Boarding Ferry to Nagasaki
Welcome to Nagasaki Prefecture
NAGASAKI’S NATURAL COASTAL BEAUTY can be deceptive. Today, the team started out around 9am from our campsite in Kumamoto. After pedaling 20km, we rode onto our 11am Nagasaki-bound ferry amidst the motorized vehicles, left our bikes with the ferry staff who strapped them to the cargo bay walls, and proceeded up to the passenger seating area. A short but enjoyable 30-minute nap later found us docking in Nagasaki Prefecture. Although this sounds like we were only a small distance from the atomic bomb memorials, the prefecture is actually quite large.
The bottom line was this: we had about 70 km of long hills and ferocious headwinds between us and Nagasaki City. In my memory, I will mostly recall today as a day of pedaling along Nagasaki’s gorgeous coastline while wondering if I was traveling forward or backward against the wind. In the end, we did make it to Nagasaki City where we gratefully consumed champon, a Chinese noodle dish for which the city is famous. And, despite today being tough with all the gusty weather and inclines, I am greatly encouraged that my body is finally handling the enormous amount of daily work.
Nagasaki Station
A few other things happened today. A nice bicycle shop owner spent about two hours fixing two broken spokes on my back tire, also truing the wheel in the process. Furthermore, Scott purchased a Japanese prepaid cell phone. Now, the whole team has a way of reaching one another if we need to separate.
I write from a tent in a small, out-of-the-way location in the Nagasaki city park with Dylan’s feet inches from my face. It started pouring rain as we looked for a campsite and in our hurry we could only find a spot big enough for Scott’s tent. So, all three of us are crammed in here together. Clearly the people who labelled this as a “3-man” tent had a dark sense of humor. Tomorrow, the team tours the atomic memorials in the morning and, if time permits, we’ll try to see some other Nagasaki attractions.
Rider Condition:
Crash: Awake but barely
Calves: Asleep
Spock: Asleep
Nice video! You look so cool in your sunglasses =). Also, maps always make things clearer. Thanks!
You guys will be in awesome shape, if you’re not already! I’m really impressed with your daily kilometerage and the adventures you’ve encountered so far. So good to read your daily log.
Humorous post as always! You guys are good sports about the tough conditions you encounter =)
It’s all part of the adventure.
stay warm guys!
We do our best. Sometimes at night it’s a bit chilly, but we sleep soundly nonetheless.