Cool car nicknames

It doesn’t cost much to keep them in great condition. It helps that this is an N55 engine though.
Good set of tires are a must, do not cheap out on them. Had PS4Ss but switched it out to Extreme Contact DWS06 Plus since I drive it throughout the seasons.
I used to think a long stretch of road was fun but the twisting backroads are so much more enjoyable.
Enjoy the car for a bit before just modifying the shit out of it.
I’ll have full bolt ones this summer and new intercooler, charge pipe, down pipe. I’ll prob get a stage 2 tune 93 but nothing more than that.
The stock exhaust is so damn good. In Sport Plus it’s an amazing sounding exhaust from factory.
Car is lowered but damn do these PA roads not compliment the ride. Yes, I know the ride is already harsh to begin with.
I bought this car for myself and I never thought people would really notice it. but I’ve gotten thumbs up and compliments from way more people than I would imagine. My favorites are this old couple who approached me at the gas station and said they really like the look of the car.
Second would be all the kids who yell “REV IT” or say “woah” when I drive by. I used to be like that so it’s so cool to be in the opposite end.
Buy the car because YOU will enjoy itand not for superficial or subconscious thoughts. Don’t worry what people say or how cool you think you’ll look, nothing matters if you deep down you’re not really happy with your car. Most people don’t care anyways.
It doesn’t matter if you were gifted a car by your parents or if you bought it yourself, so long as you respect the position you’re in and don’t shove it someone’s face.
3 years and counting and I enjoy this every single time I drive it, I even stare at from my window when it’s parked on the driveway.

I can't figure out which bolt releases the tension. This is my first attempt at fixing my car myself and so far I've taken the radiator cooling fan off and replaced the alternator, I took it back off because I figured I could wedge the belt on at an angle but it didn't work there still wasn't enough room. So I've got to losen the belt but all the videos I've watched were the 2.3 L and it looks different and I can't find anything that looks similar.

