Pain of My Jaw

Since I couldn't find anyone who can host me in Stockholm, I was thinking that I can find a place to stay either hostel or somewhere I can stay with a roof. But, finally I decided that I am going out from the city with a short time even thought I really want to stay in there just because it was really beautiful as I saw in Eastern Europe.

The first impression in Sweden was the country similar to Hungary. The common story of these countries is that they have a big power in the middle ages. I am not the expert for world history but as I remember from my brain, both country has lost their power after WWI. Once in Hungary, they have a power of Austria Hungary empire but after the WWI they lost their land and hegemony. In contrast, Sweden has a big power in the middle ages which colonized Finland as well as part of Norway. However, during the War time Sweden was not the country to fight with in any country (like the position of Swiss at the moment) even though they cooperate to Germany to send them to Northern Finland. Different from Norway as well as Finland this country try to preserve those old buildings in all most every city where I have been. In the central part of the city they have a stone pass. I don't know if they want to show "Here is the central part!" but I heard when I was in Poland. This stone passes were made by German soldiers.

About one week passed since I came to this country. Nationality of Sweden is similar to Finnish, which is also similar to Japanese more than that in Norway even though they are still using Krone instead of Euro. What I find out from them as well as when I was in Finland was that both nationality and personality of each person has decided depends of their living standard. People in Sweden, they are very sensitive for foreigners. One of the reason is that they have a lot of both immigrants and refugees from Asia as well as Africa in order to have a good living standard, probably. I haven't ever felt like when I was in Japan that my life will be feared because of those people from other countries but if people live with the money supported by the government of my own country some people might feel like "why we have to support them to live in my country?"

When I was in the middle of the Stockholm, I asked a person if he can possible to take a picture of me from my camera. And he took me a picture. And then suddenly a girl came to me and she tried to take a picture of me as he took and I was smiling to be taken. Then few seconds later, a woman (I doubt if she is the girl's mother) came to me and tried to gave a money to me. I took it naturally with said "Thank you!" but soon a question came to me "why did I take?" She gave a money to me to think that I am a poor person or just try to show appreciate to my cooperation? If so, she didn't have to gave money to me! Was I hunger to money?

After that there was another place where I wanted to be taken a picture from someone of my camera and I asked a person again and I was taken a picture from the man. And suddenly another woman came to me and she said "Now you are rich man!!" Probably she thought that I am trying to take some money from the people on the street to be taken some pictures and I feel like also "What?"

It is not easy to travel in the central capital especially the place be full of tourist.

To tell the truth, I have been traveling with little money as much as I can but recently I start to think that I am going to use money more than that before I will be in a sick to think much about money.

I don't know if it is stress or not, my right jaw has started to pain strongly. To tell the truth, it has been since one more month ago but it has not been painful as I am facing with at the moment. Or even it is just my bad teeth because of eating too much of sweet like chocolate as well as strawberry jam, which I really like to eat through this journey!

Today is a resting day after Oslo but I feel like still tired. But, I will manage to get to Copenhagen to find something New!!!

Yuji @ Sodertalja, Sweden

PS. local newspaper from Karlstad made an interview of me! Now I am a little bit famous in Sweden!

On the way to Stockholm

Two days from oslo, I had been wet on the way but I had no choice but to keep going, which must be one of hardest part of my traveling. After taking a rest at Karlstad with my host with a couple, the man is from Netherlands and a woman is from Sweden. I don't know exact reason but everytime when I meet those people from Netherlands, I feel really like that they have rich heart more than that we have in Japan. We should learn a lot from them.

Two days from Karlstad have been very fine weather. I am very happy about it. However, it has been very cold at night because of the radiational cooling even in the morning as well, which feels me very negative. But I have to over this condition to be able to get to Stockholm.

Since I heard about that the way to Stockholm is very flat, I have been trying to get up early in the morning till the sunset. Different from Norwagian time, Sweden has a time two hours before GMT. I didn't notice before arrived at Karlstad to tell the truth.

