We knew the weather was gonna go bad. But it was a week-long holiday here in Japan, would you rather stay indoors the entire time? In the years of living here the typhoons in central area did not compare to what we have had in the Philippines, so far. How worse could it get?
We took a chance, an even bolder one, packing our camping gears including a mattress! Yes, we decided to camp comfortably - we could not afford hurting our backs sleeping. We are not that young anymore. The typhoon was going to land in a day or two coming from the southwest, so we drove towards north, and told ourselves we would figure out what to do along the way. Super agile, lol
Lake Nojiri(ko) - the place we chose to camp in. We argued along the way discussing about what we gave up: BBQ with friends, and Ultra Music Fest, and if it was really worth it to gamble on the weather. Well, there was no turning back. The wind was getting prominent as the day went by. The rustling wind could get comforting and anxiety-inducing at the same time. We found a camp ground in a forest a few minutes from the lake, where bare minimum facilities were provided (drinking water and toilet, no shower!). We arrived at dusk, immediately pitched the tent and campfire. Then, we were welcomed by some curious creatures.
Early next day we hanged the hammock and tied the slackline. The winds were getting stronger than the day before, but still manageable. The caretaker told us we might need to leave the campsite the next day, if the winds got stronger, due to risks of falling trees. So the typhoon was kind of chasing us away, lol.
We had to cycle that day, else we would have wasted the best weather of the week. Also, it would be a shame to have brought the bicycles only to stand there. So we took the bicycle route around Lake Nojiriko. There was a cycling tournament going on, so we met a lot of friendly cyclists along the way. The course was about an hour of approximately 20-km distance. Apart from multiple ski resorts around, the area is famous for the 2000-m stratovolcano, Mount Kurohime. Of course, we stopped at times to take photographs.
The cycling route was well-maintained. For the fit ones, perhaps they could finish it in half an hour. But we were not fit; we just cycled so our body gets depleted on calories, and we could eat a lot more after wards, haha.
We had our lunch at The Nojiri Coffee Company, the best choice around the area. Their burger was delicious. We needed that boost of energy before we rented stand-up paddle boards for 1000JPY an hour. It was my second time, and Kevin's first. The gentle waves and the dark water got me scared. I also got a cut from a sharp rock. Even so, we paddled to the islet a couple of meters from the shore where a shrine sits atop a hill.
It was already late afternoon, but the sun was still high. It did not look like a typhoon was just around the corner. Yes there were rainclouds, but it looked like a normal day. We cooked chili beans and grilled sausage on the fire for dinner.
It was about midnight when the rustles became a bit disturbing. The shit was getting real. So we cut our camping short and packed everything at daybreak. Not disappointed; in fact, so thrilled at the spontaneity. With ensuring safety still at the back of our heads, we drove to the other side of Japan, the Noto Peninsula. Yes, the adventure continued. See you loves. xoxo
