(Use only a paper map, no Google Maps allowed)
(At this rate, when the night sky comes out, we can least navigate by the fucking stars)
Morning guys, welcome back to Journey Across Japan incomprehensibly long cycle of despair
This morning we start our day on the majestic glistening shores of Lake Biwa (琵琶湖), Japan's largest freshwater lake
It's so beautiful, at this time in the morning, the fresh lake air, the mountains, a really nice place to kick things off
Uhm, I'm feeling emotional at the moment, I mean
I'm not really, I just thought I'd say I was, but I'm feeling emotion at the moment because we've just finished as of today
Leg 2 of our journey from Niigata City (新潟市) all the way to Kyoto (京都) all the way down the Sea of Japan
If you have been watching the last few days, you'll know that we've traveled through some pretty rural areas
And as of today, as of this week that completely changes, as we start going through cities like
Kyoto (京都市), Osaka (大阪市) & Kobe (神戸市)
One of the most built-up urban areas on the entire planet, let alone Japan
I think it'd be ashamed to tackle those three amazing cities alone and for that reason
We've got a new guest joining us today
Uhh, somebody who doesn't even live in Japan, so I'm looking forward to living vicariously through his experiences for the rest of the week
Well look at that, ladies and gentlemen
Our other guests that we've met the last few days have been sitting in benches and swivel chairs
And then there's this guy, splashing around in a lake
Look who it is! It's Pete Donaldson
The fish stole my hat!
Thanks for letting me get involved in your big trip Chris. C: Looks like
You've only arrived in Japan a few hours ago, your already splashing around the sea having a whale of a time
For those of you wondering who this rather... Eccentric... Bizarre chap is, wiping sand off his legs
Pete Donaldson is my co-host on the Abroad in Japan podcast
He is a top London radio DJ on Absolute Radio
You might have heard him on The Football Ramble, one of the biggest podcasts in the world
And again, he's still wiping sand off his feet
I've been in Japan for about a day, and I thought the first thing I need to do is, check out what Chris is doing
Contrary to popular belief, you're not dead. C: I'm not dead
Feel a little bit death, I must admit this lake is a nice place to rest up and feel a bit rejuvenated though
P: Yeah. C: I kinda don't even want to cycle today
I just want to sit by this bloody lake and do what you were doing
What you were doing two minutes ago is exactly what I want to do, but don't have enough time to do
'Cause I've got a cycle 2,000km, anyway, let's get Pete Donaldson kitted up, suited up and let's roll out
I've not ridden a bike since I was 10!
So Pete and I are about to film an introduction to the video
And we've just discovered a guy quite literally sitting with a pile of cats
I wouldn't say a pile, it's more of a collection, but it's a collection of cats over there, for some reason
I love all the meowing
It's not even sound effects that I put on, there's genuinely... P: Put-Put more cat noises right now, just put more meows in now
I'm furious at these cats. I am highly allergic to cats, this isn't an ideal situation at all, to be honest. Oh, yeah
This will be a great-This will be a great start of the video, you having an allergic reaction to some cats
Just dying on the floor by the Lake Biwa (琵琶湖)
Pete do you wanna do a bike ride for like, do you wanna ride al the way to Kyoto (京都市)
even though, A, you've never been on a bike since like you've been 10 years old
And also, can you hang out with a lot of cats before you start, to really get the asthma going, brilliant? Yeah, thanks, Chris
What's the first challenge then Pete? What's your, I'll let you do it. P: Yeah, let me manhandle Anpanman, thank you
All right
No Google Maps allowed, I've made all the way here, which is about 700km, by using only Google Maps
Without Google Maps, I would be in a bush, or in a river or just-just in a pile of... Death, by now
Well, I don't know where we're going really, cuz we can't use Google Maps already
what I do know is Kyoto (京都市) is that way down the lake
and there's a Lawson's just around the corner, where we can hopefully buy a paper map, so
And Pornography
Pete, do you know the way? alright
You found the maps? P: Hm? C: You found the maps yet?
Uhm
Yeah
It think it might be in this section over here
One of these about to have the information that we need, so, I think we should buy all of them
and just have a good read through, see if we could find the
We're sticking to the maps
Oh, okay
Then where's this in Japan? By the way, that's right next to the map, if you were just a child buying a map
Why would children buy a map? C: Like mummy what's this?
Alright, we got our map, you know, I forgot what paper maps are actually like, it's, you have that
Uhh, and you want that. When I was a kid I used to love maps
People called me B-Road, cuz my name, my surname is Broad
So kids used to call me B-Road, cuz I could tell you how to get from A to Z anywhere in the UK
P: That's pretty good, B-Road. C: You say to me: 'Chris, how do I get to... Yorkshire from London?' I'll be like: 'Go up the A1'
They'll be like: 'Wow, you're amazing B-Road.'