SUPERLIGHT Episode 9
By Roc Hatfield
https://preview.redd.it/mxfkcdznfs1d1.png?width=2912&format=png&auto=webp&s=968b039867f9d923a3af1d8764b4cef6e39d0f97
Aetherians of the New Empire are banned from ever returning to Aetheria or from joining into the One. The border net is a solid wall to non-authorized Aetherians, impenetrable. The Elo Eloahim passes through the net without a hitch.
The Blade has now come to a full stop. The shuttle carrying Excelsior Andriel is docking with the Blade. Once the shuttle is cleared of occupants, it will return to the Elo Eloahim autonomously.
Excelsior Andriel has made his way back to the bridge of the Blade and is admiring the border net through the giant viewer screens. I haven't been out here for many strands. Beautiful to look at.
Send some technicals out to one of those nodes to have a look at it. I am sure it is manifest, but there must be a way to defeat it. I want to tear a hole in it, big enough to push the Blade through it, Andriel says.
There is only one express elevator that drops down to the 17th floor. The operator must enter a series of codes as the elevator descends. The codes are changed frequently like a password.
There are government secrets on 17 that can never be accessed by unauthorized personnel, says Steven as the elevator nears the bottom floor of the Pine Bluff underground base. The door opens and Nancy, Walter, Brad and the two techies spill out of the elevator to a large hall with long corridors running down each side. The footprint of the bottom floor covers about 120,000 square feet, about the size of a car factory or supersized retail store.
We have all your gear in a lab down this hallway, says Steven. We are anxious to see your device at work, Oscar says. Hey, do you guys want to see something really cool? Steven asks.
All three nod in unison. Great. Follow me, Steven says.
The group walks down a hall and enters a lab, lots of tables, computers, not much to see really. Up on one table is a group of long plastic tubes, 12 inches in diameter, maybe 4 or 5 feet long. You can see mirrors at the end.
Wow, this looks interesting, Walter says. You are looking at the real reason we went into Iraq. Saddam had this built from instructions found on ancient Sumerian clay tablets found near where Babylon once stood.
They called it the Looking Glass. Our CIA guys heard about it and had photos and diagrams of it smuggled out of Iraq. We recreated it out at Area 51, Groom Lake actually.
When they saw that it worked, the powers that be, Steven makes air quotes with his hands, decided to go in and get it. This is the real deal. The whole 9-11 scam was part of an elaborate plan to get this thing out of Iraq. That’s my opinion.
Plus other sundry items. Walter, Nancy, and Brad are just stunned. Steven turns on a light source that bounces around from mirror to mirror and ends up at a large concave mirror, 15 inches in diameter.
You can see faint moving images on the mirror's surface that look like old 8mm grainy film. It looks like rioting in the streets, store shelves empty, a stark apocalyptic scene. Large crowds gather around the U.S. Capitol building and the Vatican.
Steven, where are these images coming from? Brad asks. From the future? Steven responds. No? Brad says. Yes, from the future. Steven says.
Somehow, light being moved over all these mirrored surfaces breaks out a light that is streaming in from the future. Walter moves in closer. So are these images just random snippets? Or are they organized in some manner? Walter questions.
The best we can tell is that they are like listening to an old AM radio at night. Stations from far away can drown out stations that are close by. Just sort of a jumble of music coming in and fading out.
It seems that the images are from different points in the future. One may be 5 years out and the next 50 years away, Steven says. So, what is so important about it, Nancy asks? Think about it, Nancy, having advanced warning of coming events.
Plus, many times we can see advanced technology. It's priceless, Oscar says as he reaches over and turns off the device. The one big drawback, however, is that, just us witnessing of these events will change them.
It's a very tight loop. We have been shooting video from the big mirror. When we compare previously shot video from images from the look in glass, they are different.
Some in subtle ways and others in major ways. Simply observing the future changes it. So we only keep it on for brief periods until we understand this phenomenon better, Steven concludes. Okay, let's get you guys settled into your lab. I am really looking forward to learning more about this superlight. Our world is amazing, isn't it? Steven says,
Washington DC is spectacular at sundown. The lights from the monuments and government buildings make for dramatic and exciting backdrop for the world leaders and dignitaries that visit, as well as the everyday politicians that haunt the city. A group of high-powered cabinet secretaries and military bosses have sit down for an emergency meeting with the president. Gentlemen, greetings and thank you for coming up here to the White House on such short notice.
I have been receiving phone calls and veiled threats from world leaders all day. Number one, what is all this fuss really all about? And secondly, what is going to be our stance in regards to this crazy technology, which I have heard very little about? Are we just going to take it from a private company and turn it over to all the governments of the world? The president asks out of breath, Mr. President, if I may, says Senator Abramson, who is seated on one of the two sofas just in front of the president's big resolute desk. I believe I was the first one to hear of this device.
I heard from a doctor that works at the company, one of my constituents. He came to me frantic and told me many details about this device. He had the presence of mind to film an experiment he participated in, shot on his cell phone.
