WIND IS MY SWORN ENEMY

I left Akita and headed out towards Odate, which was a town in the mountains. I found a hotel there that had an onsen as well. The price was really good too. The winds from the north have been pestering me this whole trip. Note to anyone planning to cycle Japan, start from the north. Anyway, it was a pretty mellow ride through generally flat farmlands but the wind was making it twice as hard. I guess I will be fighting winds all the way north. On the way I passed a sign that told me I was now at 40 degrees north latitude. I found a side route through the countryside so I turned off the main highway and headed into the hills.

It was nice with lots of farms and more tractors on the road than cars. Although it is still chilly, the snow is gone and the farmers are hard at work tilling the soil for the upcoming season. I love these alternate route rides because they take you into the real Japan. There was a nice little lake right next to the road so I stopped to take pictures and see if there were any fish. I thought I saw some boils but I wasn’t sure if they were fish or turtles. As I rode off again, I noticed I was missing a glove. I turned back around and there was my glove on the side of the road, right near the ledge. I rode back over to pick it up and as I was going to bend down to grab it, a gust came and blew it over the ledge and into the lake. I watched it sink and cussed at the wind for a while. It was as if it was mocking me. I loved those North Face gloves, they were super comfy and warm… what am I to do with just a glove?

was pretty bitter for a bit, and then started to think about all the things I’ve lost so far. I lost my bicycle lock and cable in Kyushu, a bungee cord in Shodoshima, and then I lost another pair of thinner but nice windproof gloves a few days ago while I was fixing my derailleur. I must’ve left it on the ground or just set it on my bike and it fell off as I rode. I think that’s it so far. I couldn’t find any place to eat in the countryside so I stopped at a Lawsons for menchi katsu balls with some hot milk tea. Afterwards there was a slight climb and then the road met back up with the main highway. There was a bit of a climb but I’m so over complaining about that.

Odate is a town surrounded by mountains, and apparently it is very cold here during the winter. By the time I arrived it was getting late and the wind was getting colder. Luckily, there was a Sukiya as soon as I entered town so I stopped and got a mega size beef bowl. The hotel was pretty nice, as I mentioned it has an onsen on the first floor so a lot of people were there. After checking in I went to the onsen and relaxed for a bit. I got out and drank some cold milk...best combination ever. I went back to the room and did the usual planning for tomorrow. Around midnight though, I suddenly got the munchies so I headed out to look for food. I found a MOS Burger down the street and I couldn’t resist. I ate a hamburger combo but it still did not fill me up so I bought some bread and pudding at the conbini to hold me down until tomorrow morning. My appetite is turning out to be very expensive.