Shinobazu-no-ike (不忍池) is an oasis in the middle of this metropolis, and on a day so sunny and warm like this, you'll see so many people roaming around: young couples and old couples, families and friends, tourists and neighbors, real-life seagulls and fake jumbo-sized ducky.
We set up our kick-scooters, tried riding them for the good fifteen minutes or so, then decided it was about time we had a break. -Siis syömään!jeppii :D
So we sat on a bench munching on a chicken thigh and cucumbers, and talked about our next target lake to conquer.
So we sat on a bench munching on a chicken thigh and cucumbers, and talked about our next target lake to conquer.
By the way, for the lake to be certified as being "conquered," we set up some rules.
Rule number one: Eat Some Meat (Because we're 29. Ask your Japanese friend why this even stands to reason.)
Rule number two: Take a photo with the official PROJECT 29 flag (Embarrassing? Who gives a sh*t now.)
As you can see, it's pretty easy to spot us: Just go follow the scent of chicken wings or look for a person wrapped in a PROJECT 29 sign. -Olkaa siis tarkkana!-
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①Shinobazu-no-ike (不忍池) |
What's great about the Ueno Park is that it has everything from a pond, I mean lake, to a five-story pagoda to a zoo to a museum (science, art, culture, you name it), all in the vicinity. We did not have time for Rembrandt nor giant pandas, however, so off we went to our next target, Lake Tama.
Lake Tama (多摩湖) was about an hour away from Ueno Park on train and, conveniently enough, it had a twin, Lake Sayama (狭山湖). The lakes were surrounded by thick forest (トトロの森), making us forget we were still on the border of Tokyo. We ended up riding our kick-scooters for three hours, and caught but only a glimpse of the lake once or twice during the ride.
There was one time when an old man walking pass by asked Ace, "Is it (=kick-scooter) any faster?" To which Ace answered, "I'm not really sure." It was true. I mean, we were faster than walking old couples, but we never beat bikes and joggers. Below equation should give you some idea:
spandex-covered cyclist > ardent jogger > kick-scooter-er ≥ regular jogger > chitchatting school girls
-Siis, nopeus ei kyllä meidän ala, mutta ala-mäessä kyllä tämä juoksuu...!-
By the end of the day, both of us were able to instantly figure out at every corner whether we should ride it, carry it, or just forget it. We did find out, though, how COOL kick-scooter is. It's faster than walking when going downhill; it's lighter than a bike when carrying on your shoulder; and it's a bit less embarrassing than a grown-up riding a tricycle. Marvelous.
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| ②Sayama ko (狭山湖) |
It was fairly adventurous for the first day and we conquered three lakes, which means we added three stars to our little flag, which means we donated 3,000 yen through JustGiving (http://justgiving.jp/c/6345).
Next ride is planned on May 1st – 2nd, and target lakes: Fuji Five Lakes!
-Jep, siis sureva retki on ensiviikolla suuniteltu ja toivottavasti silloinkin paistaa aurinkoa!!!-
Project29、ついに本格始動。記念すべき初日のトップバッターを飾るのは不忍池。
言わずと知れた、上野恩賜公園内に位置する都内のオアシス。
前日の悪天候とは打って変わっての晴天に、心は躍る。カモメだってわめく。巨大アヒルも湖面を走る。
おもむろにキックスクーターを組み立て、試運転。
走り慣れたところで、早速ブランチ。
ルールその１： 肉を食べる （だって29だから。問答無用）
ルールその２： Project29旗を持って、写真を撮る （恥ずかしいとか言えない。言わせない）
上野恩賜公園は、美術館や動物園も併設している。来日されているレンブラントやパンダ様にもお会いしたかったけれど、今回は西郷どんでよしとする。
次の目的地は、多摩湖と狭山湖。
不忍池のほとりでキュウリをかじりながら、地図で見つけてほぼ即決。ビバ 行き当たりばったり！
上野から山手線、西武線を経由して、西武球場前へ。
途中、多摩湖畔の「ホテル街」を通り過ぎた。
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| ③Tama ko (多摩湖) |
多摩湖と狭山湖は貯水池に指定されているため、湖面は非常にきれいで穏やか。
周囲のサイクリングロードもきちんと整備されていて、とても走りやすかった。
上野公園のようにお弁当を広げる場所が少ないのが難だけど、それだけに無駄に混むこともなく、ランナーやサイクリストに好まれるのだろう。
人の多い都心の公園も、派手なサイクリストや満室御礼ホテルだらけの湖畔も、それぞれに心洗われる楽しみがある。
本日の成果は、湖沼３ヵ所で星３つ。寄付額は、3,000円也。（http://justgiving.jp/c/6345）
次回の滑走予定は、5月1日～2日。
目的地は、富士五湖！
- Hero
-Suomen teksti&valokuva update: Ace
