ENDLICH DA! 529 Tage von Deutschland nach Japan | Radreise um die Welt [#36]

ENDLICH DA! 529 Tage von Deutschland nach Japan | Radreise um die Welt [#36]

It took us 529 days to travel from Germany to Japan on bamboo bikes, but no one could have predicted what awaited us there. You’ve never seen Japan like this before: in this video you can see how a surfing priest turns this trip on its head, and why I unfortunately had to continue on my own. What’s going on? We’ve only arrived in Japan 10 minutes ago and now we’ve received an invitation from someone and are following him. That was quick, you’re my children! Thank you very much for your invitation. No problem! Sit down. A nice apartment. Look here, this is… what’s it called? oh, what’s it called? Futon? Futon, exactly. It’s a futon. In Japan, they slide these rooms open everywhere with sliding doors. Cool! And we didn’t have ‘normal’ mattrasses on the ship here either, which you don’t often have in Japan. They just have mattresses on the floor and they sleep on them, and it was ultra-comfortable. That worked out really well. He’s showing us a huge folder and it says in it that he and his wife were at the World Cup, the 2002 Football World Cup – which Japan and Korea hosted – and up until then the countries hadn’t been on good terms and they had the only Japanese-Korean baby. So out of the 30,000 volunteers who worked there, a baby was created and there’s an article about him here, the World Cup baby with the trophy, with the original World Cup trophy, wow, he tells us that their child has become a symbol of friendship between Korea and Japan and that footballers like Ronaldo and Ronaldinho have held their son in their arms We’re making this cold noodle soup here that we’ve always had in Korea, he’s Korean and loves Korean cuisine and now we’re having some of it again and I’m allowed to help cook because I’m a woman, Hans is the cameraman. I’m not allowed. Maria, look! So Franzy introduced herself as Maria because nobody understands the name Franziska (her name is Franziska Maria). Yes, I do that sometimes. There’s a lot of pressure on me to cook as a woman . Oh, while Franzy cooks, I can look at his apartment. The floors are traditionally covered with rice straw mats and in Japan, sleeping on the floor represents down-to-earthness and minimalism. Japanese apartments are often quite small, so space-saving sliding doors are the best option. Would you have thought an hour before that you would be standing here cooking? I don’t know, it feels strange standing in the kitchen, I have to say, I haven’t done that for a long time. This Korean noodle dish is served cold and we’ve just come from Korea and found it difficult to get used to. Oh really? Okay, I wasn’t expecting that. You put ice cubes in the noodles? Well, I thought the noodles were made cold with water, but that they actually contain ice cubes… well, let’s just say: noodles, ice cubes, fermented cucumbers, the sauce he’s currently putting in it, and vinegar. If you did that in Germany, people would suspect you were pregnant. That could be the case. When I say things like that, it’s not meant to be derogatory at all I find it funny and really nice to be invited here. The respect is definitely there, even when I say things like that. I didn’t even know you were allowed to hold chopsticks like that. I always thought it was some kind of criminal offense. [Franzy says something in Japanese: “I’ll accept it gratefully.”] I have to say, we were a bit stunned when we were in Korea. We were a bit, mmm, cold soups? But this one is really good. Really tasty. It’s the best so far! And I’m not one for cold soup. That’s so cool. I was just using the restroom here, and he explained to me: okay, after using the toilet, I should flush here, and as soon as I flush here, this little sink turns on. You can wash your hands there, and at the same time, it refills the toilet water. So the water you used to wash your hands with is then used again for flushing. That’s so ingenious! That’s groundbreaking. it’s groundbreaking. But personally I liked his explanation the best. The pride with which he says it. We’ve just completed our first few kilometers here in Japan and we’re already learning the first rules of etiquette. I’ve just rung the bell a couple of times and what I did is probably considered rude. And Franzy just said that farting is rude in this country, I’m screwed. In which country isn’t it rude? In China. As if! Hey, I thought farting was polite in China!? No, burping! Oh, burping, oh, that’s why everyone kept looking at me like that. We arrived in Osaka on the ferry today and were actually supposed to go to Tokyo for the next two weeks but that didn’t happen… complete change of plans. I’ve just spent a week