At 5 am it started raining. It rained so much that it was more or less a cloud-burst. Getting out of the tent was out of the question. Not until 10 o'clock could I even think about putting out my nose. The rain stopped for a short period, while I packed my tent, but apart from that the rest of the day was filled with showers. The most dramatic thing this day was probably the gushing water from the mountains. Ditches and canals could not at all take the enormous quantities of water. Everywhere people were busy mending the roads. Here and there the roads were flooded and a couple of places there were diversions. The sea had changed it's colour quite a distance from the shore because of the earth which was flushed into it. Once more the stretch was without too much traffic. That's a bit strange.

In the fishing village Mikuni I turned in direction of the magnificent rocks at Tijimbo, the socalled suicide rocks. I arrived there at 4 pm and rode on a path along the coast, where I found a suitable camp site, however on a slope. Shortly after the rain came heavily down on me again, and I decided to put op the tent at once, in spite of the fact that it was not far from a couple of houses. Already at 5 pm I was settled in my tent where I stayed until 5 o'clock the next morning.
Quite boring, but actually I am able to fall asleep when it gets dark at 7.30 pm . I cannot sleep that long in my own bed. I dreamt I was in California, where Weltys and Renaults lived in one house. Bill had become very fat, and Charlene was carried out on a stretcher when I arrived.

I am happy I do not believe in interpretations of dreams.

In the beginning everything was ok. No rain when I woke up close to 5 am, so I was able to pack my stuff without any interruption. But after a few minutes on the bike it started to rain again. Not heavy rain; it's more like a drizzle. I had to seek shelter already after 3-4 km and had again a couple of strokes of bad luck. First I could not find my glasses, and I have not found them yet. While I was looking for them I placed my camera on the bike.
Guess what happened?
Yes, you are right.
Down it went with a crash.

I found out that the glass in front of the lens was broken and from now on I have no protection of the expensive objective. What a stupid thing. And I only have myself to blame for it. In this part of Japan there is not very much traffic. Very peaceful and quiet here. Again the rain has begun to fall heavily so I have taken shelter under a porch roof at a small grocery store. I do not quite know what to say about this kind of weather? It is hard to tell from looking at the sky how it is going to develop.

I have bought a loaf which I have eaten. To go with the bread I had two cups of instant coffee. I have now discovered what the huge pot with boiling water I see in most shops, is for. It is boiling water for the coffee. I am not sure that the Japanese use it. So far I have not seen any of them use it. It's a very early Saturday morning and a lot of people come here to shop. Suppose one of them invited me to come into his home? It happened once before, so you never know? ...

No, noone came and invited me to anything. Little by little the rain stooped, but it never got extremely hot today. That means that I am not forced to drink that much anymore. After Kaga I hit Route 8, and then I could say good bye to the time of no traffic. Kilometre after kilometre towards Mamatzu it seemed that one car shop followed the other. Before Kamatzy I got hold of some supplies and started looking for a place to sleep. There were several parks but nothing I was able to use. One park was for tennis, golf and things like that, another was a sort of water land. I almost started to despair. Actually I asked a couple of rice peasants. They explained a lot of things to me, I do not know what, so I went on quite humiliated.. Soon after I arrived at Kanazawa, where I at once found a wonderful park. It's quite big. with beautiful well cut grass, fountains and things like that. In the middle there is a small house with benches all around it. That's where I am sitting right now at 5.40 pm. Next to where I am sitting there has been a kind of arrangement with all sorts of tools. I have the view to a big parking lot. At 5 pm they played "Auld lang sine", and then the cars started to leave. There are still some cars left, but most of them are gone. When it gets dark I have planned to put up the tent in the outer circle of the park. Then we shall have to wait and see. Today has been an eventless day with a lot of beautiful landscapes to start with. It's a problem to me, that there is nothing special I have to do and I am a bit home sick, and I think it's along time till I am going home. Now the sky is darkening again. I am not sure the "rainy season" is over yet.

The climate tonight was pleasant and the foundation was flat and good, so once again I got a good nights sleep. Unfortunately some crazy guy had to practice on his skate board on the square next to my tent from 3 to 5 am, which was most annoying. I got up a little after 5 and washed myself in the toilet house in the park. Very convenient. The temperature has dropped a lot. I believe it's near 2o degr. now. I packed my gear, and the road I had to follow was to be found just outside the park. It's very early Sunday morning but nevertheless the traffic is heavy. I wonder where they are all going? After 2 km it started to rain a little bit. and I took shelter under a roof at a sort of restaturant. It's now 6:42. I just drank a Fanta and thought about going into the restaurant. But partly it is too expensive and partly I am not sure I like the food, so I remain here and watch the cars and the rice fields. There are plenty of both sorts here.