The next day from Karlstad, I wake up at 5 in the morning at bus stop, and then started at 6am just before sun rise. I manage to see on the road but has been frost in the mornig which reminds me just after Tromso in northern Norway. When I was in there, I got some snow two- three days after I got frost in the morning. But I am supposed to get to Stockholm two days from now on, hopefully there is no snow! I have been cycling after sunset when around 5pm in Swedish time.
Yesterday, I sleep in the forest starts from 7-8pm to 5am even though, I have still feeling like that I want to sleep more and more. Is ot OK, if I sleep like a bear in the forest?

Today, the weather is still OK which no rain but some cloud. I hope that this weather will continue to Edinburgh but I am going not to go when rain comes especially in Southern part of Scandinavian, there are less small pass for bicycle but I finally decided to attach my Norwagian flag to be seen from the drivers on the road even though it might be annoying for them.
I have ready for an answer when someone ask me about;

"What is that flag? It is annoying for driving!!!"

"My life is important than yours!"

Yuji @ Arboga, Sweden

Oslo +8C

Hello, everyone! I am Yuji from Oslo!
Fortunately, since two families can be offered me to stay at their place, I have been in Oslo for four nights. This is the last night in Oslo as well as Norway, probably.

The first day at city center I had a big problem for my bike. When I came back from a GS after I asked a man the way to take, I noticed that my bicycle had some problems at the front tire. It seemed that couldn't be running well. I thought that I had put too much air inside the tire(since I make it up at the airport) and tried to get rid of a little bit of air. Suddenly, a big noise came and my wheel split into two at some part. At that time, I had no idea what to do and had a little bit of panic because I haven't expected that my tire would split. Then, I thought I cannot go anywhere before changing for a new wheel. I asked a man again the way to get to the bicycle shop and finally I could find a shop where they sell some wheels and bicycle giar.

I would say I am a really lucky man because I can find a bicycle shop at that time. The day when I asked another host and I was supposed to take another 15km from the city center but it has already dark and it was a little bit late than the arrival time which I told them before. However, cost for repairing for the bike as not cheap and tried to cut the price to the clerk. But he just told me that "this wheel cost 600Kr. and you have to buy another brake and will cost 200Kr. So, you have to pay 800Kr. altoghther."
And I said "Don't you have a student price?" and he said "No." without smiling. He was a little bit business-oriented (maybe cause it's in the capital )but I didn't say anymore. The question was simple "either I pay for 800Kr. or give up cycling on the bike" I paid and repaired.
But it feels like very fine because I thought it should be paid to repair even though it is not cheap. And another thing why I thought I am a lucky man was my bike didn't break in the mountain or hill. If I couldn't ride on my bike in that kind of place, I would be hard to find a place to fix it. At the same time, I recognized that I have to check it and pay attention to my bike more often than that. Otherwise, I have to push my bike for a couple of km which must be tough.

Today, I arrived at the city center from the place where I stayed, which is located 15km from the city and almost on top of the hill. When I go to the city center, it was easy to ride onto but on the back way I have to keep up on the hill, which reminds me of the north cape!!

At the city center, I was at Norbel Peace Prize center where is located near the port. In front of the building, there was a big flag, which was written "from King to Obama" both in Norwagian and English. When I saw the sign, I thought that "Does King means Norwagian King? Do they have still power to give a prize to the winner?"
As you know, since Obama got the prize there was a exbition about what he have done during this period. But on the other side of exbition, there was another guy who I saw before but I couldn't find out who he is. But finally when I read about the story of him I got the meaning of "King", he is Martin Ruther King Jr. who fought civil rights movement during the 1960 and he got the Prize in 1964. So, the exbition tell us about how we got an impact from the King to Obama which inspired us how peaceful activity is important instead of weapon or war as we saw in Iraq and Afganistan.

To tell the truth, I learned much about King at high school and I even don't have to get some information from there. Even so, some video and speech were wroth watching and feel like how important to make an activity without weapons. But, when it comes to Obama I haven't been listening to much time of his speech except for victory one. The speech which I watched on the video was about Islamic society which he have done in this June when I was in eastern Europe!

