“Now what” can be taken to as fine detail as we like.
In any moment, we have choices. At each moment, how do we decide what to do?

personal mission

This could come from a personal mission. For example, I have a mission I developed for myself in ManKind Project.

I create a world of love and connection
by connecting and listening.

Actually this version just popped out of my mind. The second line of the previous one was like “by leading and facilitating”

Having a personal mission allows asking useful questions at any moment. e.g.

• “What action will move me toward my mission?”
• “Will this action move me toward or away from my mission?”

emotional body

Another way to choose what we do is by feeling our emotions. Generally I have found that my most effective actions are if I move toward excitement AND fear at the same time.

The excitement means it’s something I care about. The fear means I don’t know how it will turn out. Put those together and get go for it! I haven’t yet experienced times where this guided me poorly.

Oh, by the way, my broken shoulder wants me to mention that if the feeling body features tired or rushed or anxious, it may be good to SLOW DOWN.

SLOW DOWN

This would make a great title for a book! ;-) Allowing your mind to control things is a great way to get muddled up in some mind stuff. Allowing your awareness to open to subtler energies can be a way to sense insights coming from a more loving realm.

Again, I’m talking about God here, or higher power. Maybe I’ll introduce a term I made: EPP, or Every Present Present. I’m not sure it applies here, but it just came to me, so there ya go.

I created the term EPP (not the thing it points to) when I created my own religion. That was while reading the book Shaving the Inside of your Skull by Mel Ash, who apparently got it from Timothy Leary:

This is the advice from Timothy Leary in The Politics of Ecstasy. He says that in order to make your own religion work you should “write down and define your: Goals, Roles, Rituals, Rules, Vocabulary, Values, Space-time Locales, Mythic Context. Develop your own rituals and costumes . . . You will eventually find yourself engaged in a series of sacred moments which feel right to you…”

Dang I ain’t typing the rest now, but it’s on page 173 of Mel Ash’s book.

I pray for God’s guidance.

I learned this year: “God perfects nature.”

I take it to mean we all have a natural way of being.
I’m naturally barefoot, usually optimistic, and a few other good things.
Naturally, I’m also a few other “bad” things. Naturally.

At my request, God perfects my natural skills and gifts.
God lessons my less useful things.
I have to let God in; I have free will to keep God’s meddling Ass out of my life.
I also have free will to let God’s perfect Guidance guide me.

We have free will. Maybe that was the “fall” of Adam and Eve. (I’m no biblical scholar.)

We have free will to do what we like, including let God into our hearts and to kinda take over the wheel of life.

It’s Step 4 (?) of 12-step programs.

In Gene Hart’s new book, Beyond Dreaming on page 14 of the free PDF I just read:

It has always been a great challenge for any author to accurately describe
spiritual dimensions that exist beyond time, space and conventional wisdom;
spoken human language is all but a vain attempt to describe the indescribable.

https://old.reddit.com/r/AstralProjection/comments/yu3vx2/my_astral_projection_book_beyond_dreaming_is_now/ https://youtu.be/OkhPITA2pU8

It’s been over a year since I walked. For ten days after my walk I was hella sad. Klaus explained it best, something like I had lost the identity of “walking across Japan” so needed to go through a grieving process.

Plus I was angry. Oh shit now I have to write a book??? Fuck that.

Robert Golden patiently encouraged me to write, saying correctly that the memories would fade. Heck I knew that as a 17 year old; that is how I started my handwritten journal.

I have learned a lot since my walk. I spoke at TEDx Ogikubo about the joys and benefits of barefoot walking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJzb5n9ldP8

While researching for the talk, I asked my physiotherapist friend Yuji who spoke for 30 minutes about the benefits of walking barefoot. Suddenly I realized I had to expand my number of barefoot walking events. It wasn’t just a feel-good thing; there are benefits beyond just “it feels good.”

Balance is improved; gait is improved; long term safety is improved; short term safety may go down slightly but can easily be mitigated with eyesight or walking in areas known to be safe for bare feet.

I had been doing monthly events, and now as of this writing, I’m leading 7 events per month. Seven! That’s great! That’s great except for one or more things.

Actually, in some cases, one or fewer things.

