Bus to Sanbe Mountain
Day 283
After a maddening night of rain storms the tent got taken down and packed away soaking
wet. We were on the road (via bus) again. I kept trying to find enlightenment. Why are we doing this?
It is a 6 hour ride to Sanbe, we stay a night then go to Hiroshima for 2 hours then go to camp 1 more hour away from Hiroshima in Miyajima. This Japan trip has turned into an insane mess. Last night I dinner I asked Tim if he had considered taking us to one place and letting us stay put. His answer was because the vendors had already bought our food and we had to show up because it was a 3 day holiday weekend. He didn’t want to waste the food. OK.
We board the bus after having a “traditional Japanese Box Breakfast”. Tim jumped on each bus telling us that the tolls would cost too much today for the buses to take the freeways, so instead of spending $1000 on tolls, we would be taking the scenic route. Of course that meant it would take longer than 6 hours, but for this inconvenience, Tim would buy the beer.
I hate beer.
October 9, 2000 bus to Sanbe Mountain
Day 283After a maddening night of rain storms the tent got taken down and packed away soaking wet. We were on the road (via bus) again. I kept trying to find enlightenment. Why are we doing this?<
It is a 6 hour ride to Sanbe, we stay a night then go to Hiroshima for 2 hours then go to camp 1 more hour away from Hiroshima in Miyajima. This Japan trip has turned into an insane mess. Last night I dinner I asked Tim if he had considered taking us to one place and letting us stay put. His answer was because the vendors had already bought our food and we had to show up because it was a 3 day holiday weekend. He didn’t want to waste the food. OK.
We board the bus after having a “traditional Japanese Box Breakfast”. Tim jumped on each bus telling us that the tolls would cost too much today for the buses to take the freeways, so instead of spending $1000 on tolls, we would be taking the scenic route. Of course that meant it would take longer than 6 hours, but for this inconvenience, Tim would buy the beer.
I hate beer.
Benj, Candy and Bill Bliss enjoying box breakfast
More folks enjoying breakfast with chop sticks
What can I say about a bus trip. It was long and boring. Most of the day we traveled on hilly roads in the rain. I couldn’t help but think I could be riding my bike in the rain. Actually, I loved the thought, it would have been a nice ride Instead I played one game of scrabble before the owner of the board took it back, then read until I dozed. Listening to the choir practice was the highlight of my day.
The Japanese countryside is never really rural. Japan is made up of 120 million people in a space smaller than California. They use the space nicely and there are lots of green mountains and plenty of water.
The houses outside the city are built with the pagoda style roofs, meant to last forever. Sometimes it seemed to me that the roof was in much better shape than the rest of the house. Most of the homes are two story.
Our convoy of 4 buses finally after NINE HOURS traveling dropped us off in a dark parking lot. We exited the buses standing in the rain, while the TKA bunch figured out where we had to go. As usual we had no information and I don’t think they did either. It was dark, wet and cold. We were now expected to go pitch a tent in unfamiliar territory under these conditions. What an adventure.
Oh yes! The food that the vendors bought had arrived. It was more boxed Japanese food. WOW! They were wrapped so nicely, Tim could have had them to us Fed Ex’d at a more convenient location. We traveled 9 hours for this?
Stephanie and I were invited to room with Richard and Joyce. They had rented a darling log cabin that slept 5 folks. It was Japanese style (what else) with a loft and bunk beds. The beds had mats on which we placed a futon mattress on. It was as hard as the ground under my tent, the only difference was it was completely level. Upon lying down, at first I didn’t think I would sleep well, but within a few minutes I was enjoying a wonderful nights’ sleep. It was nice to listen to the rain puttering on the roof and not my tent.