Kakunodate to Kazuno
June 11, 2023
If there is something less apostatizing for breakfast then a platter of cold, bony fiI was determined to experience foods outside of my comfort zone on this trip and I think I have done a pretty good job of eating most things that were placed in front of me. Having eaten nearly this same meal, only warmer, for dinner the night before, I was reluctant to just dive right back in for breakfast. This was even more true when I saw what the vegetarian breakfast offered. They received a hard boiled egg, a fresh banana and a nice looking salad. Unfortunately, I did not sign up for the vegetarian fare and there were only enough made to feed those who had requested them in advance. If I only had the foresight to see this meal, I might have jumped ship and become a non-meat person. Instead I said, “Domo arigato,” (thank you very much) and walked next store to a Lawson’s convenience store for an egg salad sandwich, bown of fruit and a pastry.
The result was an early start for me and a brief period as the lead rider of the pack. This was a lead that vanished at around kilometer twenty when speedy Glen zipped by me with a whoosh, a hello and a see you later. Others were not far behind him as I took my lazy time riding around Lake Tazawa where I missed finding the statue of the Golden Lady in the Lake but found something more interesting than some flashy, watery tart soaking her feet. Under a Sister City program the people of Lake Tazawa are paired with the folks at Lake Chungqing in Tiawan (Republic of China) They donated the statue shown here to commemorate the preservation of safe drinking water, something important to all of us who love our lakes.
We also followed a series of rivers into the mountains and into a series of dams that have been built to supply Japan’s need for rice irrigation, hydro electricity and drinking water. One was a recently completed project that was still filling with water. It’s waters were sky blue and we could see submerged trees, still in leaf as the rising waters slowly changed their environment to one in which they will not survive. There was a strange beauty to this none the less.
After lunch came the big climb of the day and we slugged our way through bear country with little chance of actually seeing a bear. It was a Sunday and traffic on this parkland road was heavy enough to discourage even the boldest of bears. Warning signs and closed off parking spots prevented people from enticing them with food that could easily make them as the main course. The climb was scenic with numerous tunnels and landslide shelters that snaked their way up the mountainside. I was glad to see the summit.
