Date

2022-10-23, Sunday

Distance

59.22 km (659.22 km in total)

At about 4 am, we were awakened by the sound of roaring guists constantly blowing our tent — guess that’s the price we had to pay for a campsite with an unbeatable ocean view. Afraid that the tent may not withstand so insane a wind gust, we got up early to pack up our stuff and have breakfast next to a building that happened to be the washroom.

Honestly, Japanese washrooms are so clean and well-equipped you almost feel like you could pitch your tent inside. There’s water, electricity, heating, and even washlet toilets — a small comfort that warms the soul on a cold morning.

Starting off gray, damp, and chilly, the weather today was not very cooperative: it rained, rained, and rained all day and night. As a consequence, the sunrise wasn't visible, and we had to bike in wet conditions for the entire stretch of the day. The temperature feels lower when humidity is high. We would feel cold if we stayed stationary for over a few minutes. It was quite a miserable day.

All facilities were closed at the campground we chose to stay tonight except the waterless Bio-Lux toilet. It's basically a hole filled with biodegradable sawdust that decomposes human waste that becomes organic fertiliser later.

We were not the only crazy people camping on a rainy night: there was another couple setting up their tent in the campground, only that they were less crazy than us, as they drove here. I didn't have the chance to speak to them nor ask them a myriad of questions. However, today, I had two very brief conversations with two adults and two young kids. The former exclaimed at seeing our cross-Japan posters, then asked where we were from. The latter, who didn't seem to be able to read kanjis, asked me what our posters meant. I tried to carry the conversation, but whenever I made it known that I came from a foreign country and was not that skilled at speaking their language, the locals would show disinterest in conversing with me by simply wishing me safe travel then waving goodbye. This reaction from the children is understandable, as they may not know where Canada is or understand why an Asian-looking lady doesn't speak Japanese very well, but the same shouldn't apply to the adults. It leaves me perplexed as to what may be wrong with my approach …