I am a chronic underearner. Of the Twelve Symptoms of UA on https://www.underearnersanonymous.org/, I often ticked about 9 of the proverbial boxes:

1. Time Indifference – We put off what must be done and do not use our time to support our own vision and further our own goals.

2. Idea Deflection – We compulsively reject ideas that could expand our lives or careers, and increase our profitability.

3. Compulsive Need to Prove – Although we have demonstrated competence in our jobs or business, we are driven by a need to re-prove our worth and value.

4. Clinging to Useless Possessions – We hold onto possessions that no longer serve our needs, such as threadbare clothing or broken appliances.

5. Giving Away Our Time – We compulsively volunteer for various causes, or give away our services without charge, when there is no clear benefit.

6. Undervaluing and Under-pricing – We undervalue our abilities and services and fear asking for increases in compensation or for what the market will bear.

7. Isolation – We choose to work alone when it might serve us much better to have co-workers, associates, or employees.

8. Misplaced Guilt or Shame – We feel uneasy when asking for or being given what we need or what we are owed.

9. Not Following Up – We do not follow up on opportunities, leads, or jobs that could be profitable. We begin many projects and tasks but often do not complete them.

See the full list of 12 here https://www.underearnersanonymous.org/about-ua/symptoms-of-underearning/

I’ve been spending a lot of time leading events, but not making enough money to live my life. I have a 1/4-time job that I do online and then 6 hours per month of other paid work. It’s not enough to do more than scrape by.

I love my free time and yet it’s sometimes too free. I have given a lot of my time away free and end up resenting people who I think should be paying me for my time. It’s my own dang fault, and I have the ability to do things differently.

I have been leading these events at an overall loss for a few months; my transportation costs and other expenses have not been covered by donations from the events.

I’ll probably increase the recommended donation from 500 yen to 1000 yen, especially after I get the custom bamboo barefoot thingies I plan to have designed and made soon. I’ve semi-started that process by asking Yoko if she can talk to her friend who makes things with bamboo.

24 May 2022

Just quickly to write your innate talents are the most valuable thing you undervalue because they are innate. You overlook them because they come so easily to you. What do people keep coming to you for? Continue to do those things more often. (see you’ve got talent)

‘2021-05-09T05:54:05+09:00’

title: 'hanging out with Daisuke and Hiroe at Googoo'

‘2021-05-09T06:01:16+09:00’

title: 'Creative force'

Last night my computer kept shutting down which I assume is caused by faulty interaction with the new battery. I woke up early to try to open the case and take out the battery but was not able to do it because of Apple’s use of pentalobe screws. Ugh.

I tried super gluing my pen cap into the screw but the glue wasn’t strong enough. I tried using my knife from Bill to carve the pen cap into the right shape but wasn’t able to do it.

While in the creative mode, I realized I could use the tape to make a cover for the camera which I used to take photos of the whole operation which I cannot currently put up on my website now because my computer is not working.

I wish I had asked Lin to bring my new computer from home which I have a 2% hope that she did anyway without me asking.

In any case here’s the picture I was able to take and upload with my phone.

‘2021-05-09T12:35:17+09:00’

title: 'Shinanogawaohashi has stairs'
location: 'geo:37.85398,139.01811;u=1600'

I made it to the bridge with stairs going up, the final interesting point that I planned to visit before embarking on this quest.

‘2021-05-09T12:38:54+09:00’

title: 'François on stairs'
location: 'geo:37.85731,139.01847;u=122.4000015258789'

PS the coordinates listed are kind of off.

‘2021-05-09T16:28:21+09:00’

title: 'arriving at the goal'

2021-05-08T08:38:20+09:00

title: "Day by Day plans for walking ~400km to Niigata"

Details:

These are maps of each segment, subject to change. For the latest info, PM me on LINE.

(*) Note: dates are subject to change! For the latest info, PM me on LINE.

‘2021-05-08T08:32:53+09:00’

title: 'optimization of steps'
location: 'geo:37.65001,138.93668;u=3.7900924682617188'

Just for the record, I am choosing not to walk about 60 m the wrong direction including across a busy Street so I can head toward my destination tonight and stop at a convenience store about 31 minutes away according to Google maps which will be about an hour at my pace.