in bed with a fever and it’s completely messed up our schedule. We’re doing things completely differently now: we’re going to take the ferry to Sapparo, to hopefully a better climate. It’s just too hot… we actually wanted to go from south to north, so first to Tokyo in a pretty direct route and then further north to Hokkaido, but we’ve decided to do it the other way around, to go to Hokkaido first and then from north to south because the heat is really bad again and we’re just fed up with it, I’m sick of it, I don’t want this heat anymore. It’s about 37°C every day, we wouldn’t have thought that of Japan. But today we’re going to Nara first, there are supposed to be deer wandering around in the middle of the city, so if we ‘ve understood correctly, I have no idea what’s going on there. And we have two pretty cool changes coming up, the important thing first. This is a dream of mine, I’m now riding around with the One Piece flag on my bike. I’m a manga and anime nerd and it had to be done, in Japan it’s simply a must. And we have a new camera, it’s a 360° camera , I think it will be really cool for filming encounters and shots of people. It’s a really good addition. The animals that roam freely in Nara are the sacred sika deer, not roe deer, forgive the confusion. So whenever we talk about roe deer, they’re actually stags. Just like that in the city! I thought there was an enclosure or something, but just like that in the city, with the traffic… what beautiful animals! I think they like my salt, I think they like our sweatiness. The camera! This coexistence between humans and animals has probably existed for over 1,000 years in Nara. Since 768, deer have been considered sacred messengers of the gods, and up until the 17th century, killing an animal was even punishable by death. Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan and the first settlements were probably established as early as 14,000 BC. They all come here presumably because of the deer; they’re an attraction, after all. But I think it’s cool that most of us have no idea about the countries. We come to Japan; the day before yesterday we heard that there are deer roaming around here. We come here and they roam around freely and are really trusting. That’s so special, so much more special, I think, than if you already know that . Do you see that? They bow too, that can’t be true , I just can’t believe that the deer bow when you bow, that’s crazy. What?! And of course I have to try it out, something like that can only happen in Japan. Why? I would never have thought that a deer would bow to me. The bowing thing is actually so funny because every cyclist we pass bows to us like that; that’s the greeting here in Japan. It’s really just so crazy how trusting they are. Here comes the next one and bites Hans in the ear. Hey. But they also have zones here now, for example, where no one can get close, and we thought the poor animals, but we were a bit further into the forest and there’s so much open space where they could hide. They did a great job; they have places to retreat to everywhere; they don’t need to hang out with people, but I think they do it for the food. Yes, that’s why they do it. Now we’re off to Kyoto, which we’re really looking forward to. One of the only or the few cities in Japan that we really want to see. We’re a bit of a philistine, we’re more interested in the country and its people and seeing what happens along the way. But we definitely want to see Kyoto. We have to see it. On the way to Kyoto, we happen to meet this guy. We ‘d gotten lost and he probably saw our confused faces and asked us if he could help us. At that point, we had no idea that he would accidentally save our asses in a few days. We reach Kyoto. Unlike many other Japanese cities, Kyoto was spared bombing during World War II, which meant that many historic buildings survived. We don’t quite know what it is, but this city has a special charm. But even though we feel at home here, we soon have to accept the next setback… We finally try Japanese cuisine in the restaurant and not just in the supermarket. Hans, what are you eating there? Gyoza, wow! I’m not faking it, it’s incredibly delicious, wow! Now we’re having a proper portion of ramen here. This is a huge bowl of soup! I think I’ve been looking forward to ramen ever since I left Germany. Ramen is actually THE dish in Japan, right? It’s the invention of the 21st century: I have to show you the jackets in front of us; they have air conditioning in the jacket! How awesome is that?! And it’s not just a trend, a trend among a few people; lots of people wear them, and even construction workers and police officers have fans in their uniforms. Hey, that’s so Japanese, air conditioning in a jacket! A