Biking: 2000 feet!

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Today was to be our long bike ride into the mountains that ring the Kanda Plain and Tokyo. The day began with some clouds, but a promise of sun. It was in the 70's....

We started out around 10:00 am and rode about 45 minutes through the city of Fussa (part of Tokyo) and into the hills. We stopped at a 7-11 for snacks and some lunch items to bring with us up the mountain. As we left the more urban streets and started to gain elevation, congestion turned to sawmills, small farms and forests.

The road was was a 12% grade for the first steep part of the ride, and I ended up walking near the end of this section, and also walked the 15% grade that followed. It then flattened out a bit and I could ride to the summit and join Matt (who had already ridden over two mountains for a conditioning ride at 6:00 am this morning!) and Bill (who also walked a bit, but beat me to the top). It was about 2 hours since we left home.

The road was a deadend, so we had little traffic, and much beauty. The view from the top was gorgeous...we ate lunch and then coasted down the several miles we had pedaled (or walked) up earlier. As we got back into the congestion, Bill took a corner too fast for our skinny tires, and crashed his bike right in front of me. Amazingly he was just scraped up...not even badly bruised! People in cars who had seen the spill came by and asked (it seemed) in Japanese if he was OK.

We made it home without further mishaps...about 25 miles total and a 2000 foot elevation gain! Not bad for retirees....!

Tonight we went to Justin's school band/chorus concert, and saw Matt's ex wife Naoko, her parents, Justin's sister Layla (my niece), and Naoko's new boyfriend and his son (who we will babysit this Friday...)

Just made a tofu stirfry for dinner...and I'm ready for bed!

Tomorrow we will go on a shorter ride and do some hiking.

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Photos

Shinto Shrine on the way up
It's almost magical to come across these sacred places tucked into the forest...there are all sizes, from a small altar to the huge shrines we visited in the city,

View from the top
We were down in the valley that you can almost see in the upper left hand corner pf the photo, two hours earlier.....

Family
Naoko, Layla, Justin, Grandparenrts

Comments

[Linda Harlow]

OH-Stop!
I have felt like the happiest voyager but your continued fotos and blogs make me so want to GO/BE THERE......What a devine trip you are so fully experiencing. and ' how I wish I were there,too'. FYI, (hee-hee) these past days, since you left have be georgeous. REALLY!!!! Sunny,clean and clear. I am loving it here, (BUT WOULD RATHER BE IN JAPAN. Careful on the corners! Thanks for sending, L

[Carol McClain]

General Blog Comments
I love the graceful Japanese architecture of the castles, temples, retreats, etc. I've never seen "egg salad sandwich" on the menu of any Japanese eatery that we've visited. Martin had a friend years ago that joined a team of anthropologists doing research in a Peruvian village in the Andes. The method of relieving oneself was to squat at the edge of a cliff. This caused a Constipation Epidemic among the team. I think your "bad toilet" would provoke the same in me. We never got out this Fall for a color show drive. Thanks for taking us along on yours...although the steepness left us breathless. Carol

[Mona Beach]

Biking:2000 feet
Incredible feat.Am enjoying the trip.Vicarious pleasure abounds.