Urahiro to Obihiro 68km

We slept well in our carpeted container, listening to the rain fall overnight. By the time we were ready to go there was a huge team of workers cutting the grass and clearing debris around the huge park the campground was part of. They were all older people, at least 70 and some probably in their 80s. They appeared to be pretty agile and efficient in their work. More than 30% of the population are over 65 yrs in Japan, and most of the young live in cities, so they are very dependent on an older workforce in regional areas. It was a misty day with light rain now and again, which actually made for pleasant riding. We had the most awesome lunch in a little cafe in a small town called Ikeda, the wine area of Hokkaido. We passed by the Wine Castle, the largest and most ugly winery you could imagine. We had the most colourful bowl of delicious roast vegetables in a light curry broth. We also had a good chat with a local man who spoke reasonably good English, which is rare, about the local region. We ended our day staying in a nice hotel in Obihoro, which is a large city, with a bustling CBD.Read more