• Cycling & Cycle Touring,  Overseas,  Random Thoughts,  Travel

    Goodbye South Korea & Japan: End of Trip Reflection

    As 2015 is coming to a close and our trip is nearing its end, I thought it’s time for some reflection. Yesterday, as we were riding around Zamami Island, we stopped for a break at a beautiful view point. Neil had just woken up from his morning nap in the trailer and was happy and chatty as usual. We took him out, changed his diaper, had a snack and hung out, just the three of us. I suddenly realized that those will be the moments I’ll miss the most. We spent the last three months traveling by bicycle in South Korea and Japan. We left when Neil was seven months…

  • Cycling & Cycle Touring,  Outdoor Recreation,  Overseas,  Travel,  Trip Reports,  Trips with Kids

    Japan (Part 1): The Opening Doors Experience of Cycling in Kyushu

    When asking cycle tourers what is their favourite part about cycle touring, the answer is often ‘random acts of kindness’. I guess there is something about seeing people on bikes that opens people’s hearts. It may be curiosity, or pity, or just basic human kindness. We had experienced this many times during our bike trips, but what we experienced so far in Japan was far beyond our previous experiences. I am sure the combination of having a baby and some bad weather along the way helped too. We were often given food, toys for Neil and many invitations to spend the night. It all started with Asami, our first Couchsurfing…