Day 2
Minamisoma, Fukushima - Iwaki, Fukushima

Distance: 121.27
Average: 20.3 km/h
Max: 57.5 km/h
Total Distance: 206.92 km

Today was one of those rare days where there weren’t too terribly many mountains to go over. It was largely going down the eastern coast of Fukushima, along the shore of the Pacific. Looking at a map you’d think that would be a nice, pretty sight, but in reality the ocean hits a Tetris graveyard followed by a large concrete wall, almost the whole way down the coast.

Where Tetris pieces go to die

Other than that and the morning stuff with the family (written about in Day 1), there really wasn’t anything of note today, with one exception.

In the late morning I took a break by pulling off to the side of the road and started munching on a snack. While eating, I noticed a police car approaching, glanced up at it, then went back to my munching, paying it no heed. That is, until I noticed it pulling over to the side of the road.

The officers got out, asked if I was on a trip, where to/where from, etc. After the pleasantries, he got down to what I knew he had been getting to from the moment I saw them pulling over. He asked for my gaijin card. So the cop wrote down my information, I glanced over his shoulder and corrected his spelling, then asked if there was a problem. Nope, no problem, you’re just not Japanese.

Now, I realize that legally I’m just a guest in this country, but it always makes me sigh when police stop me and ask for my card simply because I don’t have squinty eyes.

Anyway, late the afternoon, while somewhere in the southern part of Iwaki, Fukushima, I left the main road, zigg-zagged down some country roads, and found a nice, secluded spot to set up camp.

Campsite for the night. The hammock is hanging in the bottom left

It was a pretty uneventful day.

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