fan, Hans! Okay, yes, that’s right, actually fans. During the course of the day, Franzy got a fever, and we have to change our plans for Japan again… oh guys, it’s not always easy. First I was sick for a week, and now Franzy has it. Now she has a fever too and is in bed. So what are we going to do…? The thing is, we’re pressed for time this time because we have our ship leaving for America, and we only have five weeks left in Japan—as of now. That sounds like enough time at first, but it’s not enough for what we’re planning, and now a small miracle has just happened! It’s unbelievable. We drove to Kyoto yesterday, and on the way there, someone stopped us, gave us a quick heads-up, and then wrote to us on Instagram that he was going fishing in Maisuru tomorrow—where we needed to go (1.5 hours by car)—and could give us and our bikes a lift. That’s really a one-in-a-million chance! That’s so unbelievable! Well, the ups and downs of a trip. About five years ago, we decided to cycle from Germany to Japan, and even though we don’t have much time here in Japan anymore, we had a sign in our living room in Japanese that said, “The journey is the destination,” and it couldn’t be more apt, because the journey really was the destination. The fever is still rising; it’s going to be a bit of a nasty one today… but unfortunately, it can’t be changed; we’ve booked the ferry. He’s a bicycle mechanic. You are a Bicycle Mechanic! Yes. Such a coincidence is unheard of. Look, I’m really excited that we’ll meet someone like that on our journey… it can’t be a coincidence! Kitamora tells us that he goes to Maizuru every few weeks to fish for squid at night . He says that we can count on the help of people everywhere in Japan, and it makes him proud that he was able to help international guests today. Please come back to Japan again. We will return to Japan. We have a magic translation device that’s really good for translating, because he doesn’t speak English and we don’t speak Japanese, of course, and it works really well. So today turned out to be a good day after all. Such a nice guy! Despite Franzy’s condition, we board the ferry that takes us to the northern island of Hokkaido. We arrive the next morning and decide that I’ll explore Hokkaido on my own. Her fever did get better, but Franzy still feels too weak to ride her bike. So, we’ll just have to carry on without Franzy. I feel really sorry for her, but that’s not possible. She’s had a fever of almost 40°C for a few days, and it’ll take a few days to recover We don’t want to take any pointless risks. I’m going to explore Hokkaido on my own. It’s going to be a great time. If someone had told me at that point what was in store for me in the next few days, how one unbelievable coincidence follows the next, I would never have believed it. It all started on this beach, when I met the surfing pastor Brian. This is Brian, who was surfing; I just happened to be filming him. He’s a pastor here in Sapparo, and I’m supposed to visit him at church in Sapparo. How cool is that?! And he gave me cheese and nuts for the next few kilometers. Thank you so much! Brian came straight to me when he saw me. Hokkaido has a foreign population of just 1% and people like me stand out here. How cool was that? Pastor Brian from America lives in Hokkaido and I filmed him surfing here and there were other people by the water and he was the only non-Asian and he immediately said: “Hey, what are you doing here?” Really nice guy. And he invited me to Sapparo so we could meet for coffee. Oh wow, tomato tomato, thank you thank you, thank you so much tomatoes and water, the people in Japan, I’m telling you, they are a totally different ball game. I would never have thought that a country could keep up with our Muslim countries in terms of hospitality and friendliness They just drive away, don’t take a picture, nothing. It’s just so completely normal to help one another and make kind gestures. Everyone is so nice. The next day I meet this Taiwanese cyclist. Taiwan. Germany. He explains to me that there is a large volcanic mountain nearby, and that I’m not going to miss the opportunity to climb a volcano! And that sets my next goal. As if! The volcano has to be here somewhere, hmm… how could I have missed that thing yesterday?! Holy cow, that thing must have been in the clouds yesterday, there’s no other way. This is going to take a bit longer than I thought. Wow, the ski area behind me looks so awesome. I’d really like to do some really great powder skiing here in the winter. No matter who we meet, Australians, people from the USA or somewhere else, they say there’s no comparison to the ski slopes like here in Hokkaido. And the crazy thing is here, and you can’t find that anywhere else, you can ski down an