 66 miles The night saw yet more heavy rainfall, but camping under a picnic shelter I’d find myself smug and unfazed by what would have otherwise been another soggy dilemma. I’d soon be seeing the bright lights of Sapporo again, where I’d be able to rectify my current tent situation. As I…
Hokkaido Summer: I Get Wet
Wakkanai For three days I found myself holed up in another one of Hokkaidō’s classic 1980’s themed youth hostels. It was a desolate sort of building that gave off a haunted house vibe; located atop an isolated hill. Wakkanai was still being deluged by buckets of rain and after a while I began to feel…
Hokkaido Summer: Island to Island
Rebun – Rishiri 41 miles The rain wasn’t heavy, but it was constant, and within a few hours my tent was drenched. By torchlight, I was able to find a vast bulk of the water’s entry points and under each drip I placed a plastic bag to collect the water. Every hour or so I…
Tokyo to Tokyo 