That is to say, there’s a convenience store about 60 m wrong direction from which way I want to go so I’m not going to go there. I will instead walk 2.4 km the correct direction so as to not waste steps.

‘2021-05-08T08:39:19+09:00’

title: 'François on Yahiko Line'
location: 'geo:37.65101,138.93734;u=3.7900924682617188'

François on tracks with only one line. Yahiko Line

‘2021-05-08T08:54:51+09:00’

title: 'numbers on deicing label things'
location: 'geo:37.65398,138.93914;u=9.363497734069824'

I still haven’t figured out what these labels represent pointing to the deicing number things. The numbers seem to be within the set 65, 85, 100, now 110.

‘2021-05-08T09:08:38+09:00’

title: 'long greenhouse windows'
location: 'geo:37.65771,138.94439;u=4.0750885009765625'

Wow. They’ve got this crank that will unroll and looks like simultaneously come down the pole to close the plastic window along a 50 m length of greenhouse.

‘2021-05-08T09:16:45+09:00’

title: 'junk near farm'
location: 'geo:37.65752,138.94545;u=32.76599884033203'

Found some junk right next to a farm

‘2021-05-08T09:23:57+09:00’

title: 'crossing Nakanokuchi River'
location: 'geo:37.65769,138.94521;u=142.5'

Crossing Nakanokuchi River

‘2021-05-08T09:42:56+09:00’

title: 'a few pics before breakfast'
location: 'geo:37.66242,138.94711;u=59.58700180053711'

There’s something familiar about this picture

Neat to see this new number (50)

And right next to it a new manhole cover with three birds flying

And a little bit ago I noticed that each of these tiles were tied with wire down onto something, I assume bamboo.

‘2021-05-08T10:17:12+09:00’

title: 'confusing guy wires'
location: 'geo:37.66971,138.95139;u=110'

Confusing guy wires… why do they have two wires on the bottom one of which is unused?

‘2021-05-08T10:36:02+09:00’

title: 'skeleton of a skate ramp'
location: 'geo:37.67539,138.95309;u=3.7900924682617188'

Skate ramp frame

‘2021-05-08T10:42:07+09:00’

title: 'I may have found Jurassic Park'
location: 'geo:37.67549,138.95337;u=19.427000045776367'

Welcome to Jurassic Park

‘2021-05-08T11:14:22+09:00’

title: 'François and a big dam screw'
location: 'geo:37.68077,138.95997;u=32.0989990234375'

François found a big dam screw

‘2021-05-08T15:38:47+09:00’

title: 'interesting pool thing'
location: 'geo:37.75385,139.00787;u=4.323200225830078'

What is this?

From the side

‘2021-05-08T18:49:13+09:00’

title: 'Great time with Daisuke and Hiroe at Googoo'
location: 'geo:37.76135,139.0144;u=20.100000381469727'

Googoo is the sound of an empty stomach and of deep sleep. So what better name to use for a restaurant and guest house?

Located just two minutes apart by foot, Googoo Restaurant and Googoo Guest House are a delicious and clean combo for Italian food and place to sleep off the meal and ample drinks.

Daisuke and Hiroe are also backpackers, heading for months long adventures in different places around the world. We have some overlap in South America and Rapa Nui.

While writing this entry, I got another full glass of umeshu. And they have ice cream… Yikes stripes! Will I wake up in time tomorrow?

20:20

Oh my goodness, they picked up my tab at the restaurant. So generous!

Daisuke had said 遊び来てね！ and that 遊び is what made me think it would be worth it to take my tired butt over there. So worth it indeed! We had great conversations about travel and he asked world-traveler type questions, including “what prompted you to stay in Japan?”

Really super best of alll the places I have stayed. Apa was 3700 cheap and impersonal. Googoo was just 5000 yen and included dinner and hours of great friendly conversation!

‘2021-05-07T10:39:28+09:00’

title: 'go straight 14 km'
location: 'geo:37.53583,138.88872;u=4.217646598815918'

Next destination is essentially straight for 14 km.

‘2021-05-07T10:49:07+09:00’

title: 'SUPER CENTER PLANT 5'
location: 'geo:37.53891,138.89069;u=87.5999984741211'

Okay it’s decided then, we will call it SUPER CENTER PLANT 5. Everyone in agreement?