entire slope all the way to the sea because there’s snow all the way to the sea. But the closer I get to the mountain, the more I think, damn, it’s high! And can I do it today? But I’m not really one for half measures. Wow, what kind of path is this? Holy cow, off through the bushes, almost at the top, but man, it’s just too hot! 1600 meters of elevation gain in 2 hours, I think that’s a pretty good time. Now we’re up the last few meters and that’s the view, really changeable. I think you can now see that this thing is a volcano, all that volcanic rock. And just look at that, it was only steep, there was hardly any zigzagging up here. It just went straight up, 1600 meters of elevation gain in 5 km, brutal, wow. How cool is this! And not a soul here. I have to let it all sink in. Just look at this cool volcanic crater! In moments like these I sometimes think to myself: I’m the kind of person who cycled to the other side of the world and walked straight up the volcano. What?! I don’t have any sausages or bread with me, just rice things. Now I’m going to take a moment to soak this in. It’s a feeling of boundless freedom; I wouldn’t trade places with anyone today. We’re using our best years for adventures instead of making money. Of course, when we return, we won’t have a financial cushion, nor will we have contributed to a pension. But let’s be honest: no one can tell me that this was a bad decision Being born in a rich country and living in a time when such things are possible is pure luck, and I want to take advantage of this lucky coincidence. That’s the only way I can be Jack in the Luck (in german: Hans in the Luck), right? Today is one of those days I’ll never forget. Wow, guys, I’m on my way back right now and look who I have here. Wow! Never seen one like this before. Is it a—what do you call it? A stag beetle or something? Wow, how beautiful is it? Back on the bike. I have no idea where I’m going. I don’t think that’s ever happened before. So, of course, we often don’t know the names of the cities we’re going to, but I don’t even know if I’m going east, west, or somewhere else… I have a week, I know that, but the rest: spontaneous. I camp one night in the forest and then decide to drive straight to Sapporo to meet up with Brian again. Like an animal I had the instinct this time that I had to go there for something to happen. I have no idea what, but something will turn up. I’ve arrived in Sapporo. I thought it was some small ski jumping town, I have no idea. But it’s just as big as Munich! I’m about to meet Brian, you know, the surfing priest. He’s bringing his friend with him, but I don’t need to tell you where he’s from because his name is Olaf. Where should I begin? This is my new German friend Olaf—hello—and Brian’s daughter. We’re meeting here for coffee. Olaf is hosting a barbecue, and I’m invited. I can spend the night at Olaf’s, and tomorrow I’m going to Brian’s church service. How cool is that? I can’t quite get it together. Yeah, let’s go and follow Olaf on the other side of the world. To the barbecue—I can’t stop grinning. I think this is so cool! Olaf has been living here in northern Japan with his family for a few years and he loves cycling. He is part of a small church congregation and this is exactly the church community that is meeting at his place tonight for a barbecue. Olaf is one of the warmest people I have ever met and I immediately feel like part of the family. I feel really welcome. They are all so nice and I am going to fill my stomach first – it looks really good. There is onigiri, salads and lots of vegetables and meat. I am now allowed to try a scallop for the first time. I have never eaten anything like this before, it looks really cool and it is from Hokkaido. How do you eat something like that? Holy moly, it is so soft, like butter. Oh my God, I am in heaven. I don’t think I have ever had such an amazing barbecue. There was absolutely everything: chicken, beef – Wagyu, then fish, scallops, shrimp. There is everything. And the little dog. But there are no dogs on the bbq, we are not in China. Okay, thanks for the info. We don’t have that here. And nice people. It’s awesome. Today, one step at a time, it’s so wild. Good morning from my bedroom here. I’ll show you around a bit. You won’t believe it, this morning at breakfast: they have sourdough bread, German rye sourdough bread! For the first time in a year and a half, I’m freaking out, hey. This is what it looks like here. Good morning, good morning. There’s bread, sourdough bread, really cool, hey. Oh, it tastes so good. I just ordered two loaves, and they were like, “Wow, two loaves right away, you could never eat that much.” Yes, I eat one loaf a day. Thank you very much. Wow! Here we are at the bakery now. Who