Port Vladivostok Russia!

Welcome to Port Vladivostok!!

The bikes FINALLY get released from Customs after a completely full day (9 - 5!!) of going from office to office, paperwork after paperwork... fees after fees..  but we have been officially released!

No wonder the girls are grumpy, look at the work load on her desk!!














Walter organizes a guy from the local motorcycle club here, the Iron Angels, to meet us and he leads us back to his club where my bike needs a good service and new tires for the road ahead.

What's that girl riding??  Ohh.. Ka Te EMmma
I think it's that Safari tank that throws people off initially.. ;-)

Also at the club are they guys from Khazakstan,  the Steppe Riders, whom have just come in for a service from their journey.  Will my bike be looking like that soon??   And what's with all the dead hanging fish?

Very busy club.. it's late, so we leave the bikes there and head back into town.

We found cheaper accommodation the day before and moved in.. this wonderful Russian woman, Ira.. is very welcoming!  She rents out her rooms, in this big ol' concrete building that would be the safest place in the world if there is an invasion!

Check out front door(s)!  Double steel doors.. and what's with the padding?  Is it there in case you are behind it when the enemy blasts through with dyno-mite?

The entry door to the building is steel as well.. no signage to mark the entrance, and a passcode you need to enter and wait for somebody to buzz you in..

Good news is, I feel safe here!!  I might pull my funds out of my bank and store them here as well!

Here is lovely Ira..  and her very tiny kitchen.. where she offers us a welcome tea and homemade little pastry things with potatoes and mushrooms inside..

It's all about the tiger here in Vladivostok.. Ira proudly displays hers on the wall..

I also noticed these calendars on the wall at the Customs office.

They do love their tigers, and I do too!!..

Not much sleep the first night at Ira's.. So many people out side the door talking, t.v., etc, all through the night!

2nd night, a bit of the same, and when I walk out in the morning, they are all gone!  I ask Walter, why they come in during the night and leave so early.. He says that Ira also rents rooms by the hour.. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!!  I am in another LOVE HOTEL and didn't even know it - again!!!  Took me 2 days to work that out this time.. gee whiz I am slow..






Accommodation in Vlad is very expensive... sounds to be the case all through Russia.  We are here for several days and must conserve funds.. but I can't help but to laugh that I have managed to stay in a Love Hotel in every country so far, Japan, Korea and now Russia..  Big business, I'm tellin' ya!

Sayonara Japan!

Sayonara Japan, An nyung ha se yo Korea!

Only been in Korea 2 days, but already missing Japan greatly!

I had a wonderful time in Japan, and hope to return some day.. but for now, we must move on..

The ferry over to Korea was quite a process. Not ever really sure I could go actually!  I had done the best I could to book myself from my computer in Adelaide before I left, and was told you can not book a motorcycle, unless you call a week in advance.

Then once I was here, I was told  I CAN NOT take the ferry unless I have a Japanese registered motorcycle!  Hmmm.

Was also told another couple from Australia had tried to use the ferry a couple years ago and failed..  Hmmm Hmmm

Not one to give up easily, I had another English speaking helper call from Hiroshima.  She was able to work out I can take my motorcycle after viewing and faxing all my documents.  However, they will only book a round trip ticket.  (I had heard this before on the forums for other ferry's, so this did not surprise me).  This is super expensive however!  Nearly $750 AUD!!  But what can ya do?

So I paid, and was very happy that I get to continue my next leg of the trip!

I would say while I was at the Camellia Lines office, there were not less than 4 people working on my case at all times.  They were back and forth and back and forth.. One of the gentelmen officials was quite boisterous about it, and I knew that if I could not board, it would be because of him.

Then the main Boss man (I call him), comes up to me and says, "I am sorry, you can not go to Korea, they do not participate in Carnet program, but Japan does.. but I call them for you.."  Hmmm!  again

So I continue waiting.. he comes back to me and says, "Where do you go after Korea?"  I said,  "I return here.. he says "Hai" but where to you go after here?" I say "Russia"..  He says, "You want to go from Korea to Russia?"  I said "Yes, but your rules say I must return to Japan first" (there is a direct ferry to Russia from another prefecture, but I didn't want to pass up an opportunity to explore Korea).

Next, he says, "You can go to Russia from Korea, we will refund your return ticket.."  Gee whiz, I had 4  other people try to accomplish that for me including myself!  One thing I wasn't going to do was mess around with the rules, even though I had no intention of returning on that ticket...

