West from Japan

A couple leaving behind their life in Japan and heading west

Copyright © 2012-2023 By Adam Dodge and Beth Hamilton  

Completed Sep 2013★
15,042 km (9,347 miles) over 1 year and 1 month from July 27, 2012 to August 26, 2013
Updated: Thursday April 9, 2015 15:19 (US/Pacific) (edited Sun 16 Oct 2022 20:46 (US/Pacific))
2,483 pics
497,791 hits since August 9, 2012 (hitcounts updated nightly)

Topic: Bicycle Touring  
Categories: Tour diaries, Equipment lists, Road bikes, Extended, World
Locales: Asia, Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Europe, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France, United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland
Years: 2012, 2013

Permalink: https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/westfromjapan

They mean us!

Table of Contents

Final route and map: Where we ended up going

General

Introduction: Who are we?

Planned route and map: Going west, from Japan to Ireland

Equipment: A mix of used and new

Visas: Updated as we go

Japan

2012 July 27 - August 1: Leaving Fukushima, camping at Aokigahara, then off to Osaka

August 2: Arriving in Osaka and picking up our bikes

August 3: Leaving Osaka, Alex, and after five years, Japan

August 4 - 5: On the ferry and arriving in Shanghai

China

Shanghai

August 6: Exploring Shanghai and hoping China has more to offer

August 7: First day on the bikes and escaping the Shanghai metro area

Jiangsu Province

August 8: Waiting out the typhoon

August 9: Seeing the aftermath of the typhoon and heading to Zhangjiagang

August 10: More drab landscapes and a sudden thunderstorm

August 11: Things aren't going quite as expected/hoped

August 12: A much-needed pick-me-up day with a surprise ending

August 13: Arrival in Nanjing

August 14 – 15: Sightseeing in Nanjing

Anhui Province

August 16: Changing route, leaving Nanjing, and staying at an old lady's guest house

August 17: Foiled again by stomach problems

August 18: Staying put due to stomach problems

August 19: Nice riding and a stupidly expensive lunch

August 20: Leaving Wuwei and great day in the countryside

August 21: Crossing the Yangtze again and more punctures

August 22: Leaving plains behind and entering mountains

August 23: First day of real climbing

Jiangxi Province

August 24-26: Flats, flats, and more flats! Flats for everyone!

August 27: Being led around all day

August 28: Bikes are not toilets

August 29: Ups and downs

August 31: Rough roads lead to a popsicle

September 1: Short, hot day

Hunan Province

September 2: Worst hotel yet

September 3: Puncture number 14

September 4: An inconvenient puncture followed by a convenient puncture

September 5: Changsha, touring of another sort

September 6: Mt. Something or Other in Changsha

September 7: Escaping the sprawl of Changsha

September 8: A gift of patches

September 9: Muddy muddy muddy

September 10: Following a river and JLPT results *worried face*

September 11: Rest day in Anhua

September 12: Adam really sick, staying put for the day

September 13: Slow and tired

September 14: Beth really sick, staying put for the day

September 15: Noodly noodles not needed, not noodly non-noodles needed

September 16: Beth still feels nauseous, early stop

September 17: Passing by mysterious cycle tourists, and Beth is able to eat again!

September 18: Why's that guy taking our groceries from us?

September 19 – 20: Short day to Fenghuang, an old town overrun by tourism

Guizhou Province

September 21: Goodbye Hunan, hello Guizhou!

September 22: Getting on a train, not getting on a train

September 23 – 24: Another day off, then Tongren to Jiangkou

September 25: The makings of a bad day

September 26: Nice people, short day

September 28: Lots of climbing, great lunch, frustrating dinner

September 30: Broke the unbroken streak of riding

October 1: Buying bus tickets

Chongqing, Municipality of

October 2: Chongqing: Hotels hotels everywhere, but not a bed to sleep in

October 3: Chongqing redeems itself, then we leave it

October 4: On a train somewhere in western China

Xinjiang Autonomous Region

October 5: Arriving in Urumqi: No hotels available, redux

October 6: Urumqi and all of its glory

October 7: Urumqi bike shops and food

October 8: Kazakh visa procedures

October 9 – 14: Waiting for visa in Urumqi and switching to a Warm Showers host

October 15: Visas, last minute preparations, bus ride from the '90s: Urumqi to Khorgas

