Slippers in Japan: No Temples Today

Ruth: I am determined to be as polite as I can be in Japan, but slipper etiquette continues to trip me up. At a minimum there are three different types of slippers at our lodging each night, and one place had five! Yes, that’s right, five. There were the hallway slippers, the outside slippers, the bathroom slippers, the concrete floor before the bathroom stall slippers, and the balcony slippers. 

In preparation for a slipper world I brought my own flip flops, but they do not seem to fit into the highly specialized functions required. And the use of slippers is not optional in Japanese homes. I was beginning to think I was getting the hang of changing slippers when our host in Hiwasa, who spoke fluent English, gently pointed out my errors. I was stepping out of one pair and into the next pair, but as she explained, this action needs to happen without your socks or foot touching the ground between slippers. This requires a sense of balance I do not have, but it is important because those same socks or feet will be the only thing allowed in your tatami floored room.  Grit adhering to socks or bare feet will damage the tatami.

Today was the first day of rain on our trip, and it has come with a vengeance.  We dodged through the torrent in our outside slippers this evening, running into the adjacent building for dinner. Our host is a surfer with a Volkswagen bug and a taste for Mike Myers. We are at Ikumi beach, a big surfing area, but it’s raining so heavily I have not walked the block to even peek at the beach. 

We are moving along one of the longest stretches of the route without a temple to visit. Here is a map to show our progress so far.  (We are on the coast between Temples 23 and 24.). We should make it to Temple 24 the day after tomorrow. 

How about this for the tiniest sink ever!!

Trip Summary: Cycling in Romania and Bulgaria

Ruth:  We are both surprised that there are still so few foreign tourists in Romania and Bulgaria, especially if you venture a kilometre from the tourist spots. Perhaps the tourists are all on the Black Sea, one of the areas we have not yet explored. Romania and Bulgaria are excellent for cycle touring and yet we encountered only 16 others in our two month trip in the region. 

All countries have their problems. One of the negatives in Romania was a few aggressive drivers in black luxury vehicles who believed in their immortality despite the memorial crosses lining the highways.  Passing at high speeds on blind corners is never a good idea.  Doing it while holding a cell phone or a cigarette is simply insane.  We heard tales of young men selling the family land just so that they could be driving that new Audi.

The last time we cycled in Romania we encountered some aggressive dogs. This time we still saw some, but it seemed like less of a problem. Perhaps I was just more confident carrying a can of pepper spray. 

These problems were only occasionally hair raising and were easily overshadowed by all the beauty of cycling the quiet back roads of Romania. Most of the time we shared these roads with only a few cars or horse carts.  Romania is well worth at least a month of exploring. The food is hearty and good and the country offers a huge variety of different sites to visit.  Highlights include the wooden churches and traditional life in Maramures, the painted monasteries of Bucovina, and of course the Carpathian mountains and Transylvania. 

Bulgaria is also a sensational place to explore on bicycle. Cars are the main challenge once again. There is more car ownership per capita in Bulgaria than in Romania and the accident rate is staggering, mostly due to a few rogue motorists who do not play by the rules. Otherwise the majority of drivers gave us room and drove reasonably well. It is best to plan with weekends in mind and try to avoid the major roads at this time, as they become much busier. We also encountered a couple of spots where highways turn into motorways with no alternative routes for cyclists. A little planning can avoid these places. 

Bulgaria’s number one highlight for us was the Rhodope Mountains. This area is perhaps one of the best places we have ever cycled. Beautiful shelters with tables and water springs are frequent along the well graded roads through these spectacular mountains. Whether you are wild camping or staying in the readily available guesthouses, this is a fabulous place for touring. We happily spent several days climbing up narrow gorges, exploring caves and staying at end-of-the-road villages. 

Veliko Tărnovo and Plovdiv are wonderful Bulgarian cities rich with historic sights.  Our route took us through many other lovely places with only a few “uninteresting” days. Generally, Bulgarian towns are modern, beige and run down, but the few exceptions where Bulgarian revival architecture has survived and been preserved are gems. 

