Day4: (80 km) Tomamae - Hokuru-cho

(08/02/06)

After a filling breakfast of leftover miso-barley soup, we had our first semi-punctual start of the day. In a small town on the way, Adam's good, clean all-American charm won us some free cherries. After pledging to share our new treasure with the group, the　few of us present quickly devoured them.

The morning was slightly marred by a very drawn out discussion of whether or not we should take tunnels, leading to a vote (7-3 in favor), and culminating in the rider who called for a vote saying she wouldn't take the route under any circumstances. Audrey then went into an animated speil likening peoples' views on tunnel safety to faith in god.

Thus enlightened, we end up taking the hills instead. It turns out to be a good choice, with beautiful scenery the entire way and none of the sprawl I expected. At lunch, a farmer and her 14 year-old son stop by with free melons for us. Like most Japanese parents, she tells us how good his English is and prods him to converse with us. We find out that he likes baseball, but after that, the conversation reverts to Japanese.

(en route to Hokuru-cho)

After lunch, I show people how to change a flat tire. Surprisingly, the team quietly pays attention to the entire 20 minute demonstration. Though I'm surprised everyone hadn't practiced changing a flat before embarking on a 4000 km bicycle ride, I'm a little more comfortable with people's ability to help themselves on the road now. Or I will be once everyone actually buys tire levers.

The pastoral hills continue all the way to Hokuro-cho, where we stop by a croquet course, eyeing it up as a potential camp site. Amy and Emily scout ahead and are ensnared by a generous fifty-something vegetable seller who gives them corn and peaches. The rest of us catch up and Emily slips me one of their peaches--one of the best I've ever had, perfectly ripe and juicy. The veggie seller then plys us with more free produce, insisting that we call him oniichan (older brother/bro). After hearing our plan to camp somewhere, he insists that we stay at his house and that we use a spare greenhouse to cook our dinner. Stunned by fresh fruit and generosity, we eat, head to the onsen, and sleep until Pirori and I wake everyone up with our snoring.

(Oniichan and his lovely wife)