The speech was really good even that was a little bit long. He talked about how we, people not only in the State but also in everywhere in the world should fight with problems which we are facing with in 21st century. His speech aren't based on national interest. I think that is the one of the reason why he is loved by the people all over the world as well as he got the prize. In some part of the speech, he tried to tell to younger generation in all over the world, which I even feel like that he is trying to talk to me, that feels very good!! I spend nearly four hours in the hall, anyway.

The first impression in Oslo was wide. City is wide which they don't make a lot of tall buildings or maybe they don't have to because of the population. In some part of the city there are a lot of beautiful architectures and churches as well as green space, which I haven't seen a lot of these past several weeks. But at the same time, there were several people trying to get some money out of the people on the street. Actually, I didn't put any money to them when I saw them, but I feel like the reason why I didn't gave any money to them was that it might be get any trouble, I mean when I put some money to a guy and another guy saw me when I do so. Then, he might also try to ask me some money. I think almost everybody who are walking on the street they have little money to give them but they don't do that. Why? Because they want to keep some money to buy foods. No!! Mostly, I think people don't want to make any trouble with them. Or even just because they think nothing would be change if I gave some money. People have different reason but mostly they are less attention to the poor people. Or even in Norway people might think government should support to those poor people from my experience.

Tomorrow, I will head for Sweden.
The first day in Norway as on 2nd of Sept. Even I took a flight, I spend more than one month in Norway! How big country it is!!!

Yuji @ Oslo, Norway

One of my host at this place is Chinese and there is a electric kettle to make steamed rice as well as gas ring which remind me to Japan!! Sometimes when I touch or even just meet the people from Asia, I feel really like I am from Asia, feel be fine!!

The way to Edinburgh

OSLO-STOCKHOLM 552Km

STOCKHOLM-KØBENHAVN 645Km

KOBENHAVN-BERLIN 356Km(with ferry)

BERLIN-AMSTERDAM 648km

AMSTERDAM-BRUSSEL 209km

BRUSSEL-PARIS 294km

PARIS-LONDON 414km(with ferry)

LONDON-EDINBURGH 656km

TOTAL DISTANCE: 3774km

100km per day takes 37 days

70km per day takes 54 days

50km per day takes 74 days

8 countries with 8 capitals

Distance from Istanbul to Oslo is 10814km

BODO to OSLO is 840km by plain

11 countries with 10 capital (except for Turkey)

Oh! I forgot the place where I am from. The capital of Japan, Tokyo!

11 countries with 11 capital.

Through this journey I am always trying to go to the capital of each country. To tell the truth, I am the person who don't like that much to visit capitals. People in countryside are much more gentle than capitals. Society in capitals are moving very fast. Cars and trucks are always back and force which are bad condition for cycling. But at the same time, I can see something new which I cannot see in any city other than capitals.

There are three capitals which is not directly on the way to UK.

Stockholm, the next country.

Berlin, the place where I really want to visit.

Paris, I will go there!

I might have another chance to visit those capitals but I don't know when!

I have to decide in a day or two!

Yuji @ Oslo, Norway

From Oslo

The plain brought me to Oslo only one and half hours from Bodø. As I told you, I canseled the flight from Oslo to London in order to keep going by bicycle.

One week at Bodø with a brother of Torstain & Bjarte were very very fine!
I tried inside-hockey, sharkas training and watching some movies as well as football match. In addition to those wonderful time, I climbed up to the place where I can see whole city from the top, which was also fine!

At this moment, I am at the airport called Gardemoen which is located about 50km north from the central Oslo waiting for a person who is supposed to host me. The host I haven't met him, of course! But he is a friend of Bjour who is a man traveling by bicycle from Norway to S.Africa. I met him in Estland.

Normally, when I go overseas I have booked a hotel or guesthouse before I left in Japan. But in this time as you know I haven't even once booked any place to stay. Just sarching a place or put up my tent in the forest. In Norway especially in summer time, people they have in common that traveler may put up their tent in a forest which makes me surprised. In Japan, some people do it but it is not acceptable for some people(Of course,it is safe)or only at camping site. Even in winter time it works in here, but in northern Norway the place as I left was very cold to sleep in the tent. I am pretty sure about it! What I mean out of this experience people allowed me to stay at thier place without money but if I would say something about it, it is friendship. And friendship makes a world. Here, as we do in Japan, when my friend come to home, I never ask for money even I don't think about it because it is friend.