 

The trip by the numbers

Kilometres cycled: 2150

Numbers of Passes over 1100 meters crossed: 9

Highest pass: 1667 meters (in the Rhodopes between Dospat and Batak)

Number of speed traps encountered in Romania: zero

Number of speed traps seen in Bulgaria: 2

Number of times we cheered policemen at speed traps: 2

Most baclava eaten in one sitting: 1/2 pound

Ill effects from excessive baclava eating: Ruth had palpitations & Gord started sweating profusely

Bedbug bites: zero!!!!!!!

Dog bites: one (Gord was savaged by a hyperkinetic but hopefully non-rabid chihuahua)

Flat tires: zero

Lost items: one mechanical pencil

Other cycle tourers met: 10 in Romania and 6 in Bulgaria. 

Things we packed and never used:

Tent

Sleeping bags

Mattress pads

2 of the 5 pairs of socks I brought

Essential things I would never leave behind:

Small collapsible coffee filter

Mugs, bowls and cutlery

Small inflatable pillow from MEC

Comfy dress

And, of course, Gordon

Cluj Napoca , Transylvania

We made it to Cluj-Napoca after travelling roughly 24 hours door to door. Our forty minute transfer in Toronto made us scramble, but we made our flight to Munich and on to Cluj. Our bikes and luggage were not so lucky. If all goes well they will be delivered to us at our hostel and spare us the aggravation of finding a cab big enough to transport everything.  Still, until I actually see Cecilia ( my Surly Troll bike) I will worry about when we will be reunited and how she is managing on her travels. 

It is the middle of the night here and we are wide awake and looking forward to exploring. Cluj is a lovely, laid back city, and a good place to recover from jet lag. 

Time to Pack: Camino de Santiago 2014

Now that the bike is tuned up is time to pack. I am always surprised to realize how little stuff we actually need to live with. With bikes the temptation is to take more than when we were walking but we are trying to fight this.  We have managed to limit our gear to just front and back paniers with no other stuff tied on - we will see if that lasts.

Packing List:
Clothing:

1 very light fleece or sweater
1 long sleeve sun shirt
1 short sleeve merino shirt or other shirt for in town

1 skirt or pair of  shorts 

1 warm long-sleeve merino top

1 pair quick dry pants ( zip off legs optional )

1 pair of light running shoes ( for on and off the bike)

1 light pair of sandals ( optional )

3 pairs of underwear 

3 pairs of socks

2 bras for me ( Gord prefers to go without)

1 waterproof rain jacket.

1 pair sunglasses

1 bandana (Gord) & Silk scarf ( Ruth)

1 Sun hat

1 bathing suit

Toiletries:

tooth brush

tooth paste

sun screen

lotion

perscriptions

melatonin, muscle relaxants, pain killer, 

tampons

rasor

tweezers

Accessories:

power adapter

IPad mini and IPod with charger
European Cell Phone with charger
camera, charger, battery, chord 

Guide book and map for Camino

Credentials

spork

cup

swiss army knife

sink stopper

laundry line

Art supplies:

2 water brushes

watercolor paint setone kneeded eraser

2B  pencil
sharpie permanent fine tip pen.
Note book sketch book

Bike Gear:

1 bike
oil
 Tools : pump, bike tool, patch kit, tire iorns, tube

1 pair of biking gloves

1 pair of cycling shorts ( second is nice)

1 cycling top

1 helmet

 Front and Back panniers with rain covers

ID:

Ticket and booking info

Passpport

Bank Card

Visa card

Extended health numbers to contact

Thailand Cycling Trip 2013: Route Notes

Ten Good Reasons To Cycle In Thailand

Total Distance Cycled: 1640 km

 

Day 1 Bangkok to Ayutthaya: 60 kms by train and 17km by bike to Ayutthaya

Baan Are Gone Homestay across the water from the main town but a short ferry ride across. Very friendly place with great food, rooms and sunset boat tours. Air conditioned room was 640 bhat.