I was so concerned about this horror show being in my district, I contacted the FBI director to look into it, for I thought it was a national security risk at the highest degree. The FBI director sent in a team with a warrant to seize any and all evidence related to the Superlight project. Brad Hillier, the company CEO, was one step ahead of us and had already moved all key components of the device and associated files and plans.
We have no leads at the moment as too where he and members of his staff are hiding out. I would like to offer whatever assistance I can, being that this thing was created in my district. I would like to help if I can.
Thank you, Senator. We can use all the help we can get. I want to thank you all again for coming up, and I would like to suggest that each of you consult with your respective departments and get me a letter that lays out your thoughts on how to proceed with this situation.
Please give me something by the end of tomorrow. I will then be better informed on my decisions on how to deal with this issue. Thank you all for coming.
All the attendants stand and stream out of the Oval Office. Ed Bramson hangs back. Mr. President, I had a deep black officer from the Space Force speak to my oversight committee, and she let it be known that she knew about Hilliard before any of this became public.
I have no way of getting to her. But I thought you should know, she may have information regarding Hilliard. Very interesting, Senator.
I will try looking under some rugs. But as you know, I have little authorization over deep black project sites or the people that run them. Please stay in contact, Senator.
Atlan, the home world of the Aetherians, is the seat of the Old Dominion. The large planet sits just outside the massive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy, in a large cluster of stars orbiting the event horizon. The light from all the nearby stars eliminate all darkness.
Every planet in this cluster is lit every hour, all over the globe by multiple stars. Massive bright stars can be seen in every direction. Humans could not exist here, the heat and radiation would evaporate the water in a human body in seconds.
But it's paradise to the Aetherians that dwell here. An indescribable garden, hundreds of millions of vast mansion homes with complex landscaping. There are over 100 planets inhabited by the Aetherians in this sector.
One more beautiful and amazing as the next, Atlan is home to the One. The One walks these gardens from time to time, and abides in a mountain compound known as Shiloe Ahim. Ambassador Lucentel the hand of the One, is an Ark ancestor.
He was with the One long before the Matterverse was spoken into existence. There are a small number of Ark ancestors, as many as 100 are known to live. The Akashe, the Ancient Hall of Records, holds records telling the story of the One and the Ark ancestors alone on Atlan.
The Ark ancestors wanted a family and asked the One to enrich them with sons. The One said he would extract a small spark of himself and release it as a son for each Ark ancestor. Many years later, the Ark ancestors developed the ability to petition the One for new sons and daughters.
The sons and daughters of the Ark ancestors are slightly less powerful than the Ark ancestors. Over billions of years, the eternal Aetherians have multiplied into trillions of beings and lower beings. The lower beings take the form of many exotic creatures that inhabit thousands of planets scattered across the Aetherians' Old Dominion.
Atlan is standing by to receive us, Ambassador, announces the Commander on duty. Please dock and secure the Elo-Eloahim. I would like to travel down to Atlan as soon as possible.
Brad, Nancy, and Walter have finished setting up the superlight in the big lab that Steven and Oscar gave them. Brad, you need to see the footage I shot of you while you were sleeping in the van. The interview I did with your driver, Zia, Nancy says.
What? You interviewed my driver? Brad says surprised. Yes, when you were asleep in the van, Nancy says, as she is cutting up the video footage. Okay, here we go.
Brad is watching the video, riveted by it. He turns it off. Well? Nancy asks. It's nice, I always wanted a daughter, Brad giggles.
I am sorry this shit is so crazy that if I don't laugh, I would cry. We haven't peeled back even one layer of this onion yet, and it's already difficult to keep up with. When I came out here with Archer on his private plane, Captain Carpenter introduced me to her little grey alien friends.
We flew aboard a small silver disc-shaped craft to their home base, that sits out around the rings of Saturn. Nancy looks right at Brad. Stop Brad, are you high right now?.
Brad pauses, don't you remember at lunch, Captain Carpenter said I would bring you up to speed. Well, I am bringing you up to speed right now. Drivers, waterbots, now grey aliens and UFO discs, what's next? Nancy asks with indigence.
Brad says, who knew a high-frequency light designed to see cracks in critical aircraft components and machinery would cause intergalactic turmoil. So as I was saying, my understanding is that the Superlight is a threat to a huge data collecting operation that these high freaks have been doing for eons. High freaks? Walter asks puzzled.
Oh, that's just a name I gave them. They are the beings that inhabit the realm that we see with the Superlight. They function at a super high frequency of light.
Their world is as real as ours, just operating at a higher frequency. Without the advent of the Superlight, we would never know that they are all around us and strewn all across the universe, Brad continues. The high freaks drive avatars or waterbots as Zia calls us, without our knowledge, so they can collect millions of terabytes from hundreds of telemetry points during the lifetime of the avatar.
It seems that the traveler or waterbot is just a spacesuit, be it an advanced one for the high freaks, Brad concludes. So the superlight reveals this relationship to the travelers, and that is what they are concerned about. Follow the money.