Anyway, they have a season to travel which in Norway from May to August, which I haven't also expected, that is one of the reason why I have to finally take a flight.
It feels like a season sports but in Japan, in Tokyo we don't have any best season to travel depends on the climate. Only one month mid-Jun to July we have rain season but you can escape it if you go to Hokkaido(northern island)

Still cold in outside, anyway.(a little bit better?)

To tell the truth, I have been thinking about the possibility to go to Africa just because my journey has been very fine but the most importatnt thing of this journey to decide what I really want to do in my future which means Africa is the best place to know. Of course traveling by bicycle all the way to Edinburgh will be fine as a project but that is not my top priority which I have noticed in these days.

If I devide of this world into two, most probably I decide depends on the economic level which sometimes told us as North and South(I prefer use this description more than that of developed and developing countries). It is not easy to decide all country in the world which is North or South but I will say almost all country where I traveled through this journey was North. Japan is North. Norway is also North.

When I was in Tanzania in two years ago, I couldn't speak English well as I do at this moment. What I know from the experience, people are poor and hard to live.

But here in Norway as well as Japan people are rich. And Norway is one of the closest country in Japan, which means living standard and security reason.
Be safe is the most important point of any place in the world but I want to visit those poor countries and somehow figured out what is the thing that I want to do in Southern countries especially in Africa. Moreover, it may be true that I just want to make it clear why I have been longing for the African continent even people are poor and not safe to do anything compared to here.

As to my travel, I most probably keep going by bicycle to Denmark (I am not sure if I visit to Stockholm), Germany(doubt in Berlin), Netherland, Belgium and of course in France and to UK. I don't have to stick to visit all capital in all countries.

Most of west African countries they speak in French instead of English because of the history. I feel like this is the last chance to get an shock or impact that I have to learn Frence. I believe it will work out.

Airport in Oslo is bigger than that of Bodø.

It may start another busy days!¨:-(
Well, but I could enough rest of beautiful landscape in northern Norway as well as Lapland.

Yuji @ Gardemoen Airport, Oslo, Norway

PS. Feel like still a little bit tired though I haven't been riding on my bike since last Thursday. I used for three seats to sleep in the plain. It was far from the morning subway in Tokyo!

Bodø VS Tromsø

The football match between Bodø and Tromsø held at the yesterday evening in Bodo. I was paticipated in that game as a supported in Bodo with my host and their friend.
To tell the truth, I am not the person who know much about football league and environment in Norway but as I heard from them both Bodo and Tromso has been a rival because only those two cities belongs to a top football league in Norway. What is another interesting thing is that there is one Japanese football player called"Daigo Kobayashi", who is playing one of a foot ball team in Norway and I haven't heard about his name before when I came to here. Almost everyone who like football they know about "Kobayashi", which feels like that people are not get used to Japanese football player in Norway.

Actually, it doesn't matter if either Tromsø or Bodø win the match because I am traveler. But I should say that I am the person who support to Bodø as long as I was sitting on a seat at Bodø side.(I will say standing) 90min. in a whole game, we have been standing to be able to suppot for the Bodø and which feels that I am a person who is supporting to Bodø. To tell the truth, I haven't expected that I have to support whole time of the game with standing off the seat, which remind me of the baseball match at my university. There is a league so-called "baseball match of six university" which has been held in every spring and autum, some students who like baseball game they goes to the studium to support their university. The reason to support is very simple I am the student at Hosei University that's why I am supporting to my university instead of Waseda or Rikkyo university, which are one of the six.
The thing that I have done is here was the same feeling that I have done in that baseball game. I am or my host supporting to Bodø because they are living in the city. Even though the studium itself was very small but most of the supporters are from Bodo and some supporters from Tromsø. Just before the game, we saw a big flags of the Tromsø supporters from the seat and supporters in Bodø started to make sounds to show that we don't like you!, which feels really similar to us. Population in both city has 40,000 in Bodo and 65,000 in Tromso which means both of the city is so small but they make a small society. People who makes a game was only eleven players in both side of the team but I feels like that supporters make and enjoyed to support their team which belongs to the city, which was very at home! We, in Japan also have that kind of professional league and we have a team in Tokyo, but mostly players in the team from the other part of Japan or overseas, which is hard to have a motivation that I want to support for the team just because I am from Tokyo. Normally either baseball or football, people who want to support of the team is because he or she have a player that they want to support not be based on the city.

