Starting Journey

More than two months after my early retirement in March this year, I landed at San Francisco airport with a large amount of luggage. My luggage included among other things, a motorcycle helmet, leather jacket, leather pants, tent and sleeping bag. At the immigration department, I informed them I would like to stay in the US for three months. The officer asked me why I wanted such a long time? To enter the US without a visa, a passenger is required to possess a return ticket, not a one-way ticket. My return flight was reserved for ten days later. I replied to the officer's questions, that I worked for a local government as a computer specialist of environmental pollution, that I would be visiting an American friend, who is a medical doctor, and I would be making a motorcycle trip, and so on. The officer finally reassured me not to engage in any illegal labor and gave me three month's permission to stay in the US.

After eight-and-a-half-hours of no smoking on the plane from Osaka, and as soon as the simple X-ray examination was completed at customs, I rushed out of the airport to smoke a cigarette. When I finished smoking a second cigarette, Michael, my friend of more than 25 years, arrived to pick me up. He was a great help, as my luggage was so enormous it was next to impossible for one man to carry.

Since I acquired my motorcycle license ten years ago, I have taken monthly holidays and made motorcycle trips to foreign countries almost every year. Each time left me with the desire to one day make a motorcycle journey around the world, taking enough time and being free from schedules. And now that I am over fifty, and recognizing the aging of my body, I have decided that the long time realization of my dream should not be postponed any longer. Life is too short, and is given to us only once. So, I chose to end my 29 years as an office worker and decided to wander around the world on my motorcycle.

A motorcycle is the most important tool for my travels. It is not only a tool, but something like my travel partner. It is almost like a wife to a bachelor rider like me. What are the basic requirements of a motorcycle to me? First, the bike should be heavy duty manufactured and of high quality; second, the tires should be tubeless which are easily repaired when punctured; third, it should not be chain-driven, but shaft-driven to assure free maintenance; forth, it should have a large capacity gas tank suitable for a long ride; fifth, it should be able to accommodate hard saddle bags for safely storing additional luggage; sixth, the seat should be as low as possible to accommodate extremely short-legged people like myself. After investigation I came to the conclusion that only a BMW-R1100R satisfies these six requirements.The Internet is really convenient. Before leaving Japan I searched for the BMW dealer closest to Rohnert Park in California where Michael lives and asked the dealer to find a BMW for me. A new model of the bike, R1150R came into the market this spring, but unfortunately it has a higher seat of 80cm, so I had to find a used older model with a lower seat of 76cm. The dealer had located a R1100R for me several days before my arrival in California. However, better news was waiting for me at the airport in San Francisco. Prior to Michael heading to the airport to pick me up, he searched the Internet and found two R1100R's for sale in the vicinity of Rohnert Park. One of the two bikes was quite new, a 2000 year model and the odometer reading was only 25,000km, which is less than the one of my dealer. And, it still had a two-year warrantee left. Moreover, it was equipped with heated grips, windshield, and lockable hard boxes on both side of the bike, which I wanted. The following morning I went to San F

Humming birds and other nameless feathered friends frequently visit his garden. Sitting in a glass-walled bright room showered by affluent sunshine and enjoying the view of a garden like this, with trees standing tall in the background, you can feel time flowing slow and nature changing its face in accordance with the flowing time. Your mind becomes rich. No doubt, America is much richer than Japan. Michael's wife is originally a Japanese, and so there is a "tatami" room in their home. She recently started a business of dealing accessories of tea ceremony on the Internet. She sits at a personal computer all day long. She is as beautiful as the woman motorcycle rider.Michael left the Berkeley California University, which is well-known by the movie "Strawberry Statement", just one month before graduation and then went on a journey to see the world as a hippie. He traveled around Europe and Asia and reached Japan 25 years ago, ending up with only twenty dollars in his pocket. Later he returned to the US and studied medicine and then he did activities for several years as a volunteer to help poor people in Nicaragua, where the Sandinista and the Contra were having a serious battle in those days. He is an intellectual and mild man, however, a very strong-willed man. One of the reasons why I decided to become a vagabond is to live the experience of being a hippie as he did, and to know the spirit of loving other people and that of helping each other. Michael and his family are very healthy. They don't watch TV. They go to bed at ten in the evening and get up at six in the morning. Joshua, Michael's only son of 16 years, takes the wastes to the outdoor rubbish bin, brings in the newspaper, feeds the dog and prepares breakfast for his parents every morning. He also plays the piano well. He designed the home page of his mother's tea ceremony business. The appearance of its top page is as good as a professional's one. Comparing Joshua with the spoiled young Japanese generation of the same age, my mind becomes depressed. I have met many other independent young people in other countries, too. I have a doubt of the validity of Japanese education for the young generation, who have to face with these young men of the world. Are the future economy and the politics of Japan, of which the Japanese young generation take the responsibility, really OK? Besides these difficult matters, will I really get a promised pension? This annoys me even after leaving Japan for a endless journey.

I became a little healthy staying in Michael's home thanks to their custom of going to bed and getting up early and to their basically vegetarian cuisine. I now drink only a glass of wine for dinner and also decrease cigarettes because of no smoking in the room. As a result, I have recovered my good stomach, which was dying, due to the day-to-day, night-after-night drinking party before leaving Japan. At dusk yesterday, I even did some exercises in the above mentioned park. How many years ago was it when I moved my muscles this way?

Yesterday was Saturday and Michael and his family left here to look for a college where Joshua can spend his summer vacation. They will be back on Tuesday, next week. My last motorcycle accessory will also be delivered to my motorcycle dealer next Tuesday. On the next day, Wednesday, my aimless wandering will begin at last.