OUTRUNNING THE CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND RUNNING INTO SNOW

I woke up and headed downstairs to eat breakfast at the hotel dining area. It was 400 yen and totally worth it because you get unlimited amount of rice. It was a typical Japanese breakfast; miso soup, rice, natto, grilled salmon, egg, and salad. I sat next to a guy who seemed like he didn’t want to be bothered so we just left it at good morning. The guy next to me ate everything but the salmon, what a waste…well call it bad manners or what but after he left I took it; I just can’t see it go to waste. I decided to head out towards Hirosaki instead of doing another 100+ kilo ride to Aomori. They have a castle there and some other tourist attractions…the cherry blossoms around the castle are supposed to be one of the best in Japan but it was too early for that. Even in Odate the cherry blossoms are still in a tight bud.

I found a capsule hotel for 3150 yen a night so I reserved it over the phone before riding out of Odate. The road towards Hirosaki climbs over a little mountain pass, not too bad…I was able to cycle over it without having to stop and push. As I was riding, I noticed what appeared to be snow...sure enough there was snow along the shady banks, and as I went deeper into the mountains more snow appeared on the side of road. I stopped and built a little snowman for kicks. This area reminds me of Sierras, even the smell. There is an unexplainable smell when you are deep in the forest, it's hard to explain unless you've been someplace like here. It is very beautiful up here in the Tohoku region, I love it.

After coming down from the mountain pass I stopped at a small ramen shop on the side of the road and ate a gyoza ramen for lunch, it was good. Afterwards I decided to take off my padded seat cover and see if my Brooks leather saddle had softened up. I figured that it had to be broken in by now. I bought the leather saddle a few days before leaving L.A. although I knew that they had to be broken in like a baseball glove before they got really comfortable. Well, after a week of riding it in Kyushu, I had enough of it and bought a padded seat cover to put over the saddle until it softened up. It seems like it's getting there, not as hard as the first week I had it that's for sure. I left the padded seat cover on top of one of my pannier bags, but several miles down the road it was gone...add that to the list of lost items.

I headed on and eventually arrived to the outskirts of Hirosaki where another big mountain appeared in the back. That mountain was Iwaki-san, and like Chokai-san it stands alone in the background of the city...quite an impressive view. I headed into town and towards the capsule hotel. I found it on the 5th floor of a tall building. The 1st floor had a restaurant, while the 2nd floor was a billiards place. The 3rd and 4th floors were bowling alleys. Check in wasn’t until 4pm so I dropped off my things and went for a ride around town. I checked out Hirosaki Castle, it was a bit small but they had cool artifacts inside such as old muskets, katanas, and armour.

The cherry blossom festival in Hirosaki seems like it’s going to be big. They have a big area in the park set up with all kinds of shops and stages. I even saw a motorcycle sphere thing those daredevils ride in. This weekend though there was nothing going on. The samurai houses nearby closed at 4pm and I just missed it…I figure I’ll check them out tomorrow morning. They also have a tourist shop section where they sell handmade treats and gifts. There are a lot of other historical places of interest but I didn't bother going to them all. Hirosaki is a nice town and definitely worth coming back to.

The capsule hotel here is way nicer than the one I stayed at in Tokyo. They have an onsen and even a dining area where they serve food. I washed up and headed out to call some places in Hakodate. I found a hotel for 3900 yen so I just booked it. Afterwards I headed back to the hotel and chilled in my capsule for a bit doing research for the ride ahead in Hokkaido. Eventually I got hungry but it is sort of a hassle to leave so I decided to give the food a try here at the hotel. The prices were good and the food looked good actually. I got the fried chicken set and it actually filled me up for once. Normally the Japanese portions don’t do my stomach justice. Afterwards I did a bit more research on Hokkaido and where to go and stay. I guess I still haven’t learned, or I’m getting a bit apprehensive of what lies ahead. I end up winging it anyway like I’ve been doing for the past month. Before going to sleep I spent a little time writing postcards to people.