‘2021-05-07T11:22:34+09:00’

title: 'junk behind a shed'
location: 'geo:37.55319,138.89529;u=116.0999984741211'

Stereo equipment and other discarded junk

‘2021-05-07T11:27:28+09:00’

title: leverage
location: 'geo:37.55405,138.89585;u=128.8990020751953'

These doors would have to be paper light for these door stoppers to have a chance of actually stopping them if they really opened.

‘2021-05-07T11:37:24+09:00’

title: 'little house on the river'
location: 'geo:37.55655,138.89773;u=7.986046314239502'

Is this a way out outhouse?

In any case, it’s right above the water.

(The door was locked 🔒)

2021-05-07T18:59:08+09:00

title: "Finished Day 22 around 6pm"

I did a couple of livestreams on Instagram yesterday. (I downloaded and copied them to Youtube so you don’t have to log in to view them.)

Water pouring into rice fields

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ltEFRpkT9U

Great talking to Eddie a bit on his way to get his kids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIq1T_-HNc

APA Hotel Tsubamesanjo Ekimae is really the best I have used this walk in terms of price per ameneties.

Private bath, bed, TV with free VOD including adult content, plus a larger than micro sized toothpaste, and a nice toothbrush with soft bristles. Just 3700 yen. Nice.

Day 22 was

2021-05-06T12:23:51+09:00

title: "Saw Missy's Green Japanese Ratsnake"

Saw a rather large ratsnake I encountered before crossing Kariyata River (map). He was quite chill.

16:30 Monday 17 May 2021 JST

Rambling transcript of story:

Walking around the bend of a highway where the road was terribly rough. And I was wearing sandals because it was so rough. Just about to cross, I couldn’t even see the path where I was headed. And is I was like, I need to, I see the berm of a river. And I need to go over that hill. But I come in around this corner, I can’t see if there is actually a path there to go from this level around the left up to the bridge that’s crossing the river.

So I might have to go away back or I might have to I’m not going to go way back. Let me tell you that. But I might have to like drag or pick up my bag and carry it up this hill. And so just approaching and approaching and finally at the last minute, it’s like okay, there’s a path cool. And getting legs stepping up the path toward the toward the bridge that was there. over the river. Walking, walking, walking, just looking at my feet and my Oh, so tired. Hello. Hello snake. You’re beautiful.

Wow. It’s like Oh, hi snake. beautiful green rat snake. I didn’t know as a rat snake until after I posted a picture up on Reddit. But the answer quick and answer quickly came back. No, that’s a Japanese rat snake is a beautiful species but a beautiful specimen. I was able the rat snake was she was so chill. I was able to put François down in front of him take a picture. Pick François up start a video and then the snake was like I guess I guess we’re done here snake sorta snake and on by.

And I like I wanted to pick it up. And thought it would be more polite to just let it go on its way. And someone said on Reddit and to say just say pardon me when you pick it up. And I kind of sort of think that that’s right. I mean, if it’s an actual in my heart to excuse me, I would like to pick you up. I wonder if it’s okay, but I just had this, you know, kind of reverence for this animal.

And projecting today that it saw me as a giant animal. It was a big snake but I’m a lot bigger than that. And on Reddit, the guy was guessing is two meters long. I guessed it was 130 centimeters long. But yeah, it’s big snake looks pretty cool. In decent size.

So yeah, they’re just there was a cool snake and oh, and then my friend Missy texted me right after that. She’s like, Oh, I just had an amazing experience. And she was telling me about her experience. And so we decided that the snake was a messenger letting me know to contact her because she had just had a had an amazing experience. So that was neat. I put him on YouTube. I called it Missy’s green snake.

2021-05-06T15:23:51+09:00

title: "Pictures from Day Twenty One"

Leaving the hotel this morning around 7am

Two manhole covers with same design at different sizes. I may have posted a large size version somewhere.

Bicycle wheel themed bicycle parking

Went through a tunnel that apparently gets flooded at times.

Saw a turtle in a river

turtle without zoom

Also saw an orange in a river

Curious loops on wires a I guess to keep birds off them

Wow I was back there a few days ago..

