My Cycle Diaries: Take 3. Only the full cake will do ;)

I took myself off into the mountains for a few days. I do love the coast but I’m definitely more of a mountain girl by heart. I almost bit off more than I could chew with the elevation, but I kept pushing and made it. It’s funny I can be deterred quite easily in other aspects of life but give me a hill and there’s no way I’m getting off that bike until I’ve reached the top. Unless I topple off of course which did nearly happen.

I like the wave of achievement I feel when it levels out, followed by the taste of freedom I get too revel in on the way down. Especially here in the thick green bush, it’s just oozing with life! Don’t get me wrong, it’s not quite the freedom I feel when I’m skiing Japow powder. Still, it’s the closest thing to it. I guess, I’m lucky to have found so many activities I enjoy. When many people go a life time without a passion.

Whilst I was in the bush, I kept coming across small settlements that just emanated pride. The Japanese people know how to look after their community. Each house has its own well pruned garden or vegetable patch, nothing is left to overgrow, and everything is astonishingly clean. Every person keeps a good house therefore the standard is set and that’s a motivator right there.

It got me to thinking about me and my pride, I always take pride in my work. I try to take any task and do it properly whether it’s making a very nice-looking bed or providing good service to guests. I also have pride in my commitments, I like to see something through to end and I don’t like to admit defeat. Sometimes this can be to my detriment, but hey that’s me.

Emotional pride however, when it concerns relationships or friendships. I believe I’ve been looking at it all wrong. I’ve always looked at pride as a negative emotion in this sense. I always thought it stronger to swallow your pride if it benefits the other person in some way. However, I think this is a dangerous game to play with yourself if you are not very self-assured. Which I hadn’t been of late.

I think pride and self-worth are so finely intertwined that you have to recognize pride as your best friend. You wouldn’t give your best friend away so easily so why compromise yourself for another? Pride is also the emotion that has your back and brings you out of the dumps. It provides you with the discipline and motivation needed to quite frankly ‘stick it to the man’ 😉.

Anyhow back to my travel blog I’ve been too two onsens worth a shout out. Mito onsen is this really cute town out in the sticks, lots of walking trails nearby and a lovely place to spend the night for some R and R .. (unless your camped by the michi no eki toilet block.) Its also where I tried this charcoaled crocket which was oddly delicious.

And then this dreamy spa. http://www.hotelyokikan.jp/sp/ I definitely felt like I was on my holidays today, it was more expensive but the water quality was great. Had a slight slimy feel to it that leaves the skin feeling Lucious it also had nice shampoos and creams, so I left their feeling like a rock star. And those ocean views…

Tsuwano was definitely worth the look if you like a little historical tourism. The towns in the middle off bush land, so it’s surrounded by greenery and has a lovely waterway running through it. This gives the town a tranquil feel quite a few folks where meditating by the river side. It’s full of old samurai mansions and nice eateries. I tried myself some eel followed up with some Yuzu icecreamo. It’s known as the mini-Kyoto so if you like Kyoto go get it.

As for Hagi, I got there too late for any touristy malarky. This was my big day on the bike. Then I left too early in the morning but again a good-looking town if you like the traditional Japanese style and is apparently famous for blow fish.

Right now, I’m holed up on Tsunoshima island. It’s a little speck of paradise connected to main land by a humongous bridge it was rather pretty to cycle. The Japanese love their bridges and dams they are definitely a nation of engineers. This bridge is quite the spectacle.

So tomorrow I’ll enter Kyushu prefecture which is the home of wild onsens.. super excited!

As for my 20 pence today don’t give your pride away so easily. Losing pride is the difference between you scattering for bread crumbs instead of claiming the three tier creme de la creme chocolate cake…

Catch you soon! :)