BEE Japan

It is only because I am on the BEE tour that one week and one day before we are to arrive at our goal of Sata Misaki (the southern most point of Japan’s 4 main islands), it seems perfectly normal that I sit in the living room o a person I have never met, surrounded by my sleeping team members, playing catch up on blog entries that were meant to be written over a month ago!  I used to be considered a good writer in fourth grade, but having aandoned all hopes of ahieving any sort of literary greatness, I will leave the creative touching and funny memoirs to my more gifted team mates and will cocnentrate on reporting the cold hard facts of the days I am responsible for blogging.

August 18th: 

The bike ride was pleasant enough, with rolling hills and beautiful green farmland to feast our eyes on.  We crossed yet another preecture border (where I lost my sandal, heroically retrieved by sir nicholas).  We were trying to cover as much ground as we could to get as close to niigata as possible, but found ourselves on a beach 60km north of the city.  No showers, no abandoned beach izakayas to squat in, but a beautiful view, lots of groups of Japanese students enjoying bbqs and a perfect cliff to jump off of.  Though our not so fearless leader worried about the impending rain storm and lack of grass to set our tents up in, easperated by our enthusiasm for this gem of a beach he grudgingly moaned “we’ll just have to make the best of this situation”.  And that we did.

Cliffjumping, braving jellyfish bites, cooking with a new friend who bought us beer and yoghut to make us more beautiful, and ending the night mesmerized by a delightful beach binfire, the BEE team slept comfotably enveloped in cushy soft sand. 

The next morning, we awoke to find ourselves in the middle of a rain storm- apparently our fearless leader had reason to worry.  We rushed our tents (still pitched) to a parking garage, where we took cover, ate breakfast and patiently waited out the storm. 

Distance: ?

Weather: sunny with a headwind

Mood of the Group: sunny, with a headwind! (happy but slightly tired for all you non- cyclists out there!)