would think they had sourdough bread here? So much bread. Bring it on! And now we’re off to church with 2 kg of bread in our luggage. We’re at the church. The building used to be a gambling house. And now they’re converting it into a church. What’s going on here? Olaf also said, this isn’t a church like I know it, it has a band and everything, and it’s very loud. You’re even wearing earplugs, because it’s so loud. I’m already too old. Now I’m curious to see what happens here. I expected a lot, but such an energetic service? The atmosphere was simply infectious and it felt much more like a party than a Sunday visit to church. And then Brian, probably the coolest pastor ever, came on stage and continued with the same energy. On Saturday I was surfing and I saw someone watching me. I thought he might be a (talent) scout from the World Surf League. I thought he was checking me out… okay, now they’ve found me. Turns out he’s from Germany and travels the world with his girlfriend. A wonderful guy. We started talking, I said I’m a pastor and you can come to church too, and he told me he was going the other way. Friday afternoon I got an email. Brian, do you want to meet up? I’ve changed my plans… He was German… and he loves bikes. Do we know anyone from Germany who loves bikes? So I called Olaf! He said, “I want to meet him!” So we met him yesterday. And Olaf said, “Why don’t you stay at my house for a night?” Then I told Hans, “Then you can come to church tomorrow.” That’s why Hans is here at church today! It’s just fun getting to know people! And you never know, maybe they’ll come to church with you, great! And if not, that’s great too! That was so cool. Brian also included a lot of personal development topics and mixed them a bit with Bible verses and such. It was totally modern and beautiful and, above all, energetic, the music too, and I’m a bit blown away; I didn’t expect that from the church visit, it’s so different from what I know from home. Now I’m going to go back to Brian and say ciao to him, and then I’m off to the north. Olaf keeps pulling away from me, and I can’t keep up with him on the mountain, and he says, He’ll just ride my bike up the mountain. I’m going to ride up the mountain now. I tell him he can’t do it. I’ve forgotten that feeling, when you just pedal and go up so fast. Have fun! How does it feel? Yes, like a motorbike. Really? The steering is so heavy. Yes, going up is mean. We have to keep going straight. Straight ahead? Yes. good for you. Ah, ah. What’s wrong? Nothing, I’m so happy. You’re happy, ah, okay. Ah! Groaning with joy. Did you underestimate it, didn’t you? Yes, I’m done. That was 400 m or so, or 300? Okay, we’ll switch again. I really wanted to go here. This is the ski jump in Sapporo. I lived right next to the ski jump in Garmisch and worked right next to the ski jump in Oberstdorf It’s a bit of a home feeling. There has been ski jumping in Hokkaido for 100 years . During the Second World War, the ski jump was destroyed and rebuilt and in 1972 Sapporo was the very first Asian host of the Winter Olympics. I’m leaving the city and have a new goal. I want to go to the northernmost point of Japan. It’s so far north that you can supposedly see Russia. I’m alone again; I’ve just said goodbye to Olaf. What an amazing two days these have been; it’s been so much fun. And now I’m driving to the north of Japan, really all the way north. About 300 km lie ahead of me. It’s just getting a bit dark, which means I’m going to find a spot in the woods or something, I don’t know. I’m really feeling free again. I’m really happy right now. It’s supposed to rain in the next few days, and then in three days a typhoon is supposed to hit. I’d have a typhoon’s tailwind! That thing would really help me out. I’d love to have a 40-50 km/h tailwind. You can’t imagine how many dragonflies there are here. Keep left at the next opportunity. Shut up, GPS! I think I’ll catch a few and release them in the tent today, because I heard they eat mosquitoes. I’m enjoying every minute of my tour, and that’s something you can’t take for granted these days The weather is finally pleasant again after months. Only 25°C instead of 37, and the rainy season is over. I’ve really fallen in love with Hokkaido. It has a bit of a Scandinavian vibe. Maybe that’s how we imagine Greenland on the coast and things like that, I don’t know. There are a few cute little towns, hardly any traffic, just a few cars, everyone says hello, little wooden huts. I really wasn’t feeling well a few days ago, mentally speaking, for a while. And that’s, I get goosebumps, so beautiful. It’s just so beautiful. I realize it’s exactly the right time for me to be traveling alone for a change. Sometimes we need a bit of distance, but that’s almost