BEE Japan

On Saturday, I met a new friend through www.couchsurfing.com who stayed in Fukui through yesterday.

Ruben is a Spaniard who has been cycling the world for the past two years, traveling in countries like Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and terrorist-controlled areas of the Philippines that seldom see foreign guests. My friends and I in Fukui pulled together to show him a good time, inviting him to a potluck with our yoga teachers, taking him to Tojinbo, and finally giving him a good send-off by riding down the coast with him on Tuesday, which was a national holiday.
On Tuesday morning, I made my breakfast specialty: French toast with fresh strawberries and maple syrup before Sara rode to my apartment. We headed to Justin’s, and pumped our tires and oiled our chains before riding to Asahi to pick up the Colins. From Fukui to Asahi, farmers were out in force, preparing the flooded rice fields and beginning to plant the tiny rice seedlings that will eventually supply families with a year’s worth of rice. We waved and said “Good morning,” to the farmers, who were surprised to see six foreigners cycling through the countryside. Although we saw dozens of farmers, none appeared to be under the age of 80, and we wondered what will happen in another ten or twenty years when these farmers are no longer able to plant and harvest their crops.
The weather was perfect and the mountains and traditional farm houses reflected in the flooded fields, creating a spectacular view as we rode. From Asahi we headed into the mountains that line the Echizen Coast in Fukui Prefecture, legs pumping up the mountains until they could finally rest on the insanely fast corkscrew downhill on Route 365. We met at the bottom of the mountain by the shore, exhilarated by the 53 km / hour speeds we managed. From there we headed south along the rocky coastline, passing through villages where fishermen were bringing in masses of seaweed to dry on the shores, and barely avoiding the fish and squid left hanging in the sun to dry on the side of the road. Ruben was excited to see these glimpses of traditional life in Japan, and said that this ride was the best he had had in weeks of riding in Japan. The Echizen Kaigan (coast) truly is some of the most beautiful coastline I have ever seen, and I was happy to share it with someone new!
Close to Kono, Ruben had some problems with his wheel, and needed to stay in a small town along the coast where he could fix his wheel and camp for the night. We left him in a flurry of hugs and email address exchanges and good luck wishes, hoping to meet up again someday.
The team headed back over a mountain on Route 3–a grueling thirty minute muscle-burn-inducing climb past traditional mud-walled houses in tiny villages. We wound our way through mountain valleys before stopping for snacks at a bakery in Ota before heading our separate ways home, all tired but happy about our amazing training ride.
As we rode with Ruben, I felt happy to share in a small bit of his three-year journey. Solidarity riding is an amazing feeling–as a solidarity rider, you become part of the ride, and can feel the inspiration of participating in a great adventure. I can’t wait to start the BEE Ride in August and meet and ride with people along the way. If Ruben is any indication of all the wonderful people we will meet, this is going to be one amazing ride. Please join us!

See location in Japan Hopper