J210 – 7/15/2006

It’s 6H00 AM and I’m in some very green  mountains, at the entrance to a tunnel, with the computer resting on the hood of the car.  The birds are chirping as I think back about yesterday in order to write these few lines.

Departure was as early as usual at 4H15 AM. It was harder for Serge to put up with the heat and he had to have his body cooled off during the morning.  The ice cubes we keep in the ice box were welcome.  Serge needed coolness and he took advantage of a stop for food to take shelter in some shade.  We have gone through quite a few urban districts and rules are very strict: parking spaces are private, even in front of stores, and our Japanese team has had to ask permission to stop.  You can’t do what you want when you want.  Respect for rules and for organization is a necessity for the 127 million inhabitants who live in this small country.  In spite of the high population density, everything is comfortable and the cleanliness is incredible.  Everything around us is spotless.  It’s a shock when you arrive from China where noise, pollution and dust are everywhere.

Eliane was responsible for feedings all day.  She was dripping less than yesterday so soon she will no longer feel the effects of fatigue and jet lag.  Feeding is made easier by a chain of small stores called “Convenience Shop,” which are open 24H/24.  We can easily find salads and drinks, which makes life quite easy for nomads.  The reverse side of the coin are the prices, which after two months in China strike us as exorbitant.  A bottle of water costs 168 yens, taking into account that 1 Euro is worth 140 yens.  The cost of living is higher than in France.

Serge stopped at the entrance to Yatsushiro, which is a seaside town.  Tomorrow we will reach the sea, which will be every present along our Japanese route.