1-1 was the score of the game. After the game atmosphere at the studium was a little bit depressed because we didn't win the game. I feels like not bad because we could catch to the Tromso after we gave a goal to the Tromsø about 88 min. and we managed to make an goal at the loss time, which was very fine!

Studium is located at a part of the city and the game feels like one of a entertaiment for the weekend.

One studium, one station, one hospital, one library, one university, one or two place where we can see whole city. If I can compare to Tokyo, we have 23 district in the center of Tokyo. My place is located one of the district which similar to Bodo or Tromsø as my experience. Here, I can strongly feel like that I am in a city that is different feeling which I had at my place. Actually, I prefer to this kind of small place where we can feel it to the city and confortable to live!!!

Yuji @ 6th days in Bodø, Nordland, Norway

PS. I will leave for Oslo tomorrow morning hoping for warm tempreture!

Letters from Iwo Jima

Friendship makes a world.

Winter boot from Mr. Hans at Svolvær! 

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to see a movie called "Letters from Iwo Jima", which was produced by Clint Eastwood and had a little impact in Japan few years ago. To tell the truth, it was my first time to watch that movie and was easy to understand because of the language. Though the directer is an American movie star but most of actors are Japanese and they speak Japanese. The movie itself was pretty good. As a student of politics even just to know about the history at the end of WWII, the movie was nice and I can easily understand what have done in there. Actually, I didn't tried to understand what was the movie when people and media trying to say something about movie which was 2-3 years ago. So, I cannot explain it well as they did but I will say something what I felt from the movie.

Firstly, the movie tried to explain how Japanese loyalty to emperor Hirohito was wrong. In the movie, I saw quite a lot of times that Japanese soldiers gave three cheers to emperor and even sometimes they died by their-selves as a name of loyalty to Japan moreover to emperor that I feel. Secondly, as the saw the another movie based on wars that this movie is also tells us how the war makes sad story and we never do the same mistake as we have done, which was the most important point of that kind of movies. On the contrary, if I would say some critical comment on the movie was that it was a little bit grotesque in some part and it was feels like bad. Was it just because the directer is from the States? Of course it is important to telll the rial story what have done in there but not necessary to make it such as strong impact as I saw. Lastly, the title was the "Letters" but I couldn't feels like letters have a lot of influence on whole movie. Was that because I missed in some important part of the movie?

The movie took about 2 hours, feels like a little bit more, but that was the longest time to hear Japanese since I started of my journey, which feels like that I was in Japan. Through this journey, I met some Japanese people but when I tried to talk them I couldn't even speak Japanese well because I haven't been used for a long time to talk with. That's why I speak to Japanese people with in English, which much more better to communicate then.

I saw the movie with my host , he is Norwegian and of course he couldn't understand in Japanese and he had to kept his eyes on subtitles, which he must be tough because the subtitle was English not in Norwegian. The funny thing that the point to laugh was different between us. Well it maybe just we grown up in different continent, wasn't it?    

Since I got a place to stay till 20th of Oct. I can make me comfortable to stay at his place.

Today, I got an interview from the student at Bodø to study about journalism. They wanted to make an interview to know about the story which I made and what I am doing at this moment. Still I have some language problems that why I cannot explain it well than that it should be. Hopefully it was good for their study!

Tomorrow, I will go to stadium to watch a football game between Bodø and Tromsø, which is the first game to see in Europe! I am really looking forward to watching it. 

Yuji @ 4th nights at Bodø, Nordland, Norway

PS. I sometimes feels like that I don't want to move especially if I stay at one place for over 3 days. That is one of the problems of this kind of journey, which I made a lot of time. How will I name? Looks like "winter sleep", isn't it? Too Lazy!!!