never possible on our trip around the world. A week with just my thoughts and my impressions. Good morning! I wouldn’t have thought it would rain at 6 a.m. today Packing up a wet tent when it’s supposed to rain for the next three days is a real bummer. But oh well, let’s make the best of it, shall we? What is that? There are these – I don’t even know how to call it – everywhere here, different ones, I’ve never seen this one before. But these are everywhere, this bear signs. I also heard yesterday that there are bears here in this area on Hokkaido. I wouldn’t have thought so. Whether they are brown bears or some smaller bear, I have no idea. I would really like to see one from a safe distance. Okay, I just googled it. There are 12,000 brown bears on Hokkaido! That’s crazy! And I don’t want to see one, they’re huge! It’s some kind of brown bear. I just thought I’d like to see one, but no, that’s a big one. If there are that many bears here, then I’ll definitely keep my food separate from my tent tonight, because otherwise, if a bear comes, it’ll smash my tent to pieces. There’s enough habitat here for 12,000 bears, anyway. after taking these pictures I thought that the journey to the northernmost point would be the highlight, but what awaited me up there would surpass everything. Nobody would believe me! It’s always like this: I whistle all day because I enjoy it, and then one day in the tunnel I do this nänänänä, yeah, I have no idea why, and 100 meters behind me is another cyclist, a Japanese guy. He thought I was completely crazy. Embarrassing, he’s still riding up ahead, hey, embarrassing! So whenever I freak out a bit, someone is there. You can ask Franzy, it’s awful! Wow, that feels good. To put in 130 km, oh, now a cold bath and get rid of this disgusting mixture of salt and dirt. Even if it is salt water, that’s something different, that’s really something different. Life is fun. I correct myself: life is fun until it’s not fun anymore. 10 hours of strong headwind, 173 km without a break from rain, one of the most bizarre tours of my entire trip. Arriving in the very north, I find out there’s a ferry to a small island called Rebun. It will be one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I’m there, on the island of Rebun in the very north of Japan. It’s unbelievably beautiful. What kind of place is this? Why doesn’t anyone know about it? The thing is, there’s probably only one supermarket here, and it’s right here, in the village where I arrived on the ferry. That means I have to do all my shopping for a day and a half. I don’t have a stove with me; Franzy has everything. Hey, and I have no idea where I’m going. I see something beautiful and drive there. I’m taking a complete detour, so there’s a dead end where I am right now. I’ll never get to the other end of the island, but I don’t care. I’m just going from one beautiful sight to the next, and if I’m not mistaken there should be seals here too. How beautiful this place is! I’ve been told that there are a few small fishing villages around here. And this is what they look like. So, not that great, but that’s enough. Not so touristy, just adventure. I have no idea where to go. Hey, I’m going crazy here. This, man, is something wrong with me right now, or is this just super cool? And then there’s the turquoise water and this green. So, crazy! After these drone shots, you must understand me, right? I mean I’ve been here less than an hour, and this morning at the ticket counter where I stood in line, I actually wanted to go to that island over there. It’s called Rishiri, something like that. There’s a huge mountain there, a dormant volcano, as you can see. But I wouldn’t have been able to go up there anyway; my legs are still sore from yesterday’s 173 km tour. Like, really sore. This is the only supermarket or convenience store on the island, and there’s one thing I wouldn’t have believed if I wasn’t in Japan myself: there’s spaghetti carbonara everywhere. So I’ve got one banana, two carbonaras, one rice dish, two raisin buns, a rice ball, and chocolate. Now all I need is a dirty magazine. You can find them everywhere in Japan. The good thing is, they always heat it up in the microwave straight away, so you’ve got something warm to eat. It’s 3 p.m. now, which means I have another two hours to drive to the other side of the island. Then I’ll look for somewhere to sleep and hope that I can somehow film a few seals this evening. Rebun is anything but densely populated; just 3,000 souls live here, spread across a few small fishing villages. There are probably more seals than people. No, there are seals, there are seals! Oh, crazy! They really are everywhere here, all along the coast. And now they’re closer too. What unbelievably beautiful