I went on, only interrupted by minor showers. On my way to Takaoka I hit a small mountain area with a number of nasty tunnels. The longest one was almost 1 km long. Once I stood in shelter for the next shower. Suddenly there was a loud crack. I was unable to find out where it came from. When I wanted to move on I discovered, that it was a spoke in the nasty side of the rear wheel, which was broken. And I had not even touched the bike! These spokes break ,when they feel ready for it. Now I have only 3 spare spokes left, so I started looking for a bicycle repair man. It's Sunday all right, but no law for opening hours seems to exist here. To start with I found an elderly female shopkeeper in a shop with extremely old and worn out bikes. She went down on her knees and started to search a box with old spokes, however without any result. After a few more kilometres I came to a very nice bicycle shop. No racing bikes, however. In this shop they very quickly produced the correct length, and I bought 5 extra spokes. Around 11:3o am I rode into Takaoka, which is a big city. First I found a sign showing the way to a park, which I wanted to investigate. But before that I rode on to good old McDonald's where I have had a Big Mac Set and 2 cups of coffee for 629 Yen.
Takaoka seems to be a nice city. If the park suits me I am going to stay there tonight and the take a look at "central Takaoka".
A week has passed since someone asked me if I would like to have lunch with them.
It's now 3 pm, and I am sitting in the park in Takaoka. When I first arrived here shortly after noon it was crowded with people; it was a kind of flea market. When I came back a couple of hours later most of the people were gone. it´s a nice place here. The Japanese really know how to make parks. There were a number of families with their lunch, but now it looks like rain and they are all gone. You can say again, that I learn how to relax on this trip. It's a new experience to me to sit hour after hour in a park and do absolutely nothing. I am sure it´s quite healthy. I spent the rest of the day in the park. At a certain time I was hiding from the rain in a small house. There was also a Japanese couple on my own age. I believe they spent 1½ hours there discussing a cross-word-puzzle. I can't believe that they spent that long time on one single puzzle. Just before 5 pm a policeman passed on his bike looking in every corner in the park. I became a little nervous because of my camping there. But I managed to find a very good place and noone bothered me at all. Once again I had a weird dream. We were three men going up in a lift. It was not an ordinary trip. We were going so high, that it was a kind of expedition. One of us had fear of heights. I do not remember who that was.

I slept ok. I believe I was all alone in the park, and it was as quiet as in a grave. It was the coolest night I had had so far on the trip. I slept with a sweater on. When I got up at 5am I found out, that there were a lot of things going on in the park. It seemed to be a very popular thing to get the morning exercise here. Power walk, jogging and so on. I rode on and found without problems the right way, Route 8. But the traffic was so severe that I decided to seek a more peaceful road along the coast. On that road I have been riding 54 km till this moment, where I am resting in Uozu. Earlier on I saw a sign showing 23 degrees, and it has been a pleasant ride. Uozu is close to the mountains and from here, I can see rain clouds hanging down the mountain slopes. It has also started to rain a little bit. Luckily I have had no technical problems so far. I am not sure as to how long I am going to ride on today. No need to ride much longer. Around Uozu I had about 30 minutes of drizzle, then it cleared again. At 1 pm/65 km I started looking for a camp site.

I came to Kurobe via Route 8 and went into Central Kurobe to see if I could find something. It was not possible, so I rode on. Shortly after I came to an enormous bridge across Kurobe River and was able to see that it looked very nice down by the river. I went down there and decided that it was the place I am going to sleep tonight. However I rode on to get a little supplies and hurrah.. here we go again. McDonald's at 3.7 km. The thought of a decent cup of coffee very quickly sent me the 3.7 km along Route ( to good old Mac, where I am sitting this very moment. Now I intend to go back to the riverside to relax. From there I have another 200-300 to go up north. Then I cross the island and go down south to Narita. Of course I could have chosen to go much longer north, all the way to Hokkaido, but I am not going to do that.
The day today has been pretty eventless, and one city looks more or less like the other. It is a big problem that I do not speak very much Japanese and an even bigger problem that I cannot read anything at all. How terrible it must be to be word-blid. The campsite by the river looked very pleasant. I feel like a boy scout again.
When the aeroplane prepared to go down in Narita, I was puzzled because there were so many lawns. Idiot! It's rice fields one finds everywhere. Even in the big cities there are rice fields where ever it is possible. It's embarrassing, but at the moment I don't remember how the rice is produced from the plants. Very embarrassing indeed. I suppose I must study that when I get home. The river side looked a bit spooky, when I came down there. Amazingly enough there was also a bench and a table. I placed my tent down a small path, so I was not to be seen from the road. I could not help thinking that some weird person had seen me from the road and had planned a night visit. But of course nothing happened. There were a great number of birds of prey and herons. It was a nice, cool night and for the first time on the trip I had to zip my sleeping bag.

