Camping by the Sea of Japan

With a few months left (11 months to be exact) of my tour here in Japan, I made a goal to see more of this beautiful country the cheapest way I know how, driving and just camping. I also plan on taking the train and with a backpack, trying some of the hostels later this year.

I've never been to Fuji nor will I ever climbed Mt. Fuji. Too touristy and pricey for me. I prefer avoiding places where tourists usually frequent so I chose to climb Mt. Iwaki, a dormant volcano an hour or two away from here. It was a pretty hike into the forest and to the top. Not too high just 5,000 feet. It took me almost 4 hours which shows how weak I am! Seeing alot of old people skipping through the rocks that I was basically hugging to get through didn't help me either.

I also went mountain biking up the mountains of Hakkoda this summer. Our guide told me that a 70- year old woman had done it a week before without any problem. Using that as my motivation I tried to pedal as much as I could up the steady but steep incline. Steady, steady, Jerome. If that old lady can do it, you can do it Jerome! Says so by my inner voice.

I finally had to swallow my pride and tell myself I couldn't beat that old woman. One day I want to thank her for being my inspiration as my legs burned for oxygen...I swallowed my pride and chose to allow the ground to stop my dizzying fall. Turns out that 70-year old woman had been an outdoor enthusiast for decades and an avid mountainbiker.

This past Labor Day weekend I decided to go and check out the western side of Japan, which was about a 4 hour drive up and down the coast. I originally planned to go camping in Lake Juniko but the mountains and the camping spots made me feel very claustrophobic. I also only wore slippers (sandals, flip-flops). It would have made an interesting hiking story though.

I decided to camp instead by the beach. After finding what seemed like an empty beach, I set up my tent, gathered some driftwood to start a fire and watched the sunset. It was such a gorgeous sight just seeing the sun go down the sea of Japan. There is nothing more relaxing than watching the stars and the moon at night while listening to the ocean waves. Although a tremor later that evening rattled me from my hibernation. I couldn't go back to sleep because of my paranoia. The thought of a tsunami kept me up most of the night. I kept watching if the waters receded. So there I was late at night, straining to see in the dark if the waters receded and if I needed to run up a mountain side. But I quickly got over it and slept like a log, only to be awaken by foreign voices and a dog sniffing at my tent. I'm sure the locals were wondering who this crazy kid was that set up a tent by their dumpster. Yup, I woke up later that morning to find several locals dumping garbage by the beach, a few yards from my campsite, and burning it.

As peaceful as my night sleep was and camping under the stars, I also realized that shoveling for a bathroom has it's limits.

I brought my mask to snorkel with but there wasn't much to see unlike up north where I had tried to scuba dive last summer. "Tried" being the operative word. I bobbed up and down that warm ocean water more than I dove. My friend thought that was the funniest thing he'd ever seen under water. The water was very warm though.

It was an enjoyable time. I love camping. It was even more fun because I was with friends who brought their three children all under the age of three. I couldn't help but laugh at the mischiefs they found themselves in!

The following Monday our branch had it's yearly Labor Day celebration at the beach in Hachinohe, a 45 minute drive south of Misawa. I tried body boarding but I kept slipping. So I borrowed a friends inflatable bed and used that instead. I decided that it would be a lot funner to ride the waves instead of being thrown around like a wash rag in a washing machine. I am proud of my war wounds. The scratches I got from scraping the beach felt like medals to me. Although running like a mad man into the waves does the body no good. It hurt alot especially getting hit where it counts.

I got the tan I wanted to have although since my back was the only part of my body that saw the sun, I feel like a half baked potato. I am never living again where there is no ocean, says so by the guy that thought about moving to Arizona.

On a stop on the way home, taking pictures and enjoying the scenery, I hear a Japanese man yelling. I had no clue what he was saying but I kept hearing one very distinct word. I later found out what the word meant. He was yelling and saying how annoying Americans are.

That was my weekend. I had fun and look forward to having more fun this year!