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Down the coast towards the ferry

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We are now heading south towards Sakaiminato where we have to be on Saturday to catch the boat to Vladivostok 

So yesterday it was a long hot slog from Aomori to Niigata - a total of about 480 km but an 11 hour day for us from 7.00 am to 6.00pm with reasonably minimal stops. We are a bit tired on arrival at Niigata but I am quite pleased with myself to know I am capable of doing an 11 hour day ( in the heat ) reasonably comfortably. Not bad I think for an old bugger of 72 riding an 11 hour day, two up, in 30 dec C plus temperatures   As we travel we see rural life and we pass a rice planting machine -







I guess these machines have made a huge drop in income to the chiropractic, phsiotheraphy and orthopaedic industries of Japan as the hand planting of rice gets overtaken by this. ! 

As we ride I have to tussle a lot with Elizabeth who lives in the GPS who wants us to avoid the much faster expressways. I reflect that with Elizabeth of the GPS you have to do your homework fairly thoroughly before you argue with her. 

   “ What’s new “ I think to myself ! 

And talking of the GPS some of the hotel names the GPS throws up are somewhat interesting. Would I stay in hotel Twinkkerabbit ?  Might get carrots for dinner I guess 



Or this hotel sounds interesting 



And I thought the second place was the name of a volcanoe in Iceland ! 

We ride down the coast -




And check in at Niigata. There are some Europeans in the lobby. They are almost the first Europeans we have seen since we left Tokyo. They spoil the ambience a bi - not their fault of course 

And now we find ourselves at Toyama. We find a hotel just opposite the old palace. The view from our room - 




Because it is a short day we spend late afternoon catching up on news from New Zealand. Well I started to catch up on New Zealand news then I find tthe following headline is front page news in New Zealand. -





I guess one  can only conclude that the country is in pretty good shape when this sort of thing gets headline news. Sarah Templeton the New Zealand jouranalist who wrote this must  have a brilliant future. I guess they will put her on the political desk next ! 


And on that note I switch to the more erudite task  of getting the route sorted out for the ride to Kyoto tomorrow 



Comments

Kerian said…
Awesome Dick keep them coming. I'm impressed with what you and Diana are able to do. Not that cool either. Extra time there has been a special time for you.
27 May 2019 at 01:16
Bobi Petch said…
enjoyed reading about your extra week in Japan..loving it all..The next stage will be interesting and await the read. Such an adventure Dick and Diana..also news from here..Parnell sold. Bobi.
27 May 2019 at 02:17
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