Day 2 Ayutthaya to 10 km before Singburi at the RungAroon Resort: 65km

Bungalow for 800 bhat with breakfast. Pretty Bungalows overlooking a small lake. Food at the restaurant not great.

Day 3 RungAroon Resort 10 km south of Singburi to Lopburi (36km) then train to Phitsanalok - BonBon Guesthouse in a nice air conditioned room for 450 bhat.

Day 4 Phitsanalok to Old Sukhothai (76 km):  We took the main road until three km after New Sukhothai. Just before the big C hypermarket there is a track between the temple and gas station on the right. Take the path and cross the river. The bike path follows the canal for 10 kms to the elephant temple, where you cross the bridge and rejoin the road into Old Sukothai. Old Town Guesthouse in the park for 500 bhat with air con.

Arctic Blast

Sukhothai: Hard To Leave

Day 5 Old Sukhothai to Si Satchanali historical Park: 69km. Sawanee Resort spotless bungalow 400 bhat. 

Day 6 Si Satchanali historical Park to Wang Chin: 80km. Wungtong Resort room with fan 350 bhat. Motel type hotel with big rooms and garden.

Day 7 Wang Chin to Lampang: 68km hilly with one 8km climb at km 20 on highway 11 and two other smaller climbs. Ahkamsiri Home Guest House 590 bhat. Lovely place.

Day 8 Lampang to Lamphun with stop at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center: 80km

Lamphun Will Hotel 1200 bhat with breakfast. Modern hotel.

Day 9 Lamphun to Chiang Mai: 30km

Plern Guesthouse 1100 bhat: excellent place with sensational host and breakfast.

Day 10 Chiang Mai to Chiang Dao Cave: 80 km

Malee's Nature Lover's Bungalows 1200 baht for the Honeymoon Bungalow.

Day 11 Chiang Dao Cave to Fang: 80km 

Wiang Kaew Hotel 400 baht basic but very hot shower.

Day 12 Fang to the Huai Khum Resort: 45km 

Huai Khum Resort 2000 bhat with breakfast. Located on the Kok river 3 km down a hilly dirt road from near the bridge crossing of highway 3023. The 3023 is a lovely back road from Fang.

Day 13  Huai Khum Resort to Mae Salong: 45km with the last 16 a brutal climb. You assent to 900 meters a couple of times and then drop to cross rivers. Grades are more than 15%.

Mae Salong Villa 1500 baht with breakfast- everything else in town was full.

Day 14 Mae Salong to Ruan View Resort on Highway 1: 49km. Even though the net elevation is a loss there are at least three tough climbs in this section, but it is beautiful with tea plantations to visit.

Ruan Resort is about 1.5 km south of junction with 1149 at San Khong. 700 baht 

Day 14 Ruan Resort  to Chiang Saen via Sop Ruak: 51km

Nam Puang Guesthouse with Thai sign. I booked on Bookings.com, 600 baht but map position is incorrect. It is on the main road south of Gin's Guest house.

Day 15 Chiang Saen to Chiang Kong 71km one of our prettiest rides. We took the longer flatter route along the Mekong. Visit the weaving shop 300 meters off the road for a wonderful opportunity to purchase things from the people who make them. Watch for the artisan sign. Located a few kms before the Rai Saeng Arun Resort which has great food. The last 10km are hilly.

Ruanthai Sapophan Guest house. 800 baht with Thai breakfast.

Day 16 Chiang Kong to Panta Resort,  6 km past Thoeng on Road to Chiang Kham: 80 km.

Fast ride. Panta Resort 550 baht with breakfast. New place discounted while in construction phase. Very nice.

Day 17 Thoeng to Phu Langka Resort km 38 on Highway 1148: 69km.

 700 Baht - pricy for basic room, but views and a chance to stay with the Yao hill tribe makes it well worth it. The ride is tough with long steep climbs to 900 meters near the resort.

Day 18 Phu Lanka Resort to Coconut Resort just after Tha Wang Pha 77km. 500 baht for a beautiful big bungalow. Ride was another tough game of snakes and ladders.

