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Tuesday, September 11, 2018

(#5/9) Back roads and byways of Honshu

9 Sept
 There is not much for tourist spots in the yamagata prefecture, but the area is beautiful. Silly me was thinking I would bike along flat river valley's, but this is Japan, and flat is only here and there. So I used these last couple days to stop often and take pictures of the mundane, which to me, is a great part of the fun.
 I love grocery stores in other countries. Everything is familiar but so different. Here I have no idea what I'm buying, usually I'll pick up a package to get a better look and it will be white and somewhat squishy. Everything here is wrapped in plastic, including individual carrots.
In bigger grocery stores they have bakeries and the bread here defies physics. It is so light that if seems like you are biting into little Debbie frosting rather than bread. Breads are usually filled with sweet beans or mayo. Every now and then I'll bite into something sweet and delicious which gives me a false sense of confidence when picking out my next treat.
 People's gardens are spectacular. Even in tiny plots, gardens become works of art. Trees are coached into artistic shapes and flowers are exploding right now.
 I've been relying heavily on my tablet for Google maps. Even still I find myself going the wrong direction and having to detour through little towns. I'm never disappointed since the smaller roads are by far more scenic.
 It's been cracking me up passing construction zones. All the barriers are held up with different creatures. Sometimes ducks, frogs, giraffes, little monsters, or dragons, Japan can even make muddy construction cute.

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