I woke up at 4:40 a.m. and once again I had had a lot of weird dreams. Among other things I had had a divorce. The rest I cannot remember, but there were a number of other strange things. The weather was decent this morning, just below 20 degrees, and no sign of rain. The heat wave seems to be over for the time being. Thank God for that. It was too much. I just went into a grocery store to get coffee and a sandwich, here at 6:54 am. He had even a bench outside the shop. It's not very common with tables and benches. Last night I got an idea. I have a plan over the camping sites here on Boso Hanto. I think I will try to get into a camping site about 3 days before I leave. And then I will try to get my bicycle bag Friday the 24th July instead of Tuesday 28th from the family in Tomisato. Perhaps I can get the opportunity to spend some time with them. On the whole this trip has been quite lonely, so I could need some company.
When people go shopping they leave the car with the engine running. I do not think Buddha is the great God here, I think it is the car.
Come to think of it I have not yet seen a single caravan here. Today was a very fine day. The weather grew better and better, but the heat was never terrible. And the traffic on Route 8 was not bad, and I even found a bicycle route. With tunnels dedicated to bicycles. I believe it is the first time I have seen that the needs of bicycle riders have been taken into consideration. And it's one of the most beautiful spots I have seen here. Around noon I actually passed a camping site. The first one I have seen here. I passed by looking. No one there at all. Then I rode the 12 km to Nadachi to get supplies and rode the 12 km back. Still no one there. On the other side of the road there is an enormous holiday centre. There was also a gigantic fish market. Here I met a man who knew about the camping site. I paid 1760 Yen and received a card to put on my tent. I believe that's fair enough. Perhaps it is a good thing that I am not going to camp in the wilderness tonight, when I think of the big green snake which twisted across the bicycle path today right in front of me. I am staying here together with a Junior High School. I just met one of the teachers. The children seem ok. At the moment (5:57pm) they are preparing dinner.
The children were very noisy. But as a matter of fact they did nothing wrong. When they had finished eating and the dish washing they lit a big camp fire and played some games. Of course they had fireworks, the big thing in this country. I did not sleep well this night. The ground was very uneven and actually it was very cold.

Up a little before 5 am. So did the teachers from the school and we wished each other a very good morning. It's annoying that we are unable to communicate. One of the teachers presented me with a small can of soda, before I left. I went back to the "Marine-dream" house with the card and off I went. The bicycle route went on for about 20 km more, until I got close to Joetu. All the time I chose small roads. It's very easy, when you ride along the water. On my way I met a Japanese tour-rider, and we talked for a while. We also "changed" cameras and took a look at the other's equipment. In a bakery I bought 2 x 1/4 milk, a sausage in bread and a cake. Then I am able to carry on for a while. The last 8-10 km I have been riding through a rather peaceful and very long city. I believe I am still riding along the water. I just arrived to a bank, which I think will open at 9 o'clock (in 2 min and 9 seconds). I will try to draw 20.000 Yen as a spare capital. I think I shall be needing it. They have a visa-card on the door, so I think that's going to work.

No it didn't work. A lady from the bank took me to the "money machine", where she had to regret that it didn't like my Visa card. But I hope I can do without that money. In the big city Kashiwasaki I found a real supermarket and got some supplies. I didn't do too well. I got hold of a disgusting garlic bread, and then I had bought some meat on a spit, which looked rather delicious. But only until I had unpacked it! I wonder, what it is made of. But I ate it all right because the engine needs fuel. The weather got better and better through the day and has been close to wonderful. About 25 degr. with sunshine and a little wind. No sign of rain. After Kashiwasaki I started planning to make my nest and 10 km further north I found the most wonderful place on a parking place high overthe sea. There is a bench, a roof and a table. There is a toilet and a magnificent view. It's just by the road, but there is not much traffic here. In a corner behind a pine tree I have decided to build my nest. But I have to wait about 3 hours. It's only 4 pm now. Today I called home and heard that they are all doing fine. They had had a problem with the car, which had to be dragged to a mechanic.

