J228 – 8/2/2006

At the 15th kilometer, Serge entered the suburbs of Kobe.  This sea port city is lived in by communities of Chinese, Koreans, westerners and Americans.  Unfortunately, it suffered a terrible earthquake in 1995; however, it has been reconstructed and today there is no trace of the catastrophe.

At the entrance to the city, Serge, accompanied by Mariko, met two runners with back packs who ran with them for a while.  They left us before reaching highway #2.  Serge didn’t know where he would finish his stage as everything depended on when he would reach the Mizuno Shop of Osaka, at the 60th kilometer.  It was a rhythm of fits and starts due to the multitude of traffic lights and pedestrian crossings.

Kobe and Osaka touch each other and give the impression of being one city, in spite of the fact that between them we change townships.  Osaka is a large city (the third in Japan after Tokyo and Yokohama) which developed around its castle as early as the XVI century. Two rivers cross the city and the Mizuno Shop is on the bank of one of them.  They expected Serge at the beginning of the afternoon.

Serge arrived at his destination around 14H00 and decided to end the stage.  The Mizuno team was waiting for him with a red, white and blue banner that has followed Serge since Fukuoka to the different meeting points with Mizuno offices or shops.  Our runner friends, Koji, Mariko, Mr. Koshita accompanied Serge to a surprise which was waiting for him.  In the distance Serge saw a man playing a guitar.  It was Tomy, an ultra-runner and musician whom Serge met in 1993 on his first transcontinental race, the Transamerica (the race which gave birth to this mad, world wide adventure which has been going on since 1997).  Serge was as moved as he had been in Germany when me met Rudy.  After 13 years, there were a lot of memories and Tomy, with his guitar, more than a memory had come back in flesh and blood today in Osaka.  What happiness!

A short telegraphic style note:

Impossible to find a hotel, no time to go to the bathroom, time races on.  Serge arrived at his stopping point.  After 3 hours of searching in the city of Osaka and it’s suburbs, nothing.  What a relief, we avoided catastrophe, we raced to the last hotel with available rooms in all of Osaka.  No Internet connection in the hotel, buildings all around, satellite connection impossible….No time to go elsewhere once Serge arrived.  Check tomorrow’s route, load the photos on Internet, darn! It doesn’t work, technical problem, charge the GPS watch on the computer, get organized with the Japanese team who don’t sleep here, see about doing laundry — there are washing machines but we aren’t allowed to use them, find out where to eat: MacDonalds would be OK this evening even if that’s a shame.  It’s time to go to bed without having made a connection.  I can’t get to sleep, too tried, too worked up.  Exhausted as if I had run all day, dissatisfied like a naughty school child.  Serge is breathing softly, it calms me.  I can’t wait for tomorrow.