Curious that these huge heavy plates are being held down by a backhoe

Brand name

2021-05-06T17:46:42+09:00

title: "Finished Day 21 in record time"

Before I started walking, Jason H described a simple 4 steps to adapting to any stressful situation. I think I am in the last stage now; I have just come to realize walking is my life. Nothing can be done to change it. Just walk walk walk.

I felt quite hot and tired by the end of today. Not a drop of rain in sight, and plenty of sun, so I am glad I put on sunscreen before I started out at 7am. I arrived at the hotel about 2:30pm, so 7.5 hours walking 17.5 kilometers (according to Google Maps)

2021-05-05T20:53:51+09:00

title: "Finished Walking Day 20"

It’s (according to my computer). To my feet and legs, it’s early on Walkday. My brain knows it is now Day 21, but this entry is about Day 20:

I did not take many pictures on Day 20, compared to other days. Photographs seem to happen more in the morning, but as I get tireder and tireder from walking, the pictures taper off as I’m like bah, who cares about seeing more flowers that are not really differentiatable from other pics I have taken.

Day 20 things:

• saw a two car train and tried to take a video but realized later I apparently did not hit record until after the train went by.
• saw species of little yellow flowers that I had not seen before
• talked to Brian in Corpus for about an hour while sharing stories of mapping. Very fun talking with him as we have similar senses of humor.
• 1. “everything was going fine until I talked to those guys in Corpus”
• 2. “here’s your diploma!” after walking through flowerbed on campus
• almost recorded Joetsu Line shinkansen, albiet far away
• Surprised to see Doge is up to 77 yen, and has gone up 11000% just in 2021.
• Installed Folding@Home and signed up for the Doge team https://www.dogecoinfah.com/doc/gettingstarted.html#getstarted on my laptop and on my Vultr server (pinning its CPU to 100% (up from 4% over the past years))
• Nearly weaned myself off aidungeon.io, helped by the response “The AI doesn’t know what to say. Alter, undo, or try again.”
• Walked across Shinano River with water pouring through Myokan Weir, a word I did not know the meaning.

Day 20 was:

2021-05-05T08:16:58+09:00

title: 'feeling sad this morning'
location: 'geo:37.30778,138.79659;u=19.309999465942383'

I’m feeling quite sad this morning, possibly because the walk is coming to an end, combined with that I haven’t done a lot of the things that I thought I would do, for example interviews with locals using my audio recorder, or make updates on all the different platforms that I had planned to update, including the crowdfunding campaign site.

Oh, and I haven’t finished all the letters that I told people I would write.

And and there have been some contributions on the crowdfunding site where people have asked for letters or postcards but I can’t figure out how to download them to get those addresses so I’m not sure what to do there.

I was able to figure it out before but my tired brain just couldn’t do it this morning and then I forgot about it before I packed up my computer.

Also sad that my computer seems to have rejected the battery starting over a week ago. Well the computer reports the battery is at 100% it immediately shuts off immediately when I unplug the power adapter.

Fortunately, the computer itself has been working fine when it’s plugged in and I’ve used it to great success in keeping my website pretty much up to date.

The walk today is 15 km so significantly shorter than yesterday, though I’m starting 2 hours later than I did yesterday.

I have a call with my friend in Texas in 45 minutes and then session with a client tonight. It’s wonderful to be able to work while I’m traveling.

2021-05-05T12:31:17+09:00

title: 'Amazing water flow at Myokan Weir'

Placid Shinanogawa

Something happening

Whoah

Vids from Myokan Weir

https://youtu.be/4iMnI-2Ko_Y both sides of bridge

https://youtu.be/AQEsQno2yU4 both sides of thingie

https://youtu.be/t-U0HaStvyU slow motion angle

https://youtu.be/4Pj7W8lbBYU slow motion straight down

https://youtu.be/z2SaTjwXY4Y

https://youtu.be/tunVfQyXJeQ

Deets

Pics

Fish stairs

2021-05-05T14:11:17+09:00

title: 'favorite pudding at a dairy shop'
location: 'geo:37.39601,138.83878;u=87.5999984741211'

I was attracted by the restroom sign icon and then realized the shop sells my favorite pudding, so I am Chilling at a dairy shop with 3km left to walk today..

title: “1504 Let Go and eat pizza”

2021-05-04T05:36:34+09:00

title: 'Arrived in Sudaya just before dark last night'

The walk yesterday was reasonably good with just a little bit of rain. Lots of walking along railroad tracks including scene a interesting train construction thing that I hadn’t seen before. I was a little bit late by the time I saw that I didn’t take the time to upload the picture but I have a couple to upload.

