Is it Suntory time...?

'It's not the heat but the humidity that will get you...'  I can't even begin to tell you how many summers I heard that from my father growing up in NY.  Or from my friend in NC who said 'the humidity is like a warm hug'?!  And now that I live in the Pacific Northwest of the US humidity is but a distant memory (we get up in arms when the humidity level rises above 80%) and escaping a hot day simply requires one to step into the shade of one of a million Doug Firs or finding one of the icy cold glacial rivers that dot the landscape.  Well it's back...and Japan knows how to bring it with the best of them.  Since landing a bit over a week ago and beginning our ride north the average daily temp has hovered in the low 30s C (low 90s F for the yanks) but 'feeling like' 36 C (high 90s) due to my old nemesis...humidity. 

 The only respite comes at sunset and sunrise where you get about one hour of breezy, drier air in which to eat a meal without dripping sweat into your bowl.  Oh and the daily end of day beer runs offer that little extra incentive...

Regardless of this we have been able to enjoy our time and have learned a thing or two along the way:

1. Japanese drivers are very courteous and patient

2. Camping in Japan is acceptable in just about all public places as long as they are not national landmarks or world heritage sites.

3.  Traditional tea is a lot harder ot find than was anticipated...and the convenience store coffee is actually pretty damn goood.

4.  We carry a lot less gear than most others we meet who are touring (what in the world are they carrying in all those bags?!)

5. The Japanese really love receipts and bagging everything individually.

6.  If asked how to find something Japanese people will walk you around half their city to help you find it and then wait at the location to be sure your issue is resolved before leaving...truly wonderful people!

7.  If your electronics get fouled by the moisture don't fret, we have the solution.  Just go to the market and buy some packaged Nori, which you will want to start using in all your noodle and rice meals as it is delicious, and take out the large desication packet.  Take said packet and put it into one of the ten thousand little plastic bags you have accumulated (the Japanese almost insist you take one when you buy ANYTHING) and just leave the device (in my case my iPhone) and packet in the bag for a few days.  Viole...works like new!

8.  Garbages are rare...though recycling bins are everywhere!  This is not exactly geniune as we discovered talking to a European guy studying in Hiroshima..  Most people just throw their garbage either in the recycle bins or else it ends up in the places you don't see.  Thay also incinerate trash here at huge plants (no room for landfills like the US).  It leads to relatively clean streets but with all the packaging it has to go somewhere?!