October 16: To Khorgas, a kilometer from the Chinese-Kazakh border: Khorgas

Kazakhstan

Almaty Province

October 18: Welcome to Kazakhstan!: Khorgas, China to a bit past Jarkent, Kazakhstan

October 19: Trading the tailwind of yesterday for a headwind: A bit past Jarkent to Tashkarasu

October 20: Slight uphill and slight tailwind makes for easy riding: Tashkarasu to Kokpek

October 21: Almost to Almaty: From Kokpek to 40 km before Almaty

October 22: Final mad dash to get registered in Almaty: 40 km from Almaty to somewhere in Almaty

October 23 – 28: Around Almaty: Almaty

October 29 – 30: Out of Almaty: Almaty → a bit past Samsi

October 31: Treated to a full moon for Halloween: Somewhere near Samsi to past (big) Qorday

Zhambyl Province

November 1: Amazing tailwinds turn into crosswinds

November 2: The Cowboy

November 3: Not much happened that day: From somewhere to near Tatti

November 4: Social day

November 5: Bad Kulan? No, good Kulan!

November 6: Problem nyet: Maldibay to Taraz

November 7: Taken in by a family: Taraz to some small village with a long name

Southern Kazakhstan Province

November 8: On the way to Shymkent: Some small village with a long name to 40 km before Shymkent

November 9: (un)Welcome to Shymkent: 40 km from Shymkent to Shymkent

November 10: (un)Welcome to Shymkent Part Two: Shymkent

November 11: Get out of Shymkent: Shymkent to 45 km before the Uzbek border

November 12: To the border but not quite: 45 km from the Uzbek border to 5 km before the Uzbek border

Uzbekistan

November 13: One does not simply walk into Uzbekistan: Somewhere, Kazakhstan to Tashkent, Uzbekistan

November 14: Necessary hassles: Applying for Azeri visa in Tashkent: Tashkent

November 15: Necessary hassles: Applying for Kazakh visa in Tashkent: Tashkent

November 16 – 22: Waiting and getting stuff done in Tashkent: Tashkent

November 23: Leaving Tashkent: Tashkent to Gulistan

November 24: Not what we expected: Gulistan to Jizzax

November 25: A welcome welcome: Jizzax to 68 km later

November 26: On the road to Samarkand: 56 km from Samarkand to Samarkand

November 27 – 28: “It's the same as all World Heritage Sites,” quoth the Japanese man: Samarkand

November 29: gheudjemdidkfhjeckje: Samarkand to near Kattaqorghan

November 30: Three flats and a happy family: Kattaqorghan to Navai

December 1: Arriving in Bukhara: Navai to Bukhara

December 2: The horrors of Bukhara unleashed: Bukhara

December 3: Venture out, rush back in: Bukhara

December 4: Exploring Bukhara, take two: Bukhara

December 5: Late-night train out of Bukhara: Bukhara

December 6: Clown cars do exist: Bukhara to Kungrad

December 7: Lively train to Kazakhstan: Kungrad, Uzbekistan – Beynew, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, Part Two

December 8: Back in Kazakhstan, welcome to Aktau: Aktau, Kazakhstan

December 9 – 12: Hotel hoppin': Aktau

December 13: Relocating to Aktau Port: Aktau Port

December 14 – 15: Making ourselves at home at Aktau Port: Aktau Port

December 16 – 17: Aktau Port: The Final Chapter?: Aktau Port

December 18 – 19: On the 12th day of Aktau my true love gave to me / an Aktau – Baku ferry: Aktau Port - Caspian Sea

Azerbaijan

December 20: Could this be it... are we actually on the other side?: Caspian Sea to Baku, Azerbaijan

December 21: Excursions around Baku: Baku

December 22: Writings of the ancients: Gobustan (outside of Baku)

December 23: Green Bikers, Old Town: Baku

December 24: You can't buy just one: Adventures in cycle shops: Baku

December 25: A day of rest for Christmas: Baku

December 26: Azerbaijan: Land of Mud: Baku to a field of mud 36 km from Baku

December 27: Azerbaijan: Land of Wind: A field of mud to a gully 3 km away

December 28: Azerbaijan: Land of Kindness: A gully 39 km outside of Baku to 28 km past Şamaxı