(For context, I live over 2 hours away from Flint)
So I travel around the state of Michigan, cleaning out the waterways with a hobby called "Magnet Fishing" and I try to collect scrap steel and find some cool historic items, but I do stumble upon firearms from time to time, usually they are so old I can keep them, nut sometimes I find more recent drops in the rivers, so I have to hand it over to PD, I usually don't have an issue... until I started magnet fishing in Flint, MI. I don't call PD if I find like an old, rust coated revolver or rifle/shotgun. I will turn over more recent finds or something that could be salvageable for evidence (found 2 confirmed homicide weapons, potentially a third one recently that Lansing PD was looking for)
The firearms in the pictures below were the ones I found that I tried to turn over to Flint PD. I even tried through going to their police station, they rejected any firearm I've tried to turn in... I do end up finding ways to turn them over to my local police station, but I definitely don't wanna happened to be pulled over with stuff like that in the car and try to explain to an officer that I found them in a river then potentially get arrested anyways...
The PX4 Storm and Hi point had no paper trail, so PD surprisingly let me keep those, I am waiting to hear back about the revolver. No details on the other one.

Or if you crash into one

Trip Report in May: Lima, Cusco, Pisac, Machu Picchu

• We went on May 12th 2024.
• We don't speak Spanish but learned basic words to come by.
• I suggest you get some Sol currency from your home country before arriving. We took 400 Sol with us.
• I saw some posts suggesting BCP ATM to get cash, I would recommend against it. We used Cajero Banco de la Nacion ATM and we were not charged extra fees (although limit is 400 Sol).
• You can use credit card in most restaurants in Lima, Cusco, Pisac an Machu Picchu.

Lima:

• We bought SIM card in Lima airport from Peru SIM before leaving the free zone. Only passport required. 80 Sol for 5Gb/1week. I suggest you get more than 5G if you are going to browse the internet during your trip.

How to recharge Peru SIM:

1. Install Mi Cuy App
2. Choose "Peru SIM" from multiple choice question in the beginning.
3. Use phone number to login and your passport number as password.
4. Personally, none of my cards worked to recharge the SIM, I tried both Visa & Master Card).
5. There is an option to recharge but texting a WhatsApp number were they send someone to you to recharge it but I didn't explore that option.

• Stayed: 1.5 days (2 days ideal).
• We used Uber in Lima with no issues.
• We stayed in Miraflores, I would have stayed in Barranco but there were more options in Miraflores.
• Explored: Miraflores, Barranco, Centro Histórico.
• Before booking a restaurant check their opening hours. A lot of restaurants allow reservations half an before closing which can be frustrating.
• Tips: Book restaurants in advance, locals dine around noon. Tried: Isolina (100 Sol/person, good vibe, food okay) and Al Toke Pez (30 Sol/person, not worth >30 min wait). Other recommended spots: Jose Antonio, Cerveceria Del Valle Sagrado, Don Fernando Restaurant, La Petite France, Central, La Mar, Maido, Osaka.
• Bars: La Noche De Barranco, Juanito De Barranco.
• Walk/Visit:
  • Miraflores: If the sky is clear, go to Parque Del Amor and walk on Mal. Cisneros.
  • Barranco: Walk on Av. Almte. Miguel towards Parroquia La Santisima Cruz, Bajada De Baños, Bridge of Sighs, C. La Ermita, Biblioteca Municipal, Museo Pedro De Osma.
  • Centro: St. Martin Square, Jiron de la Union, Lima Main Square, Basilica & Convent of San Francisco, Mercado Central & Chinatown, Larco Museum.

Cusco:

• Stayed: 3 days (2 days for altitude acclimation).
• We used Uber in Lima with no issues.
• Some recommend you go directly from Cusco airport to Ollantaytambo (2 hours drive) to acclimate better to altitude, we didn't do that.
• Regardless how many days you are planning to stay, if you are visiting museums in cusco or planning to visit Archaeological sites. Consider buying "Tourist tickets" in cash at some sites entrances or in Cusco from "Boleto Turístico Cusco" Av. El Sol 103, Cusco 08002 ,Peru), I added table below but for more or updated details check here
• YOU CAN NOT get Tourist tickets from "COSITUC CENTRAL OFFICE" outside the Centro area. It's just management office.

