For those of us with the flexibility to appreciate life's foibles, the adventure of a lifetime continues to evolve. The Japanese government will not issue a landing permit for Malaysia Airlines to pick us up in one of their 747s and take us to Hong Kong. And, the only cash machines which will accept our credit cards are at the airports (where only multiples of 10,000yen/$100 were possible), train stations and post offices.
When we left Australia, it was raining on our Malaysia Airlines 747. Its cargo hold held all our stuff. In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, our bodies and gear, but not bicycles, were put on two regularly scheduled flights to Japan (half on JAL/half on Malaysia Airlines on a plane with smoking allowed). Our bicycles and Dave (the former mechanic) Skaife were left in Kuala Lumpur.
Without a chartered 747, to leave Japan Odyssey must split up among four regular airline flights that don't have room for our bikes. So ... with no guarantee we can get them out of Japan, our bikes, which are still in Kuala Lumpur, won't be shipped to the land of the sun.
Odyssey2000� will be doing a bus tour of Japan. To add to the adventure, one of our overnight spots had to be skipped because, today, it was hit by a 7.1 earthquake. We'll be staying in some great hiking areas near Amanohashidate (the third most visited Japanese tourist spot) and Sanbe, before going to Miyajima (the second) which is an island off Hiroshima. Then, we'll fly to Kuala Lumpur, pick up our bikes, possibly unload our camping gear, and get on a CHARTERED Malaysia Airlines 747 for Hong Kong.
Needless to say, Japan is on the "do not include" list for the Odyssey trips in 2003 and 2006.
I'm glad I got to be part of the adventure and am seeing Japan from a different perspective than I've seen most of the world. In Kyoto, the Japanese capitol for over 1000 years, I walked through a 400 year old shogun palace (in my socks, of course) and went on a free tour of the former Imperial Palace (where the gravel would have been painful in stocking feet).
The Nijo-jo (Nijo Castle) was built in 1603 by the first Tokugawa Shogun Ieyasu. When the fifteenth shogun returned sovereignty to the Emperor in 1867, the Castle was given to the Imperial Family. In 1939 it was donated to the City of Kyoto and subsequently opened to the public. In 1992 it was registered on The World Heritage List of UNESCO.
The Castle is surrounded by a moat. Protected inside, is the Ninomaru Palace, a National Treasure, consisting of five buildings, 33 rooms and 800 straw mats. Constructed almost entirely of Japanese cypress, it covers 3300 square meters and has no furniture. No photography or sketching is allowed inside. From the entrance to the Grand Chambers in the center, but not to the Inner Audience Chamber or the Shogun's living quarters beyond, the wooden floors of the hallways squeak and creak whenever anyone threads on them, even in socks. This is by design to warn that visitors were approaching. Its bird-like sound gives it the name Uguisu-Bari or Nightingale Floor. It's really melodic and not at all annoying.
The Ninomaru Garden outside the shogun palace is the ultimate in unnatural Nature. All the trees are continuously trimmed like giant bonsais. One grove was trimmed so all the branches grew straight up resembling spears being held high before battle. Photographing the garden is permitted but you must stay on the gravel path.
To tour the former Imperial Palace requires permission to go on the 10am or the 2pm daily tours. This seems to require only your passport and space available. About half the people take a tour in Japanese and half in English. Entering the buildings is not permitted but any photography is allowed. The buildings are large and ornate, but have little in the way of furniture except the massive Imperial thrones. Members of the Imperial family had their own houses which were connected by enclosed passageways to each other and the central kitchen. Within the grounds was everything some family members and staff would ever see as they never left the grounds their entire lives.
It was a different way of life just like Odyssey2000� is a different kind of bicycle tour. At last night's dinner when Tim explained the problems caused by the inflexibility of JAL and the Japanese government, most people were disappointed but understood. One self-centered Fred complained that Tim's planning was inadequate. What a jerk! THIS IS AN ADVENTURE!
One rider was severely disappointed our first oriental meal was hamburger and mashed potatoes. Not very Japanese, but then the hotel was trying to cater to American tastes. Some didn't think there was any problem, but then THEY go to McDonalds and not just to use the bathroom. The Thai food will probably be too spicy for them (and not spicy enough for me). But, for breakfast this morning rather than sampling the tofu and fish I had three bowls of another of the world's great "C" foods, right up there with chocolate ice cream; corn chowder.
Odyssey had one rider get thrown off the ride in Australia when the drug sniffing dog at the airport found marijuana, hash and cocaine in his luggage. I haven't heard what happened at his court date, but if he had been caught a few countries later, he could have been executed. Talk about stupid!!
He lost the opportunity to observe the effect of high gasoline tax of societies. Where taxes push the price of a gallon towards $4, motor scooters, bicycles and very small cars dominate. When lower taxes allow gas under $2/gallon, as in the U.S. and Australia, large cars dominate and bicycles are rare. Urban traffic congestion don't seem to affect people's choice of personal vehicle as much as the affordability of fuel.
I titled this update "Samurai Bicyclist" because most of what little I know about older Japan I learned from Akira Kurosawa movie like Seven Samurai and his other samurai movies starting Toshiro Mifune. I wasn't sure where that start would lead, but I never got to "go there" because of some paper pushers who said no to Odyssey2000� and changed my focus ... but not my sense of adventure.
Happy Trails,
Bruce