December 29: Azerbaijan: Land of Unrepaired Punctures: Near Şamaxı to near Qəbələ

December 30: Azerbaijan: Land of Surprise Hotels: Near Qəbələ to Şəki

December 31: Azerbaijan: Land of Late Starts: Şəki to Qax

2013 January 1: Azerbaijan: Land of Howling: Qax to Balakən

Georgia

January 2: Azerbaijan: Land of... Oh wait, we're in Georgia now: Balakən, Azerbaijan to Bakurtsikhe, Georgia

January 3: I don't remember much. Uh, there was a dog and a cafe?: Bakurtsikhe to Sartichala

January 4: Entering Tbilisi: Sartichala to Tbilisi

January 5 – 7: Christmas in Tbilisi: Tbilisi

January 8 – 9: An unexpected journey: Tbilisi

Armenia

January 10: Day trip to Yerevan: Yerevan, Armenia

Georgia, Part Two

Janaruy 11 – 23: Taking it slow in Tbilisi: Tbilisi

January 24 – 25: In Tbilisi, out of Tbilisi: Tbilisi → Gori

January 26: Stalin. Hirohito. Roosevelt. Churchill. Mussolini.: Gori → Zestaponi

January 27: Cheese pies: Zestaponi → Lanchkhuti

January 28: Welcome to the Black Sea: Lanchkhuti → Sarpi

Turkey

January 29: Karaoke and coastlines: Sarpi → Hopa

January 30: Gas station treasures: Hopa → Cayeli

January 31: Adventures in tunnels: Cayeli → Arakli

February 1: Trabzon awaits!: Arakli → Trabzon

February 2: Trabzon, oh Trabzon: Trabzon

February 3: The setting sun: Trabzon → Cavuslu

February 4: An evening surprise: Cavuslu → Bulancak

February 5: A daytime surprise: Bulancak → Ordu

February 6: Greek mythology in Turkey?: Ordu → Unye

February 7: Home of the Amazons: Unye → Samsun

February 8: Rest day at the truck stop: Samsun

February 9: Goodbye sea, hello mountains: Samsun → Kavak

February 10: Interrupting a soccer game: Kavak → Gumushaci

February 11: Free food day: Gumushacikoy → Hacihamza

February 12: The Abandoned Gas Station: Hacihamza → Ilgaz

February 13: Undulating inland: Ilgaz → Kursunlu

February 14: Tailwind down, headwind up: Kursunlu → Gerede

February 15: Day off in Gerede: Gerede

February 16: Snowy dereliction: Gerede → Bolu

February 17: Into the snow, out of the snow: Bolu → Hendek

February 18: Sleet and city on and off: Belek → Korfez

February 19: D100 into Istanbul: Korfez → Istanbul

February 20 → 26: Week off in Istanbul: Istanbul

February 27 – 28: Still in Istanbul: Istanbul

March 1: Sneaking out of Istanbul: Istanbul → Kestanelik

March 2: Up down up down up down shower: Kestanelik → Chakilli

March 3: Derp dogs, derp Adam: Chakili → Demircihali

March 4: A quest to find the lost items: Demircihali → Derekoy

Asia Awards: Let's subjectively judge entire countries!

Bulgaria

March 5: Bulgaria, finally: Derekoy → Burgas

March 6 – 7: Hanging out in Burgas: Burgas

March 8: Mind. Blown.: Burgas → Lozarevo

March 9: “Oh my shit!”: Pozarevo → Shumen

March 10: Rolling greenery: Shumen → Pisanets

Romania

March 11: Across the river: Pisanets, Bulgaria → Bujoru, Romania

March 12: POP: Bujoru → Turnu Măgurele

March 13: Just hanging out in the hotel: Turnu Măgurele

March 14: Magazin de bicicleta?: Turnu Măgurele → Bechet

March 15: To find a rim: Bechet → Măceșu de Jos

March 16: Nothing special. Just more wind.: Măceșu de Jos → Cetate

March 17: I'm Italian, not Romanian: Cetate → Drobeta-Turnu Severin

Serbia

March 18: Entering the Iron Gates: Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Romania → Donji Milanovac, Serbia

