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76|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTNATUREEHIMETHEREISN’TTOOMUCHWE’DCHANGEABOUTJAPANESESOCIETY,BUTWE’DDEFINITELYHAVEMOREHANDDRIERSINPUBLICTOILETS.WE’DIMPROVETHEWOEFULLACKOFBINSTOO:WE’VEWALKEDAROUNDFORHOURSATATIMEDESPERATELYSEARCHINGFORSOMEWHERETODUMPOURLITTER.NATTOWOULDGO,OBVIOUSLY.ANDCYCLISTSWOULDBEBANNEDFROMPAVEMENTS.IT’SBEENREALLYGREATTOSEEJUSTHOWPOPULARCYCLINGISINJAPAN.ADDTHATTOTHENUMBEROFHYBRIDCARSANDMOSTCITYCENTRESARENEARSILENTANDSMOGFREE.BRILLIANTSTUFF,EXCEPTSOMECYCLISTSAREASSWIFTANDSTEALTHYASANINJA–ANDTWICEASDEADLY.FARTOOMANYTIMESSINCEARRIVINGWE’VENEARLYBEENTAKENOUTBYTHESETWO-WHEELEDDEMONS,BUTTODAYINEHIMEPREFECTURE–OURFINALSTOPONTHEFRANKLYBRILLIANTISLANDOFSHIKOKU–WEHADACHANCETOTURNTHETABLESANDSADDLE-UPOURSELVES.WEPICKEDUPACOUPLEOFBIKESFROMTHESUNRISEITOYAMAONTHESOUTHSIDEOFTHEKURUSHIMA-KAIKYOBRIDGEANDRODEOUTINTOTHESUNSHINE.ASUSUALLYHAPPENSWHENKATYANDIGETONBIKES,WEIMMEDIATELYBEGANTORACEEACHOTHER.UNFORTUNATELYFORME,THISPARTICULARCONTESTWASFIXEDFROMTHEVERYSTART.WHENWEPICKEDUPTHEBIKES,ILOOKEDATMINEWITHPRIDE:AFULLYFLEDGEDMOUNTAINBIKEWITHMOREGEARSTHANICOULDPOSSIBLYUSE,SHOCKABSORBERSANDASEATALREADYPERFECTLYADJUSTEDTOMYHEIGHT.WHENTHEYWHEELEDOUTKATY’SOLDBEATER,ITWASALLICOULDDONOTTOBURSTOUTLAUGHING.THISWOULDBEASIMPLEWALKOVER...ANDITWOULDHAVEBEEN,HADKATYBEENDOINGALLTHEPEDDLING.BUTWITHONYERBIKE!DAY64NOVEMBER16THMATSUYAMA,EHIMEHERYAMAHATERMINATORT1000MODEL,LAFFERTY-KILLEREDITION,SHEBLENDEDMANANDMACHINE,OR,MOREACCURATELY,WOMANANDELECTRICBIKE.THISWASROBOCOPVSASLABOFHAM,WHEREIWASTHEDEADPIG.WORSE:THEFIRSTPARTOFOURRACEWASUPASTEEPINCLINE,FOLLOWINGALONGCORKSCREWINGPATHTHATLEDUSONTOTHEBRIDGE.IWASTOOFARBEHINDTOBESURE,BUTI’MSURESOMEOFKATY’SLAUGHERCARRIEDDOWNTOMEONTHEWIND.ONCEORTWICESHE’DLETMECATCHUP,BEFOREZOOMINGOFFAGAIN.ITWASCRUELANDUNUSUALPUNISHMENT.BUTWHENIFINALLYARRIVEDATTHETOPOFTHEGIGANTICSUSPENSIONBRIDGE,THOUGHTSOFCOMPETITIONWEREBLOWNAWAYFROMMYSWEATYHEADALTOGETHER.EVERYTIMEWEFEELWEKNOWWHATTOEXPECTFROMJAPAN,ITCHANGESAGAIN.WETHOUGHTWEHADITDOWN:MOUNTAINSSTRETCHINGACROSSMOSTOFTHEPLACE,INNUMERABLETREESANDTHEOCCASIONALMEGACITY.EASY.EXCEPTTODAY,LOOKINGACROSSTHEINLANDSEATOWARDSHONSHU,JAPANWASLOOKINGDECIDEDLYGREEKWITHISLANDSTOSSEDINTOTHEMIDDLEOFADEEPAZUREOCEAN,LIKEBREADCRUMBSFORATITANICCARP.INBETWEENTHEMBOATSOFALLSIZESSHUFFLEDAROUND,WHILEAROUNDTHEBAYFROMWHEREWESTOOD,BRANDNEWSHIPSWEREBEINGFINISHEDINTHELOCALBOATYARD.WECONTINUEDON,KATYIMMEDIATELYEVISCERATINGMEAGAIN,LEAVINGMEPLODDINGALONGWITHTHEPOWEROFMYFEEBLECHICKENLEGS.THISSTRETCHMIGHTRUNOVERTHEWORLD’SLONGESTSUSPENSIONBRIDGE,BUTIT’SJUSTTHEFIRSTSMALLSEGMENTOFAABRUTAL70KMTRACKTHATISLANDHOPSITSWAYALLTHEWAYTOHIROSHIMA,BACKONTHEMAINLAND.TODAY,THOUGH,WEWEREHAPPYJUSTTOGETOUTANDFEELTHESUNONOURFACES.ANDTHELESSSAIDABOUTTHERESULTOFTHERACE,THEBETTER.
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