Day 19 Tha Wang Pha to Nan: 45km with a stop Thai Lue village at  Ban Nong Bua. Rolling ride more downs than ups.

Huen Kuang Nan guesthouse. 500 baht. Lovely place and friendly hosts. 

Day 20 Nan to Na Noi: 60 km 

First 25 km flat followed by ups and downs with a couple short steep climbs. Not a hard day.

Na Noi Resort 500 baht for lovely room.

Day 21  Truck ride to the top of Khun Sathan National Park 1378 meters.

Khun Sathan Homestay 800 baht with very very rustic bungalow with breakfast and extraordinary view. Friendly Hmung hosts. Good food can also be purchased.

Day 22 Khun Sathan to Phrae 80 km 

Nakorn Phrae Tower Hotel tel 054521321  650 baht with breakfast. Warn out  former fancy hotel tower that needs some paint and more dusting but great value and big breakfast. Huge room, huge bed, bathtub!!!

    

Day 23 Phrae to Den Chai 24km, Train to Lopburi, 10 km to MDR Hotel  in Lopburi. Way further away from the sites than the map on agoda showed. 

Day 24  Cycled back to Lopburi train station 10 km, trains to Pak Chong, and then 20 km on route to Khao Yai National Park. Baan Saranya Resort 650 baht with breakfast. On the right side of the highway just before the Vintage Hotel on left. Look carefully very small English sign. It is located 2.5 km closer than the Agoda map shows. 

Day 25 Baan Saranya Resort to the Visitors center in Khao Yai National Park plus some side trips. 40km. Climb up to visitors center, well graded and not too bad. The park itself is mostly on a rolling plateau, so once you are up it is fairly easy.

Basic park bungalow 560 baht. Night safari 500 baht per group.

Day 26 Khao Yai visitor center to 11 kms north of Prachinburi: 45km 

Baan Meesukh Resort. Agoda website places it well, but it is down a small lane with only a Thai sign. The lane is just past a large hotel with a big parking lot and Thai sign on right. There is also a bus shelter with a yellow roof on the left. Good deal nice place! 750 baht.

Day 27 Down to Prachinburi train station 11 km, train to Lat Kratang Station right by BKK airport. 

Airy Resort 700 baht with breakfast. 

Day 28 Ariy Hotel 4 km or 10 minute drive to the airport. They have cheap 150 baht transfer to airport and two bike boxes fit in their van- no extra charge. I would recommend this place, very nice and tucked off main road with canals and a Wat.

Lucca: Ode to the Bicycle

 Ruth:  We are spending two nights in Lucca to enjoy the sights and sounds of this marvellous place. Last night it was Opera (this is the home town of Puccini) and tonight it is the Santa Croce Festival where the whole town is lit up with candles as the cross is paraded through town. Not just any cross, however, this one is believed to have been carved by someone who witnessed the crucifixion. No amount of modern technology and carbon dating indicating the real date is somewhere in the thirteenth century, can ruin this town's party.

Lucca may be famous for many things, but it really is the city of the bicycle.

Whether you are exploring the city walls, parading down the Main Street,  bicycles are everywhere. They also seem to be the most favourite accessory in window displays whether it is for 

 designer glasses, cookware or lingerie. I particularly enjoyed a display of astonishingly bright men's underwear on a shiny bicycle.

And why not revere the Bicycle like Lucca does?

The bicycle is perhaps one of the cleverest inventions on earth.

Well I suppose I should briefly give some credit to the parent invention of the wheel,

But this kid certainly took off  beyond the aspirations of his parents.

Gord and I have now peddled these beautiful machines over 1300 kms of varying landscapes and I am still in awe of their efficiency and the simple pleasures they deliver.

Only half a horse power is added to make mine fly- at least downhill.

Unlike a horse mine only requires a bit of oil now and then and it doesn't even need to be extra virgin.

Tomorrow we saddle up our steel steeds and head down the road towards Rome.

Today's gelato flavours: Chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio, and coffee.