The Final Push
Biking to Japan Week #52
Since Last Time
For almost a year now the project has been abstract. Biking to Japan. Something far away to be worried about later. The last two weeks it stopped feeling abstract.
I rolled out of Beijing Wednesday Jan 21 and for the first time ever it feels like the end is coming. Every morning lately I wake up sore, pack the bike, and realize there are only a handful of rides left before this thing is over. After almost a year of pushing east, the finish line feels close enough to taste.
It’s weird now. Part excitement. Part relief. Part terror in what I’m supposed to do after.
Route Recap
Start: Lisbon, Portugal
End: Tokyo, Japan
Total Distance: ~11,000 miles (~18,000 kilometers)
Key gear: patch kit, tent, cigs
Key stops so far: Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Albania, North Macedonia, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, China, Korea
Key stops coming up: Japan
What I Learned / Reflection
I tried flying the American flag in Beijing. I like putting myself in situations where I’m not totally sure how things will go. Stirring the pot. Before I even put the flag up I kinda knew there’d be a problem. Sure enough police stopped me w/i five minutes.
Detained for two hours. Questioned. Photos of me, the flag, my passport, the bike.
Then escorted out of Beijing by a cop on a little motorized scooter like some cute CCP convoy. They said it was against road regulations. Totally fair. What’s interesting to me is how different countries react to you just by being American.
In places friendly to the US it’s usually curiosity, respect, jokes, smiles. Sometimes envy. In places that aren’t, it’s colder. Sometimes hostile.
From Beijing I cruised to Qingdao and took the ferry to Incheon. Buttery smooth. Then biked about 30 miles into Seoul.
And holy smokes.
The emotional whiplash. After Afghanistan, Mongolia, China tensions. Korea feels unbelievably civilized. Like the whole country agreed to be considerate. People follow rules. Nobody cuts, nobody yells. Traffic flows. It’s tidy. It doesn’t actually feel stiff though. Just a calming energy. I feel more comfortable here than anywhere I’ve ever traveled to. Like your nervous system finally gets to unclench.
I put a call out for a meetup thinking maybe one or two people might show up. Nine did. Which shocked me. Nine folks showing up on a random Monday night halfway across the world to share stories and sip Korean beer.
Favorite Moment
Collaborating with Woody. Greatest content creator in Korea IMO. Timeless wisdom with a great sense of humor — totally disarming.
Progress on the Map
Distance Ridden Since Last Time: 431 miles (693 km)
Total Distance Ridden: 10,847 miles (17,457 km)
Body Update
I had a cyst on my nose from a bug bite in Afghanistan that kept coming back.
Since I’m now in the plastic surgery capital of the world, I figured I’d get it properly checked out.
Ended up in a clinic that mostly does rhinoplasty. I didn’t tell them so much what I wanted but asked what they would do to make me more attractive. Zoomers call it looksmaxing.
They said nose is fine. Eyes are fine. But that my skin is bad. Months under the mideast sun has done damage.
Doc said he’d give me a treatment for free in exchange for a shoutout. I was like maybe what’s the treatment. “We inject your face and neck with salmon sperm hundreds of times using a hypodermic needle. It’s extremely painful. And actually illegal in USA, not FDA approved.” Say no more I’m in.
They told me it’s normally $600 and women fly here to get it done. The risk is that you’re allergic but I eat salmon all the time so. I’ll tell you in a few weeks if I’m glowing or not.
What’s Next
February 5th to 9th, Seoul to Busan by bike. I am biking to Japan so this whole mission ends when my wheels touch Japanese soil. Obviously it’s an island. There’s about a 2% chance I find a paddling swan in Busan and island hop my way across the channel. (Not happening. Also dangerous.)
Plan B is to ride 184 miles on a stationary bike in Busan. Then board the ferry to Fukuoka. Journey officially ends when the boat docks.
My flight out of Tokyo is Feb 24. Two week epilogue through Japan to meet you between Osaka and Tokyo if you’re around.
Rough dates:
Feb 5 Leave Seoul
Feb 9 Busan
Feb 11 Fukuoka
Feb 13 Hiroshima
Feb 16 Osaka
Feb 18 Hamamatsu
Feb 20 Tokyo
Nutty to think this thing is almost done and dusted.
Thank you for reading,
Ian
The salmon treatment. lol! Love this for you. Keep it glowy Ian!
Hey Ian, sorry to have missed your arrival, but not big on drinking beer and I probably would have bummed a cigarette which is a big ol’ no-no. Was away with family, incidentally doing recon for you on the two big climbs out of Suanbo. There’s snow on the bike lane to the right of the road, but that should be mostly clear after Thursday, although there will be pockets of it left in the shade. Hang tough on Friday-Sunday. The wind will be a strong tailwind, but it’s coming straight outta Compton (or Siberia, Mongolia & China) and it’s gonna be cold AF for three days. Monday will be warm(ish) again, but look, consider getting a disposable PM2.5 valved sports mask from a Pharmacy for Thursday 5th. That milkyness on the hills? Fine dust, man, pollution, it’s not mist. Friday-Sunday will be real cold, but with fresh air. Monday of next week will see a return of bad air, as the wind slackens off. Remember you can join Korea Cycling Community on Facebook if you want to grab a beer in Busan before the Ferry. Godspeed man, ride strong.