CUSCO TOURIST TICKETS AS OF MAY 2024

• To acclimate to the elevation, consider the following tips: drink coca tea, avoid alcohol, eat light meals, and rest for the first two days.
• I took half a 25mg "Acetazolamide" pill from a pharmacy in Lima twice a day without consulting a doctor, but you should consult a doctor before doing so. Stay hydrated, and expect more frequent visits to the washroom due to the medication.
• Stayed: Airbnb near San Blas Market (east part quieter).
• Walk/Visit:
  • Explore San Blas Market square, walk east until the end of C. Carmen Alto, then walk up and take a right on C. Tandapata, then up on C. Pasñapakana to reach San Blas Viewpoint (great at sunset). LIMBUS RestoBar looks cool.
  • Explore the city center: Plaza Mayor de Cusco, Museo de Arte Religioso, Museo de Sitio Qorikancha, Plazoleta Espinar, Plaza Regocijo, San Pedro Market.
• Best prices for souvenirs I found are on C. Hatunrumiyoc & open market in Plaza Regocijo.
• Shopping: None of the shops have unique merchandise. Compare prices at multiple places, especially shops outside busy zones and away from the Marriott.
• I doubt that any pure Alpaca wool is sold in these shops, so price items based on their quality and softness unless you are certain it's pure Alpaca.

For food spots, I recommend:

• Pachapapa for dinner (better call and reserve if you're arriving after 7 PM).
• Sepia Cusco for a nice lunch (they have a great courtyard).
• Qura for breakfast or lunch.
  
• I heard Pizza is very good in Cusco, so you should try it.
  
• I liked Alpaca meat more than Cuy.
  

Pisac trip:

• To enter Pisac Archaeological site you need to buy a Tourist ticket circuit 3 which cost 70 Sol/Person. You can buy it in cash at the site entrance or in Cusco from "Boleto Turístico Cusco" at Av. El Sol 103, Cusco 08002 ,Peru more details here here
• We only visited Pisac from towns around Cusco to hike down from the Archaeological site, which takes about 2 hours. Our trip was short, and we wanted to focus on this hike.
• If I had another day, I would have also done the Rainbow Mountain hike. For Rainbow Mountain, consider staying in Tinki the night before to start the hike early, as it gets cloudy later. Tinki is 2.5 hours from Cusco.
• Most agencies offer group trips for around $50 USD/person and private trips for $120/person. We didn't want to visit multiple towns, so we hired an Uber driver (outside Uber) with a good car for 200 Sol for the whole trip (Cusco-Pisac and back), which was cheaper than any agency. We left at 7:30 am and returned by 2 pm. We took food and water to avoid stops on the way to Pisac except for view points of the sacred valley.
• A cheaper alternative is taking a public colectivo from 28 Puputi St in Cusco to Pisac, then a taxi from Pisac town to the top of the Archaeological site (25 Sol one way). Some posts said taking Collective can be dangerous so avoid this if you are not an experienced traveler.
• The hike itself is great. Although the car takes you to the top, you still need to climb for about 15 minutes before heading down. The altitude can be challenging, so take your time.

Machu Picchu
Booking Machu Picchu site tickets

• Which ticket to buy for Machu Picchu? If you just want to visit the site choose " Circuit 1,2 + Inca bridge" or "Circuit 1,2".
• Circuit 1 is half circuit 2. Take circuit 2 unless you physically can't take around 50 stairs.
• You have to provide passport number when you book the ticket. They will check your passport when you arrive at the site.
• We bought Circuit 1,2 + Inca bridge ticket two months before the trip. You can try to book it directly from the government website Gov website but we couldn't find available tickets "Cerrado" there so we bought it from the Joinn us site which worked the same for the same price
• Don't believe posts that say Joinn Us is a scam. They say that because they have not received the tickets in the email. This is because tickets are not sent to you by email. It would be available on the site on side menu under "tickets" or "Mis entradas". You can download the tickets from Joinnus site.
• If you are not able to buy Machu Picchu tickets online, you have to be in Agaus Calientes the morning before your visit to buy the tickets.
• You don't need to print your tickets.