I stopped for a bit in Urasa Station, which was largely closed except for restrooms and two shops on the second floor: some kind of gift shop and a convenience store.

There was an up going escalator up to the second level which was high so actually about the three floors worth of steps. So I left my bag downstairs while going upstairs to pee and such.

I went to the convenience store and got a bunch of stuff but then realized my wallet was downstairs in my bag because it won’t fit in my pockets when I’m wearing my rain gear.

Fortunately, this is Japan, and unfortunately, the train station was nearly desolate, due to covid I guess, so my bag was completely untouched and fine when I went downstairs to get my wallet. Anyway the point is just that I had to tell the cashier apologies and then run down the stairs and escalator back up with my wallet to pay.

I was barefoot the entire day except for about 2 km walking north of that station, where the roads just didn’t have any sidewalk but did have lots of gravel and such. That was around the area that has two different snow sheds in a row on the highway next to the Joetsu Line.

It was nice walking along the Uono River; it was pretty large and flowing pretty quickly with bluish looking clear snow melt water.

I am in a small city called Koide now, and planning to pack and go pretty soon.

I have not updated my website to put the day by day things at the top of the page so I have to dig down a little bit to find that entry and figure out where I’m going next.

2021-05-04T05:53:00+09:00

title: 'Good morning Day 19'

Well it looks like someone didn’t do their job… The text written in the screenshots says I’ll be staying somewhere near a park… Which was apparently written before I had found a hotel near that location, and was probably written before I decided to stay at hotels for most nights.

Fortunately, I do have access to this information on my phone via the magic of Google Sheets…

According to the sheet I’ll be staying at Ojiya Park Hotel in 小千谷　(おじや) .

https://goo.gl/maps/qon2wdyNcaJyGeRg6

2021-05-04T09:24:58+09:00

title: 'clay dam I think'
location: 'geo:37.2608,138.88872;u=256.5799865722656'

Clay

2021-05-04T10:55:27+09:00

title: 'halfway finished Day 19'
location: 'geo:37.26075,138.86893;u=13.253000259399414'

I’ve made it halfway and my feet have slight injuries like skin worn through and starting to bleed on my left foot. I should probably put on my sandals.

Here are some pics I took from inside a tunnel

2021-05-04T11:50:16+09:00

title: 'blue sheet caught my eye'
location: 'geo:37.26102,138.86831;u=4.881699562072754'

2021-05-04T13:33:20+09:00

title: 'walking next to train tracks'
location: 'geo:37.28301,138.83276;u=2900'

Looking back on a nice view as I’m more than halfway done walking today.

I said hello to a guy in Japanese and he replied that he doesn’t speak English. I guess I’m not in Tokyo anymore.

2021-05-04T16:56:59+09:00

title: "and that'
location: 'geo:37.31158,138.79624;u=14.218999862670898'

Canak’s Pizza
https://www.facebook.com/PIZZACANAK/

On my way to the hotel for tonight I walked right by a pizza place but it turned out to be closed.

I searched the area for other pizza places and found one that was kind of near my hotel but the wrong side of the street by like half a kilometer so I was like nah. I ain’t walking way over there just for pizza.

So I bought some of my staple food for this journey and a convenience store and put it into my jacket pockets for consumption at the hotel.

Walking across 信濃川 (Shinano-gawa), I spent some time talking to a sweet old man who spent time telling me about the area and answering questions I had about the landscaping of the river and some of the local shrines.

He gave me two cards from the local shrine, offering one of the two and then offering both after I told him about my anti-suicide campaign of this walk.

After he left, I followed my map to the hotel but couldn’t find it. I walked around to where it seemed to be on the map and suddenly there was a pizza place.

Wow! Why wasn’t this shown on the map before?

I looked down and somehow had fat fingered the map to get myself to the pizza place from before instead of to my hotel.

Bought a large pizza of which I’ll eat half and save the rest for tomorrow.

いただきます!