March 19: From rain to snow to sun: Donji Milanovac → Veliko Gradište

March 20: Back across the Danube: Veliko Gradište → Starčevo

March 21: A rainy meeting in Belgrade: Starčevo → Belgrade

March 22 – 27: Belgrade: Belgrade

March 28: Sausage Fest: Belgrade → Novi Sad

March 29: Good cities, bad drivers, muddy roads: Novi Sad → Backo Novo Selo

March 30: Bumpy roads and flashbacks (aka Adam breaks everything): Backo Novo Selo → Apatin

March 31: Stuck in Apatin: Apatin

April 1: Inching out of Apatin: Apatin → Bezdan

Hungary

April 2: Welcome to Hungary, land of coldwindyrainymuddy: Bezdan, Serbia → Dunafalva, Hungary

April 3: More dirt roads: Dunafalva → Dunaszentbenedek

April 4: Oops: Dunaszentbenedek → Dömsöd

April 5: Binding bits to bicycles in Budapest: Dömsöd → Budapest

April 6: Sadly leaving Budapest: Budapest → Pest

April 7 – 8: Rest in Pest: Pest Megye

Slovakia

April 9: A brief foray into Slovakia: Pest, Hungary → Muzla, Slovakia

Hungary, Part Two

April 10: A brief foray into Hungary: Muzla, Slovakia → Gyor, Hungary

Austria

April 11: Three countries, one day: Gyor, Hungary → Wildungsmauer, Austria

April 12: Accommodations here suck: Wildungsmauer → Tulln

April 13: I'm still having trouble believing that a country this perfect exists: Tulln → Melk

April 14: More along the Danube: Melk → Au

NOTE: Sorry about the lack of updates!

April 15: To a campground we go we go we go!: Au

April 16: Slow day with dilemmas

Germany

Bavaria

April 17: Are we in Germany yet?: picnic spot, Austria → Passau, Germany

April 18: Good weather, good food: Passau → Straubing

April 19: Where did spring go?: Straubing → barn

April 20: In a barn: a barn

April 21: Festival day: Kelheim → Neustadt an der Donau

April 22: Not so great day: Neustadt an der donau → Nördlingen

Baden-Württemberg

April 23: On to the Limes: Nordlingen → Abstgmund

April 24: Schwalbe vs. Continental. Fight!: Abtsgmünd → Gaildorf

April 25: The results are in!: Gaildorf → Schwigern

Rhineland-Palatinate

April 26: Ticks: Schwaigern → Speyer

April 27: Shpaya: Speyer → Eisenberg

Saarland

April 28: Finally: Eisenberg → St. Wendel

April 29 → May 5: Meeting kin: St. Wendel

Rhineland-Palatinate, Part Two

May 6: The thunderstorm that wasn't: St. Wendel → Borfink

May 7: The thunderstorm that was: Borfink → Kirchberg

May 8: Welcome back to the Rhine: Kirchberg → Spay

North Rhine-Westphalia

May 9: On the Rhine: Spay → Bonn

May 10: Bonn the birthplace of Beethoven, cathedral country in Cologne, campgrounds catering to caravans, and MSR missing meals: Bonn → Langenfeld

May 11: Directioners directioners directioners directioners!: Langenfeld → Herten

May 12: In which Beth's bike breaks: Herten → Datteln

May 13: Fixing things: Datteln

May 14: “I really don't know how I picked Saerbeck”: Datteln → Ladbergen

Lower Saxony

May 15: Not much of an entry: Ladbergen → Bohmte

May 16 – 24: Taking another week off: Bohmte and Hamburg

May 25 – 29: Surprise visit to Berlin: Berlin

May 30: Close, but not yet: Bohmte

North Rhine-Westphalia, Part Two

May 31: We're off!: Bohmte → Mettingen

Netherlands

June 1: Last day in Germany: Mettingen, Germany → Oldenzaal, Netherlands

June 2: A windy day in The Netherlands: Oldenzaal → Deventer

June 3: On to Amsterdam!: Deventer → Amsterdam

June 4 – 7: Waiting for Caturday: Amsterdam

June 8: Hopscotching from Amsterdam: Amsterdam → near The Hague

June 9 – 10: To the North (Sea)!: near The Hague → Hellevoetsluis

June 11: That time Beth got lost and (almost) messed everything up: Hellevoetsluis → Breezand