Yay!! Hallelujah!!  Good good man, I love this man!!!  Here he is

He spent the entire morning with me, organizing everything.  And each time we went to the next step, I was always surprised.  One step closer to approval for Korea!

He had me load my bike on the ship.. ok, I can officially be relieved now..

That was scary riding it up the ramp.. but I did it!

Good good good..  next step go back to the terminal and go through proper immigration and re-board the ship.

Whew!  Good day..  I love ferry's and really looking forward to this!

Thank you to all the good people at Camellia Lines.. especially Boss man.. ! He saved me nearly $350 and he didn't really have to do that, I had already paid.

Goodbye Japan....

So!  Here is my room!

Shared with many others of coarse.  But that's okay.. The ferry was 12:30 to 18:00.  That is nothing, and I don't intend to sleep through it!

I was surprised that so many do though.

I was up on deck most of the time, mainly because it was sunny!  Hallelujah #2!  A nice break from the rain..

What a fun and successful day..

Fukuoka Japan

Have a look at this sign.. typical day for me.. I am traveling on 3, want to keep traveling on 3 to my destination.. but they pull up this sign that I can go either on 3 or 3!!  Which f'ing 3!!!  You think just look at the names written in English and head for the right one?? NO.... not a single one of those town names is on my map... I chose the right one anyway..

Well as reported on Facebook, the last couple days have been pretty uneventful..  rain, rain and more rain.  Boggles my mind how that much rain can fall out of the sky at that rate for such a long continuous time!

Japan is abundant in water and tunnels!! ;-)  AND PEOPLE!!!  I don't think I have ever been anywhere with such a dense population!

I had some help from an Angel yesterday though.  As I was doing my nightly navigation through an unknown city to find my accommodation.. I was grumpy from the hardest ride in the rain and fog I'd ever had.. and then sitting through traffic lights for the next 3 hours being pelted with big rain...

I got close but this place was in another little alley.  I stopped to ask a man walking by, and showed him the address and map. He pointed his finger as to "wait".  I thought he may have gone off to get somebody he knows that speaks English.. but no!  He shows up with his bicycle, and has me follow!

I was amazed, but thought it must be close then...

Twisting and turning street after street... I am feeling more and more guilty he has bothered to get his bicycle to do this for me!  Crazy soaked lady on a motorcycle??!!

Wow, I was way off this time... he found it for me (he had to stop and ask 2 times as well using my map).  God Bless Him!!!

I put my side stand down, I saw he was going to turn back.. I yelled "wait! wait!!  I pay you Yen!!" I've got my wallet in my hand and literally chased him down the alley!  He waved, "No No No', and as they say... like a ghost  - he was gone.....

Ugh!  I have had people go out of their way many times in this wonderful country to help me.. and this man topped the cake..

I am now back at Fukuoka.. readying myself for ferry to South Korea tomorrow.

And guess what!  They had a Bon Voyage celebration for Sherri Jo!!

Just kidding.. I actually have no idea what this is.. it is the preparations for an upcoming festival I was told here at the hostel..

Interesting costumes!

I had some funny thoughts at the time.. but actually I was glad to see this Japanese culture, and how so many ages groups were involved..

These big tower "floats"?  Not sure what to call them, and scattered about the place, about 4 in the area I was walking and I saw another 2 out on the street... All decorated differently.





































Luc Foucher has left a new comment on your post "Last Day in Japan": 

Hi Sherry,

This festival is held annually in Fukuoka for the first 2 weeks of july and is called Yamakasa.
Out of memory, it started about 700 years ago to pray the gods for getting out of some kind of plague.
They carry it on as a tradition and a tourist attraction.
The highlight is on the morning of the 15th of july at 4.59 AM they start a race of those floats you saw (not the tall ones they can't get pass the electric lines) at Kushida shrine.
They race for 5 km through the streets of Fukuoka, the best time wins.
Suppose to be a macho thing, women aren't allowed to participate, just prepare food for the warriors.
They cannot eat cucumber as a cut one looks like one of their crest.
They go for "R&R" in Korea after that.
Luc. 

          
These guys are airing their frustration after a long day at the traffic lights too...

Heck, I think they are grumpier than me!

It was a great way to finish up my time here... I do love Japan!!  Can not speak highly enough about how many "Wow" moments I had on the road... incredibly beautiful - the scenery and the people!

Thank You Japan!  Until we meet again...

Kyoshu Japan - My Night in the Museum - 2

So much to see!!

The entire upstairs was motorcycles.. and downstairs is a showcase of many museum sections all with different themes.

In the midst of it all are some good ol' movie cameras and props..

Here's one for the boys..