animals! The whole coast is full, full of seals! But I think they’re doing well here. There’s still so much fishing here, so many fish in the sea. In any case, I still need to find someone in this village who I can ask for tap water, because I hardly have any left. Oh right, I have to write something quickly. Nobody can understand me. hello Do you speak English? There was only the child here, but it will work out. thank you so much bamboo I am German This is a wonderful spot. I’m staying here. There’s a small bulge behind a rock here. The only thing is, if a tsunami comes, I’m out of there. On the way here there were so many tsunami warning signs with 5m or 10m symbols on them. I never knew what it was and someone explained to me today – unfortunately I didn’t take a video of it because I didn’t know what it was – but the reason is that if a tsunami comes, you know how high you are and there are, like rescue ladders, a ladder up the mountain so you can make quick elevation gain because this is a very tsunami-prone area. When I think about where fate has led me over the last three days, this unpredictability of just going with the flow, that’s what makes me happy today. Wow, I thought the noises out there were from the bears but they’re the seals! You can’t hear them right now. They’re bellowing like crazy out there And that sounds like a really powerful animal, which is why I was briefly a bit scared it was a bear. Maybe they just feel challenged by my farts…? Yes, I think that must be it. Did you hear that? Those aren’t my farts, those really are seal screams. Holy cow, if I hadn’t seen any seals today, I’d be panicking. If they don’t let me sleep, then tomorrow I’ll give them a few slaps on the beach, so loudly that their belly shakes. Update: It’s 12:30 a.m. I had to go out for a moment to pee. The Milky Way is incredibly beautiful here. I don’t think I’ve seen the Milky Way since the Himalayas, and the moon is the color of a Disney film, like an orange crescent. Unfortunately, I can’t get any decent night shots. My camera’s exposure doesn’t work, but moments like that aren’t always good for the camera. It’s just beautiful. I’m going back to sleep, good night. Good morning, I just spent an hour sitting on the wall, looking out to sea, without noticing that time was passing so quickly. I watched a few starfish, listened to seagulls, chatted with the seals, and it’s important to keep reminding myself that we’ve been on the road for 18 months now. Experiencing and processing all of this is by no means a given. That we can do this here. How many people get the chance? That we can enjoy life here in our late 20s like this, and this is only the one chance we get. We’ll never be as free or have as much energy as we do now in our 20s. We also want to start a family, and we definitely want to pursue it, and that’s a wonderful adventure in its own right, but then it just won’t work anymore, or at least not in this way. This is so brilliant. With an inner peace I’ve rarely felt before, and a large portion of gratitude in my luggage, I continue on to the northernmost point of the island. Most of the roads here are dead ends that end somewhere at the coast. Being all alone in places like this feels incredible. So, I’m going to put forward a bold theory. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a raisin bun with a view like this. It’s incredible on this small island that everywhere looks like this! I’m on my way to the last village on the island. After that, I’ll be through all the villages and have been everywhere as best I can. Then it’s time to go home to Franzy. We’ve been cycling through Asia for almost a year and a half and after such a long time we’ll soon be leaving the continent. A huge step for us. We’re just going down to Tokyo together, then we’ll ship the bikes to Los Angeles and then we’ll carry on from there. Wow, we’re really up for it! We need a change like this too. Lately, it hasn’t always been easy to stay motivated. Sure, on an island like this, that’s easy. It’s just beautiful here, but otherwise, when it’s boring for a few days, it’s really not easy. Then you long for a place to stay or for new adventures. It’s called travel fatigue and it really hits you, you wouldn’t believe it. I’ve arrived in the last village on my island exploration and I’m fascinated one last time by the natural beauty of Rebun. That’s a good way to end a video, isn’t it? Thanks for being here, for every comment, for all the support. We’re so excited! We have such a cool Rückenwind Ultra community now. Next time, we’ll definitely be with Franzy. I’m really looking forward to it. We’re staying in Japan; we’re going to Fukushima!

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[Aufnahmen von August 2024]