Returning the bike

Time to drive the bike back to the Japan Bike Rent shop. Safta chan and I get on the GS one final time and program the location of JBR in the GPS. Two times right, and we are on the onramp to the 20 Expressway. 200 meters further, a frantic toll cashier, waves to us with a Luke Skywalker wand, and explains to us in fluent Japanese, that we can not ride two up on freeways in Tokyo.
It all came back to us. We new the rule but forgot about it. It stemed from a time when the police was cracking down on Yakooza gangs, roaming the city two up, shooting each other. He insisted we turn around and head back where we came from. Only this time, we were driving against the two lane traffic in kamikaze style, breaking one rule just to comply with another. I hugged the wall, turned my hazard lights on, and stepped on it. Safta chan had her eyes closed and was screaming...
Down the incline and a uturn, and we were safe again, back on our way on side roads.

Tokyo fish market

This is our last day of the trip. We started the day at 6am in the Tokyo Tsukiji fish market. I am sure lots of blogs write about this place. It's the second time I visit the market and just like 10 years ago, the first thing that struck me was the smell of sea as opposed to fish. We were late for the Tuna auction but still got view of the large yellow fins being distributed and processed. We maneuvered our way sjillfuly around the cazy motor trucks that zoof to and from the loading dicks. Tokyo gets it's fresh delivery of dish and sea food for the day.
I coul not name more then five items I have seen. The variety is stunning. Thousends of merchants, dealers and restaurant owners, choose their pick. An amazing culinary experience, but not for the faint of heart.
We ended the morning at a food stand on the edge of the market, with a KaisenDob, a fish sashimi sampler on a ball of rice.

June 2nd - Zaba san 50th Birthday

Feels good to be 50. Met a couple of geezers celebrating one's 74th Birthday Japanese style. Traditional dinner, visit to a Geisha lounge and a day of Golf. Sure have something to look forward to. There is life after 50...
We had grand plans for the day. A skyline drive or two, that would bring us to Tobe, the birth place of the cultured Pearl, and a harbor of a ferry boat that will bring us closer to Mt Fuji. A combination of GPS programing error (user error I admit) and lack of time, put us on a different rout. Shorter but never the less beautiful. As we got used to, twists, beautiful views and endless rice fields. The drive was fantastic.but by the time we got to Toba, the only available room we could find, was a mediocre Japanese style hotel. The people were very excited for having foreigners on a bike come stay with them. It was nice friendly Motel 6 stay.
The morning after we packed and left. Driving by Pearle island, we got on a ferry heading across the bay. An hour later, we were on our way to Shuzenji.

Kobe Beef in Kobe

Aritsugu Kyoto food market

Kyoto market BBQ squid

June 1st

For our second day in Kyoto, we had planned a visit to Aritsugu, the 450 year knife maker, and a trip to the near by Kobe, for a Kobe beef, steak.
The path to Aritsugo was going through a half mile long food market. Needless to say, by the time we got to Mr. Aritsugu's store, we had steamed Rice patties with leek and shrimps, bamboo wrapped rice patties with sweet minced beef, baby octopus, marinated in sweet soy sauce and grilled on a bamboo stick. yummmmmm.
A pickle shop with adjacent pickling room, provided some samples of Cucumbers, Aubergines, Bamboo shoots and Daikon, in fermented rice.
The knife store was a surprise. I expected an old man leaning over the fire stove, hammering his knives into shape. instead, we found a immaculate, modern designed store, with an astonishing selection of Japanese for each and every task from the finest carving knives to butcher axes.
One sided blade knives were presented with a left and right handed variations. After some consultation, I have chosen a knife to be added to my collection. Not that I needed another knife, but how often do you get the opportunity to buy a knife from Mr. Aritsugo's half century old establishment?
An hour trip on the Bike later, we were wandering the streets of Kobe. The town was nothing to write home about. It has been largely wiped out in the '95 earth quake and new meaningless buildings have been erected.
A web search and some walking around brought us to a reasonably good teppan yaki restaurant. Our table side chef, prepared for us, simple but mouth watering filet and entrecôte of Kobe beef, accompanied with nothing but salt from a near by mountain.
Walking out of the restaurant, we both agreed that it has been the best steak we have ever had. Ever!!!
The trip back home (Westin Kyoto, that is) has taken forever. I forgot to turn off the "avoid toll roads" option on the GPS. I don't think I have ever rode 60+ km on surface roads. Surely not at night, on the left side of the road, in a foreign country.
Once again, a shower and bed were a welcoming finale to an eventful day.
Tomorrow is my Birthday and the beginning of the trip back north to Tokyo.