Earthquake and Dueling Phone Maps

May 19, 2023

I sleep bad because only 4 futons isn't enough for lying comfortably. Last time that happened I got an infected iscatic nerve, which ended my England vacation prematurely and was so painful I couldn't even think - and the same symptoms show now. Then very early an earthquake takes my mind off that: a sound of thunder and the whole house shakes for a few seconds, but like earlier times, nobody cares to mention it in the morning, so I guess this is normal. Axel sleeps through the whole thing.

Once up and about we check out the tiny motoring museum in town, which has a couple of dozen cars like a pink '59 Cadillac, a Porsche 356 and other non-japanese exotica.The exiting part for us non-japanese are all the kei cars and three-wheelers present, so again I take pics left and right, to sort out when I get back to Denmark. This time I can use the translator program we've used when reading menus in Japanese and such.

A few hours are spent at the Iwashita museum, mainly because he has friends who came from afar that he wants to talk to before dealing with us. Eventually the complimentary Danish chocolate gifts are handed over, even more pictures are taken and we say goodbye. A bit sad, really, because I like the guy, and it's unlikely I'll ever meet him again.

Setting off in a light drizzle we now head for the mountains, I almost run out of gas (which will never happen to that Grom of his...), return to Yufuin for that and have the same phone map change its mind about the direction. Fine with me, the first try was absolutely awful. Still our respective phone maps tell different things, leading to the occasional confusion if it is my map acting up, because getting Axel to lead the way is like pulling teeth. 

Doesn't matter, the slight rain notwithstanding, the scenery through the valleys and gorges is stunningly beautiful, and going at the usual slow speed and in warm rain, we're perfectly comfortable. Using paper maps would have been a pain, and I'm sure we'd have seen much more of the country if it hadn't been for our phones.

The smoke or mist up in the mountains around Beppu and Yufuin was partly because of the hot springs and sulphur, but here the clouds lie low and the mist is just the water from the warm ground evaporating. At some point I coax Axel to take a picture of me with such a background, which works fine until he loses his balance and steps down into a rice paddy. Well, it was worth it, for me at least.

Given all the trouble with the Nimbus' lights - eventually the headlight has to be secured with gaffer tape - we mount the bicycle lights bought at Don Q, in case I had to ride after darkness again. More gaffer tape and it all works a charm, except when it comes to the aesthetics, and on the last dark stretch to the ferry I almost feel legal. In fact I've felt legal on most af the trip, after realizing I won't get stopped for the helmet issue.

Speeding is another funny thing, because I haven't seen a single speed trap so far. Not that one speeds much on a heavily laden Nimbus outfit, and those 25 or 35 mph (40 or 50 kph) limits are rarely something one would exceed anyway. Most everybody seem to obey them. Btw, if you go to Japan and rent a bike here, by all means get an Electra Glide if your ego needs it. But unless you ride two-up any 250 will do very nicely, thank you, and be freeway legal too.

Tiny three- and fourwheelers.


So SAAB tried to make sales i Japan this early, with the 2-cyl. 92 model

The larger threewheelers.

Like Goggomobil, Mazda decided to make a stylish sports version of the Carol too.

Weird American tilting fourwheeler with an airplane look to it.

Taxis in Japan have exquisite interiors. Can't imagine this working anywhere else, except maybe in Singapore. 

Axel after the rice paddy incident, misty mountains in background. 

Cheap Touring bike, level: pro. 

Bad Indian replica lamp meets bad Japanese roads, roads win. Note spiffy new bolt-on front fender.  

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Preface

Getting Back On Track (maybe)

Beppu, Yufuin and The Iwashita Collection