That's like the one big motorway we've got, that's a really easy question
I know that, I can't drive
Don't steal my childhood away from me Pete, I was very proud of that
okay, so we are somewhere around here Takashima (高島市) and we're gonna go down the 161
To Shirahige Shrine (白鬚神社) a really famous shrine in Lake Biwa (琵琶湖)
I don't really know where it is on a map, I can't see it
So what we'll do Pete
We'll just to keep cycling down the 161 down the coast
Until you see a really nice-looking shrine and then just tell me to stop alright?
C: It looks red. P: Okay
On the one hand, Pete Donaldson is rather lucky ladies & gentlemen, he's joining on one of the most beautiful days
One of the most beautiful stretches of the entire trip around Lake Biwa (琵琶湖)
And also Kyoto (京都市), Osaka (大阪市) & Kobe (神戸市)
On the other hand, he hasn't got any cycling pants that are padded, so, I don't know if he's able to cycle, by the end of the day
After what that bike saddle is gonna do to his backside
Nani kore? (what's this?)
What is this? C: It's a windmill, Pete. P: Yeah, I know but why, what's it doing?
What business does it have here? We're in the middle of nowhere
We've stumbled across a windmill, randomly
It feels like we've just suddenly transcended time and space and arrived in Holland
This is a video game
This is where we get a side quest from and it would involve collecting some
Cog, to go in the windmill
You have been playing too much Zelda, Pete. Just the upkeep of this place. It's in the middle of nowhere
I think it is a campsite, just got windmills in it
But it's like three or four people here. You got to paint that every (...) presumably
It doesn't even move
C: It will do... P: What's going on? C: It will do when it's windy. P: Bring on the wind. C: Calm down
Wow, I've actually never seen one of those shrines that are in the water. C: Torii gate in the sea. P: Torii gate in the sea
Well you've done the first what, how many km is that? 15km you've done now. How do you feel?
It's the most I've cycled in my life, 15km. C: And there's your reward
It's a beautiful day. C: It does, it feels like we're on the edge of heaven
You know what, I honestly think Lake Biwa (琵琶湖) might be my new favorite cycle spot, the scenery round a has been absolutely stunning
Look at those lucky bastards on the canoe. I'd give anything to be on a canoe right now
Within reason, today's lunch consists of energy jelly and a cereal bar, winner!
I didn't bring any food. Why didn't you bring me any food?
I thought you brought your own food
I didn't bring anything
Well, you could get something at a convenience store, you can have what's left of the jelly
Go and splash about, while I eat my cereal bar
Well, the inevitable happened guys, we are a little bit lost, uhm
We had to leave the side of the lake and go off on a bit of detour, and I don't know where we are now, luckily
The greatest map reader
Ever to leave northern, the UK, is-is now reading the map for us
P: So that's South. C: Just like map reading with mr. Bean, fucking hell
P: I think we need to go that, we need to go towards the sun. C: We need to go towards the Sun. P: Yeah
Up them hills, over there
C: Turn around, look at that scenery, look at that. P: It's beautiful ain't it
Look at those graphics
If you have any reservations about visiting Japan take a look at that scene
Not Pete, the scenery though is absolutely stunning, this route we've done today around Lake Biwa (琵琶湖)
Probably the most picturesque route, most picturesque day so far, to be honest
I've absolutely loved it, the weather's been perfect, the visibility... is so clear
You can see all the mountains around the lake. I can hear our map being blown away
P: Get the map!
Save the map
I still don't know the bloody hell where we are
We are
Think you got the wrong side of the map
Oh
That might help, at this rate when the night sky comes out, we can at least navigate by the fucking stars
We might have to crack that map out again soon, Pete, as beautiful as it is
haven't a clue where we are
Well, ladies & gentlemen, day has turned to night, rolling rice fields have turned into buildings and sun has turned into rain
And we're somewhere on the outskirts of Kyoto (京都市), little bit lost, not gonna lie
Pete Donaldson is leading the charge in front and I suspect he has less of an idea where he is, than I do
So I don't know why, I've let him go in front, really
Because he's got control of the paper map, seems he's got mad with power
How do you feel mr. Donaldson?
My bum still hurts
But I think we're getting closer and that's the main thing
You sound so out of breath
We are very soggy, Chris, aren't we? C: We're very soggy
Soggy Boys!
I think we're gonna need to look at the map, mate. I haven't a damn clue where we are
Do you want to look at it now?
