Hokkaido by bike!

We recently got ourselves some touring bikes (with a lot of help from Kathy and David, thanks guys!) from `Merica!  And ever since we have been wonderfully mobile.  It was like getting a car.  All of a sudden we could get to our schools faster than by public transportation.  And better yet, we can now get to places that public transportation does not (or does not often enough) service.  Here are the trusty steeds, loaded for a three day trip.

Hokkaido is kind of the perfect place for bike touring (although, admittedly it is the only place that I have done such a thing).  It`s got beautiful routes, speed limits are low and drivers relatively aware, camp sites everywhere, and where there aren`t campsites, you can guerilla camp pretty well anywhere without being bothered about it, AND in any town you can find a bath house for cleaning up.  Add to that the fact that Hokkaido is the breadbasket of Japan and every area has their local specialties that they grow or gather and it`s pretty hard to beat.  

Our very first bike trip we rode out to a massive park not too far from Sapporo to meet up with our friends Saga, Shinobu, Jun, Satoko, Nat, Kelly, Nathan, Sara and their son Ethan.  We stayed at a cabin there and ate yakiniku (Japanese bbq) from Shinobu`s father`s yakiniku shop.  The ride was beautiful, the park was beautiful, the food was delicious, and we finally got to play park golf!  Park golf is a lot like put put, but with real grass and no blue water or airbrushed t-shirts.  Plus, a lot of old folks are VERY serious about their park golf game.  

 Our second bike trip was our first fully packed with the tent and stoves and all.  We took an overnight trip to Asa beach with Nat and Kelly and camped right on the sand.  That ride was beautiful as well, along the river and then through farm land.  It was our first trip to the beach of the year, and we got to bike there!

And our most recent bicycle adventures took us to Cape Shakotan over a three day weekend.  Shakotan is the name of a peninsula in Hokkaido with surrounding waters so beautiful that there`s a shade of blue in Japanese named after it.  It was our most challenging ride yet, with longer distances and more climbing, but by far the most rewarding.  Wouldn`t you think this picture was from somewhere tropical?




It`s just now warm enough that most hiking trails are clear of snow now, so soon we hope to do a bike and hike.  Til then we`ll be riding to school and enjoying the garden (pictures of which are coming soon family!  Maybe as soon as tomorrow!).