A lot of people stop here to stretch their legs. It's understandable, because the view is exceptional. I forgot to mention, that there is a great number of house sparrows here. They have their nests up under the roof. Today I bought a new lens for my camera. I bought it on my visa card in a big photo shop in Kashiwasaki. The shop assistant spoke excellent English after spending 3 years in New York from 1976 - 81. He was very proud ,when I praised his English. I asked him about the camping site in the city, and he called a place where he already after 7-8 minutes of constant talking was able to tell me that it didn't open until the summer holiday of the school started the 20th July. A few hundred meters from here some people are cutting the grass in the side of the road with their "running wheels". It seems to be a very slow work.
I have noticed that the man with the red flag who is in charge of the queues when there is a road construction politely bows to the people in the cars, when they drive on.
And what a great number of "bent-over" grannies there are here. Today I went into a shop to get a couple of cakes. A little old woman crabbed around between the shelves, while bowing and bowing. What a picture that would have been, but I couldn't do that to her. This place is absolutely wonderful. But at a certain point, I thought I was in trouble, when 4 young people came by at 6.30 pm with beer and drinks. However they were quite harmless, they only wanted to have a good time. So would I, if I had lived here close to this unbelievable view. When it grew dark I put up my tent behind the tree I had found in advance ,and I had a quiet and dream filled night.
Every day I try to find something English or some music in my small radio, but there is nothing but talking. When I was in the Tokyo area, I was able to find an American channel, but it's gone now.

I was snoozing until 4:50 am where Iiwas able to draw the tent-canvas for another beautiful day by the Japanese Ocean, 23 degrees.( I later discovered) and sunshine. And peaceful and quiet. The road I am following, 402 Route, had very little traffic compared to what I have experienced elsewhere. I recall with horror the "Kinki area". I had nothing for breakfast, so I started out with a Fanta from a vending machine, but after some time I had still not come across any shops. I was getting more and more desperate, and I almost laid violent hands on a can with mackerel, which I had in my luggage. The numerous fish shops were not tempting either. But then after 36 km, Bingo! A nice little shop where I have just had a good time with 2 cups of coffee, pudding, 1 cake and ½ L of cocoa milk. Bust as a matter of fact it's the first food I have had since yesterday at 4 pm. Furthermore I have bought 2 bananas, which I plan to eat later on. Right now I am sitting on a bamboo bench outside the shop. The wind is light, 23 degr. and sunshine. I am sitting 10 meters from the Japanese Ocean. The road I am following, Route 402 is peaceful and quiet. Ups, I just wrote that, didn't I? Alzheimer Light, you know.

After 35-40 km I will come to a very big city, Niigata. If I know myself good enough, next stop will be McDonald's there. Niigata is big. Very, very big. I had planned riding into central Niigata and take a look. But what is the centre in these cities? When I had looked around for a while I decided to ride on and came out of the city in the wrong direction. At a certain point I found a bicycle route, 5 km long along the water and I believed it took me out of the city. But this route only ran along the inner harbour, and only with great difficulty did I manage to get out of the city. The other entrance was beautiful, whereas this one is extremely ugly. Traffic, factories, industry, Airport, you name it. t looked quite hopeless. But finally close to 3pm I found something which I perhaps can use. In the middle of trucks, which are loading trunks on lorries, there is a park. The place is called Niigata East Port and that's the way it looks. The park is neglected and in disrepair and I wonder if it's supposed to be for the dockers. But there are benches and chairs and water and a toilet. I believe it must be possible to build a nest here. The noise is terrible at the moment; it's 4 pm and perhaps these dockers are doing day and night work. I managed to do 113 km. Most of all because I had to, not because I wanted to. At this late afternoon the temperatures have once again been unpleasantly high, but it's no heat wave.

The people who load trunks on the lorries called it a day at 5 p, and after that time it was quiet and peaceful. As a matter of fact I saw no one at all in the park. One has to be quick when putting up the tent. 20 minutes past 7, it starts getting dark and 25 minutes to 8 it´s as dark as in a grave. I had a few problems with the mosquitoes, but I had a quiet night with the usual strange and weird dreams.