Belgium

June 12: Into the wind, out of The Netherlands: Breezand, Netherlands → Hoeke, Belgium

June 13: A half day in Bruges: Hoeke → Nieuwpoort

France

June 14: Whoops: Nieuwpoort, Belgium → Oye Plage, France

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

England

June 15: The Mother Country: Oye Plage, France → Canterbury, England

June 16: Where do we go?: Canterbury → Sittingbourne

June 17: Into London: Sittingbourne → outside of London

June 18 – 20: THE SMILEY FACE CUP: Hatfield and London

June 21: Farewell!: Hatfield → Roxton

June 22: Another one of those days...: Roxton → Peterborough

June 23: Headwind into the countryside: Peterborough → Billingborough

June 24: Musings: Billingborough → Kirton in Lindsey

June 25: To York! (Almost): Kirton in Lindsey → Naburn

June 26: Train day!: Naburn ↔ York

June 27: To the Way of the Roses: York → Ripon

June 28: Yorkshire Dales: Ripon → Settle

June 29: More hills: Settle → Fairy Steps (Bentham)

June 30: Into the Lake District: Fairy Steps → Chapel Stile

July 1: Let's go for a walk!: Chapel Stile

July 2: Almost out of the Lake District: Chapel Stile → a bit away from Keswick

Scotland

July 3: Into Scotland: a bit away from Keswick, England → somewhere after Gretna, Scotland

July 4: Return to Yorkshire Dales: somewhere after Gretna → somewhere after Dumfries

July 5 – 6: Welcoming the sun: Thornhill → Dalmelington

July 7: Hmph: Dalmelington → Brodick

July 8: On Arran: Brodick → Catacol

July 9: Saying goodbye to old friends: Catacol → Kilmartin

July 10: Cycle Route 78: Kilmartin → Benderloch

July 11: Mostly a rest day: Benderloch → Barcaldine

July 12: Taking the sneaky route past Fort William: Barcaldine → 30 km past Fort William

July 13: Traffic into the Highlands: 30 km past Fort William → Inverinate

July 14: “The mountains aren't very big, but they make you feel insignificant.”: Inverinate → Annat

July 15: Meandering through the Highlands: Annat → Poolewe

July 16: On the way to Ullapool: Poolewe → ~20 km before Ullapool

July 17: Ullapool: About 20 km from Ullapool → Ullapool

July 18: Where're we goin'?!: Ullapool → near Callanish

July 19: Crossing Lewis and Harris: Callanish → Urgha

July 20: Beaches: Urgha → somewhere on Berneray

July 21: Four islands, one day: somewhere on Berneray → south South Uist

July 22: Four islands, one day: the sequel: south South Uist → Vatersay

July 23: Return to Oban: Vatersay → Oban

July 24: Island hopscotching back to Kintyre: Oban → Kennacraig

July 25：前編: Kennacraig → 20 km from Campbeltown

July 25：後編: Kennacraig → 20 km from Campbeltown

Northern Ireland

July 26: Ferry to Northern Ireland: 20 km from Campbeltown, Scotland → Larne, Northern Ireland

July 27 – August 1: A few days off: near Larne

August 2: A day of unexpectedness: Larne → Randalstown

August 3: thump thump thump dum: Randalstown → Seskinore

Ireland, Republic of

August 4: Republic of Ireland, our final country: Seskinore, Northern Ireland → Fenagh, Republic of Ireland

August 5: More green hills: Foxfield → Kilkerrin

August 6: The arrival: Kilkerrin → Gort

August 7 – 19: WWOOFing: Gort

August 20: Whoops, someone's bad at math: Gort

August 21: East from Gort: Gort → Shannon Harbour

August 22: Weeds: Shannon Harbour → Edenderry

August 23: That's all she wrote: Edenderry → Near Dublin

August 24 – 25: Dublin and final preparations: Dublin

United States of America

August 26: The End: Dublin, Ireland → mid-sized city in the Midwest, USA

Euro Awards: Where shallow first impressions last the longest!

Epilogue

Equipment: What we liked, what we didn't, what we'd take again, and what we wouldn't

Finances: So how much does a trip like this really cost?

Cycling as a couple (and a little bit of personal introspection): Beth's final impressions

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