So I did go on a ride.

I did go on the bike ride on Sunday which I wrote about earlier. The bicycle ride is always good, but what was best was the relief from leaving the Osaka city. It's not a bad city I suppose, but I am not a big fan of cities in general. Anyways, I took the road heading southeast, so I can get to the mountains that seperate Osaka and Nara. I didn't have the intention to leave the Osaka side because I left home late, and the roads in the mountain would have iced over. My roadbike with 28c road tire just won't cut it.
I rode to the area around Taishi-cho, Kanan-cho, and Chihaya Akasaka-mura, all located by the mountain on the Osaka prefecture side. Only about 30km one way, but more than enough for me to enjoy a scenery of the forgotten past of Japan. Really, everyone thinks(or am I the only one who thinks so?) that Japan is all about the city like Tokyo where everything is modern, full of cool electronics, nightlife, etc., but those are only part of it. It reminds me of how a lot of Japanese think that US is all NYC, Seattle, and LA, but thats far from the truth. Anyways, once you step out of the city, you experience the part of Japan that rarely receives attention. I have heard someone calling Japan the most backwards of the first world countries. "Wasteful" and disregard for the nature are two things that came to mind when I first heard it. We are good at making new technology, and improving what's already out there. We were so focused on the future that we hadn't had the time to look back into the good parts of the past. The old frugal lifestyle still exists in those areas away from the city. I think the hint for the modern environmental concerns are right in front of their eyes, waiting to be rediscovered. This is my opinion and the issue is quite debateable.

This brings me to another point, the nature in Japan often seem a bit different from what one might find in the US, for example. I don't know what it is, but seems like it's man-made, or having some kind of human intervention. Not necessarily in a bad way though. People used to live in coexistance with the nature, and maybe that's what it is. I do disagree with the mentality that some people in power have, about making places in nature more accessible to people. It invites more people who can come and trash the place. One mountain in Nara Prefecture finally put a limit to the number of people allowed every week, due to the quicker than expected degradation of the nature. I believe small "eco-tours" are pretty good idea because while inviting people to the nature, it educates them the dangers it's facing. That said, the nature found in Japan can be spectacular such as the Iriomote-jima, a.k.a. the eastern Galapagos. One thing we lack is nature in the massive scale such as Grand Canyon, and the great wilderness of Alaska. But I think it gives each country it's own unique colors.

Sorry, I digress. Now back to the ride. The small towns and the village I went through were quite amazing. People were very friendly and they had the time to talk even if it was just for few moments. It was the day after the "snowstorm", and the melting snow gave the air the damp smell unique to areas with soil and trees. I long for this because where I live, this experience that can be taken for granted by many, is few and far in between. As I made the 1400ft climb, the temperature got significantly cooler with more remnants of snow. That's when I turned around to leave the mountain pass for another day, for the sun was setting. No need for trouble. No need to hurry. I shall return again.

It's late, time to sleep now.