Boom ate the whole thing. I was hungry!!

Day 19 was

🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕

2021-05-03T10:00:41+09:00

title: 'thank you Muikamacchi Hutte'
location: 'geo:37.07204,138.869;u=30.222999572753906'

Muiamacchi Hutte was a great place to stay last night and get in out of the rain. Nice clean rooms and great hot onsen.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1YtZtkDxyAzihFXS9

2021-05-03T10:18:10+09:00

title: 'found a nice little shrine'
location: 'geo:37.07655,138.87211;u=10.861404418945312'

Found a nice little shrine

2021-05-03T10:26:34+09:00

title: 'flowers in Muikamachi'
location: 'geo:37.07783,138.87211;u=23.215999603271484'

2021-05-03T10:29:21+09:00

title: 'though it''s day 18 I will walk to Day Ten City.'
location: 'geo:37.07862,138.87208;u=30.513999938964844'

Shall I walk to the mountains or to Day Ten City

2021-05-03T10:58:40+09:00

title: 'pylon with no bridge to carry'
location: 'geo:37.08489,138.87476;u=6.220832347869873'

Ready for a new highway

2021-05-03T11:16:42+09:00

title: 'I just received two cans of coffee'
location: 'geo:37.08882,138.87638;u=116.0999984741211'

A couple in a small black van pass me and then stopped reversed and greeted me when I approached.

They gave me two cans of coffee from the back of their van and apologize for offering so little. I couldn’t express enough how much it meant to me; they are actually the first people to stop and offer something along the way.

Super gratitude for their gift.

2021-05-03T11:22:06+09:00

title: 'mountains seen from the side of highway 17'
location: 'geo:37.08829,138.87705;u=142.5'

Fortunately we didn’t really encounter any snow while walking through the mountains.

2021-05-03T11:40:26+09:00

title: 'hello red car driver from NASPA'
location: 'geo:37.0929,138.8735;u=1200'

Before I even had time to go down the hill from where I was able to take pictures of the Japanese Alps, I saw a red car approaching so jumped out of the way but then the driver stopped and was a hey it’s me from NASPA, and I’m like oh my God hi it’s so good to see you!

She asked about Jason and I explained that he went on ahead, needing to finish the walk by the 7th of May. So from here on we are both walking separately.

She wished me good luck and went on her way.

So interesting to have so many connections happening here on this stretch of highway!

By the way, the coordinates of this entry look much more likely to be correct than on the previous two or three entries.. at least this time they’re showing me next to a highway instead of in the middle of small roads through small fields.

2021-05-03T11:43:51+09:00

title: 'Day Six City tunnel number 9'
location: 'geo:37.09335,138.87323;u=2500'

I guess I’m still in Day Six City

2021-05-03T12:11:23+09:00

title: 'a peek inside a sprayer'
location: 'geo:37.10143,138.8877;u=104.0999984741211'

Cool. I found a sprayer that is a little bit ripped up so I was able to look inside..

The coordinates of this entry look to be off again because I’m actually right next to the highway..

2021-05-03T14:03:14+09:00

title: 'cool framing of the mountains'
location: 'geo:37.13632,138.91056;u=62.98899841308594'

Walking next to a bullet train line which is the top of this picture of the mountains in the background..

2021-05-03T14:08:28+09:00

title: 'trees both protected and trapped'
location: 'geo:37.1362,138.91034;u=54.94599914550781'

These trees seem to be protected and trapped by a fence underneath the bullet train line.

2021-05-03T22:15:30+09:00

title: 'add this to summary of yesterday day 18'

Just before walking under one of the snowsheds it started to hail a little bit as part of the precipitation. The hailstones were only a few millimeters across, but definitely not sleet because it wasn’t that cold.
I ate one of the hailstones and it was great. :-)

For several long barefoot segments, I was walking in the street which was much nicer than the adjacent sidewalk. I could see way down the street and move out of the way when cars came, which they rarely did because it was so rural.

Just before Urasa Station, I interacted with two groups of people: two teenage Japanese boys who took pictures with me including @kousei_mountains on Instagram, and three people speaking English, but who didn’t seem interested in talking when I said hello and such. I felt a little sad because I haven’t gotten to speak much English (in person) during this trip.

Day 18 was