And here's one for the girls..

Thought I would do a video blog while I am here..














 So to get to where I slept that night.. there is an old pre 1940's railway car on the outside of the museum.. it's tucked into the trees, so I can't get a decent photo of it but here it is!   (not that you could tell anyway)

It's in there, I promise!!

I unloaded my gear, but the big heavy sliding door got stuck when we opened it.. turned out nobody has stayed in there since early May, and probably the humidity and heat expanded it..

After lots of prying and hammering, I got it free, and I was in for my night in the museum..

Old car, filled with antiques.. Of coarse no shower, so thanks to Midori and her teachings to me of Hot springs public bath protocol, I took a quick ride into town to soak my body for a while in the wonderful hot mineral springs...  Oh that was good!!   Sorry again No Pictures!!  ;-)

A little Japanese dinner of Udon noodles, and back to my little caboose.

The museum was closed now and deserted..  have to say it was a little bit scary.. with all the old things around I wonder if I will see ghosts!

No luck..  I had a fairly good sleep in there actually..

Started packing early in the morning, and the owner came around this time..  I didn't expect that.. I had seen his photos on my tour.  Maybe the staff had called them when I arrived yesterday.

A very enthusiastic man, he asks what bike it is, I tell him KTM.. oohhh.

I said, "I noticed out of all those motorcycles inside, not a single KTM!"  We had a chuckle..

I honestly don't know much about KTM myself, maybe they are still due to make their  mark in history.

They invite me inside for a coffee and toast, that was prepared at the very large old English bar, and we sat around the antiques room at an old round table.

After, I go to finish packing and he brings me a postcard and tries to explain Japanese Superstar.. ??

Showing me the book, and who the man is, apparently very famous Japanese man..

Comment from Luc Foucher: Takakura Ken is an aging famous japanese actor whose origins are from the same village as Mr Iwashita the museum owner.
Originally called Hoshuyama a coal mining village, its merger with Koishiwara, a pottery village where I live changed its name into Toho.
Mr Iwashita is a very kind man and I am proud to call him my friend.
He has helped many people on the road, not only bikers.
All the bikers who stop at his museum are photographed and enter his gold book. 

I love this man's enthusiasm!  And how kind of him to offer part of his museum as a rider house for us adventurers.

Thank you Iwashita San!!!!

Now I am off to explore more of Kyoshu..

What a gorgeous island this is!  Another beautiful day in the life of Sherri Jo!!

;-)

Yufuin Japan - My night in the Motorcycle Museum!

Of all the most interesting discoveries on my adventure!

How did I end up sleeping at the museum?

Before I left Adelaide, I put the question out on the Horizons Unlimited website for any advice on routes to take in Japan.  (where I met Hiroyuki and his wife!).. well I also got a message from Kim in Denmark who advised me of a Rider House in Yufuin along side a Motorcycle Museum.. they offer free accommodation to those on a bike, and I was up for free!!  They say Rider Houses are more common in the north.. but even though I am south, I knew it was a place a wanted to check out and of coarse a motorcycle museum to boot!

Wow!  Had no idea what an incredible and complete museum..!

Warning.... Heaps of photos to follow...

Sorry the photos don't express just how many there are.. and how fascinating it is to walk through starting with the ancient ones, through to how they developed, and nearly up to date..

I thought it was interesting to see the process of how today's bikes have morphed into what they are little by little.. 

So many different ideas with a common goal..

Here is one of my favorites.. I love this bike, the Honda Goldwing.. same as my Dad's old bike.. Must have been when I fell in love with riding.  Dad had a Goldwing and owning his own business, he worked 6 days a week.. then on Sunday, if Mom didn't want to go, I went on a ride with Dad.. Just loved riding on that bike, big comfortable seat, with armrests - it was great!

I remember sometimes when I would come home from school, I would polish Dad's bike.. I used to get on it and move it around myself... pretty brave for a kid with how big and heavy it is..

Around the corner and I came across a World Adventurers bike -- very cool!!

I don't know his name, but I am impressed and inspired!

Hiroyuki has read my blog - good on ya Mate! - This is a friend of his, and forwarded his details!  He is my friend, name is Toshiyuki Araki who live in Fukuoka-city.
http://www.wtn-j.com/html/ridersalbum/toshiyukiaraki.htm

And what an amazing route!

I can't read Japanese, but from what I could tell, this was 1977? That might be totally wrong.. but needless to say, it was a while ago..

(I wonder if my bike will end up in a museum someday.. ha!)

I will continue the blog on another page, as there is that much more!!  Stay tuned!