I had a very nice summer vacation. I had originally planned on taking a trip to Tokyo with a stop over at Mount Fuji but that plan faded away. So I headed west instead of east.

Day 1 : Nagoya to Wakayama

After packing my back pack and checking over the bike I headed out of the city. I woke up early and had some free time so I took the local roads. From Nagoya to Suzuka. I headed west on route one. There was no action at the circuit so I didn't go inside cause they wanted over 25 dollars to look at a race track that nobody was using. After my brief stay in Suzuka ( one hour ) I hopped on the local expressway and headed for Osaka. After a few hours in heavy traffic and sweltering temperatures I arrived in Osaka. After lunch I began my journey to Wakayama prefecture. The Hi-ways were overcrowded and so over priced that I decided to take the local roads. Route 26 from Osaka into Wakayama city then I changed to route 42 where I followed that road to my destination for the day, Wakayama. There I could see my old friends and check up how things have changed.

Day 2 : Wakayama to Tokushima

After arriving in Wakayama I met some of my old friends, had a great time !!! My friends ride bikes too. Even though they are not NSR's they are still nice bikes to ride. I drove them around the beaches and found them quite comfortable compared to my bike. It was time for me to move on so I took off from Yuasa in Wakayama and headed for Shikoku Island. First I was to return to Wakayama city and catch a ferry, but I got lost. Luckily for me I met Hitoshi. He was driving a really big brand new Suzuki Hayabusa and we were both stopped at a red light. So I asked him how can I get to the ferry to Shikoku. He was so kind !!! He insisted on taking me there in person. So we drove for a while, ripping through small towns and having a blast. After we had lunch at his place and I met his really friendly Mother who made these delicious snacks that she gave to me. What great people !!! That is why I love Japan and meeting new people especially other riders !!! So now I finally make it to the ferry just in time for it's departure to Tokushima. It's a two hour ride on the ferry. I have a good friend who lives in Tokushima. I wanted to meet her and her nice family plus Tokushima was in the middle of it's largest event of the year. The great Awa - Odori Dance Festival. This was absolutely incredible and the pictures can not describe the feeling of being there in person. If you happen to be in Japan around the O - Bon season ( middle of August ) then I would recommend you check it out. Lot's of energy, cool outfits and dancing into the middle of the night. I will never forget that and I really want to thank Miyuki and her cool Mother too for inviting me to stay with them. Thanks guys !!!

Day 3 : Shikoku, Kobe and Himeji Castle

The third and final day of my trip was to depart from Tokushima. We spent the morning driving around, had brunch and visited a cool museum plus the remains of Tokushima Castle. It also was very interesting and I had a good time, sorry no pictures yet. Afternoon had arrived and it was time for me to move on. I decided to return to the main land using one of the longest bridges in the world. It connects from Shikoku Island to Honshu ( the main island in Japan ) via Awaji-shima Island. The bridge offers beautiful sites and you can see whirlpools around Naruto ( Shikoku Island ). It is also one of the most expensive toll charges in the world too, nearly 50 US Dollars for a one way trip. After arriving in Akashi ( in between Kobe and Himeji ) I headed for a smaller town famous for it's fabulous castle, one of the most beautiful in Japan. I stayed for an hour or so and passed through Kobe where I had dinner with my old friend, then finally made it back to Nagoya late in the evening.

Thanks to everyone for making this a trip that I will never forget and one of the best summers I ever had. Hopefully next year I will be able to make it to Mount Fuji and Tokyo as I had originally planned.