I want to look at now, but we'll wait till there's some shelter cuz it's raining
Okay
How did people do this without Google Maps in the 1990s?
I didn't go anywhere, I never really left my town and now I'm in the middle of nowhere in Japan
That didn't last long, did it? One day it's already ripped
I must admit, ladies & gentleman, seeing Pete Donaldson fuck about this paper map
Damp, wet, now ripped apart after just about 6 or 7 hours
It makes me wonder how people used to function without Google Maps to be honest. How do people do it?
How did you do it? if you lived before a time where there wasn't any Internet or Google Maps?
How did you do it? Because this is ridiculous you can't even see the map, because it's dark
I feel like a wingy bitch
But, I don't know, after growing up for like 2 decades with the Internet and maps and things
You just get really accustomed to how simple life is, you know
What is that?
P: We need one of them cars. C: All right, where are we? Where are we Pete? P: I think
You know that place is famous in Kyoto (京都市) with all the gates, I think that's this
C: That's definitely not. P: Is it not, oh
Pete, Kyoto (京都市) isn't even on the map
What am I looking at than?
You're looking at, we, we've cycled down here earlier, we're like down here now.
Oh
This is an utter shit show, okay, we are
Somewhere in this area, so we've cycled, we started off up here by the lake, we cycled down the lake
And we are, we followed the main road down this one around here, I think, so we're about here
P: Yeah. C: So now we work out how to get somewhere
Get somewhere?! Give me like, give me some idea where you wanna go
So we're looking to end the trip at Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社). P: Oh, this one, you mean this one right here
I don't know where it is, it's all in Japanese, Chris speaks Japanese, Chris reads Japanese. I haven't got a bloody clue, mate
Why have you got the map then? This is, your ridiculous. I'm leaving you
P: Then give me the camera, give me the camera, right now. C: Don't, stop this. P: Give me that camera
It's Pete's film now, Pete in Japan, we're going for a drink, bye
Let's face it, we're not ever gonna use this map again after today, so, with that in mind. P: No
Bite-sized bits
You've just thrown away a big chunk of Japan. Okay, so starting round
It's like the start of Game of... It's like the start of Game of Thrones
Except on Game of Thrones, you can actually see the map, because it's not dark
I must say, though I absolutely despise cycling in the rain, my least favorite thing
Cycling at night in Kyoto (京都市) through the rain, that's absolutely stunning. The rain just bounces off the
The lights illuminates in the rain and the pools of water, It's a beautiful sight to behold and it's absolutely fucking terrifying
This is a pretty immersive 4D experience
There they are, Pete, we've done it, there it is
Oh, shit, hey!
It's our camera crew
I caught my finger in my bell
Yeah, we made it!
Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社) on the edge of Kyoto
C: Well done, you did it. P: Thanks
C: You survived, did the map survived? P: No, no the map did not survive
C: It's just falling apart. P: The map is in 2 pieces, the map is soaking wet. C: It's horrible
I must say, though on the surface there seems to be something romantic about using a paper map, in reality
It's not, it's just a fucking nightmare
It's nice to see lights
It's nice to see people and it's nice to see warm, warm buildings
I want a cup of tea
I want... a cup of tea
You look so underprepared
P: Yeah. C: And you're wearing, why are you wearing this?
I'm wearing slippers, the map is soggy, the map could never be used again
I'd like to apologize to the cartographer crafted this map all those many years ago
C: It looks like a used tissue, it's disgusting P: It looks actually like a used tissue, it's disgusting
This is it, that's the end of leg 2 the journey from Niigata (新潟市) to Kyoto (京都市)
So I'm feeling quite emotional, Pete. This is a big event and there's water literally on my face and helmet
C: Oh my god. P: It's quite ironic, because we just finished leg 2 and 2 of my legs are finished. C: Brilliant
Well, we'll be back tomorrow guys. Tomorrow we're gonna be exploring Kyoto (京都市) and for the next few days
We're gonna be checking out Kyoto (京都市), Osaka (大阪市) and Kobe (神戸市) that's not much cycling here
It is just gonna be checking out Kansai region (関西地方)
Because I need a bit of rest, I need to prepare and gear up for the big cycle
That takes us from Kansai (関西地方) all the way to Kagoshima (鹿児島市) and the rain is still going in my face
Thanks for watching, we'll see you hopefully right back here tomorrow. Let's go and get dry. My feet are absolutely soaking. I
Bye!
I want to go to the (Iwatayama) Monkey Park
Pete, we're not going to a monkey park
I thought they were supposed to be my day off, you know exactly who this is Chris
Your mum
Chris, you're the real monster