Booking a ride to Machu Picchu:
To arrive to Machu Picchu from Cusco you need to:

1. Take a bus from Cusco to the train station as no trains leave from Cusco center (Except one, see below).
2. Take train a to Aguas Calientes.
3. Take a Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu site OR hike up dusty mountain road for 2 hours swarmed by buses with no much room.

Steps 1 & 2 are included in train tickets from Peru Rail or Inca Rail. A few things to note:

• The main difference between Inca Rail and Peru Rail is step 1. Inca Rail provides a bus ride from Cusco to Ollantaytambo (2 hours + traffic), then a train to Aguas Calientes (1h 40min). They ensure you reach Aguas Calientes, so no need to worry about connections.

IncaRail

• Peru Rail offers a bus ride from Cusco to Poroy station (30 min) and then a train to Machu Picchu or from San Pedro (5 min) in Cusco center.

PeruRail

• We chose Inca Rail's "The Voyager Bimodal - light" option, which includes a bus ride from Cusco to Ollantaytambo and then a train to Aguas Calientes in the lowest-cost cabin. The 2-hour bus ride was pleasant, and the cabin quality was good. Paying extra for the 1h 40min train ride isn’t necessary. If I had known about Peru Rail's San Pedro departure, I would have chosen that.
• Arrive at the station half an hour before boarding. Our Inca Rail bus left early to beat traffic as everyone was present.

For Step 3: Bus from Aguas Calientes to Machu Picchu

• Only one bus service runs frequently, about every 5 minutes.
• Tickets can be bought in person, where you'll need to stand in line, or online at Consettur.
• We bought tickets online to avoid lines, which weren't bad during our visit on May 16th.
• The round trip costs $24. I don’t recommend hiking up the mountain.

Note: According to EyeWitness: Peru travel book, there’s a cheaper way to get to Machu Picchu if you're on a strict budget. You can take a bus from Cusco to the Hydroelectric station and walk for 3 hours beside the railway tracks to Machu Picchu.
What time is best to visit Machu Picchu

• If you are doing circuit 2 (which you should as it's the longest hike in Machu Picchu) Temple of the Sun is only open between 1PM-4PM. Temple of the Condor 10am-1PM, Pyramid del Intiwatana 7am -10am.
• We didn't have a preference, but because we left Cusco at 8:30 am, we arrived Machu Picchu at 1PM. We took the 2PM time slot as we wanted to leave the next morning. No regrets.
• We didn't hire a guide (you don't need to hire a guide regardless of what other posts say). There are three things you need to know: 1) Follow signs for Circuito 2. 2) Make sure you don’t take the “platforma inferior” turning that happens 250m into the walk. Take "Platforma Superior". 3) If you bought the Inca Bridge ticket, know where to turn to see it. I found this travel blog helpful blog.
• I used google to read about the different sites.

Aguas Calientes

• We stayed at Gringo Bill's Hotel. It was decent, but I’d avoid hotels on the main streets due to noise. I didn’t like Aguas Calientes much (we stayed one night). If I had more time, I would have planned a same-day return trip to Ollantaytambo.
• Some posts mention the hot springs in Aguas Calientes, "Baños Termales (Machu Picchu)." It's more like a public bath and not really worth it, but the hike there is nice.
• Be cautious with food in Aguas. Many highly-rated restaurants are actually bad. I met a cook who worked there and got the inside scoop. Stick to safe food—avoid raw food and fish, and ask for well-cooked meat, especially burgers. Check the lowest and most recent reviews on Google.
• We ate at Ponchos, and it tasted good without making us sick. However, we had pizza at Pueblo Viejo, and I’ve had better frozen pizza.

After Aguas Calientes, we took the train and bus back to Cusco, then flew to Lima the same day. Flights from Cusco to Lima are often delayed, so check your flight history if you're on a tight schedule. We left for Lima Airport on a Sunday morning, and the roads leading to the highway were blocked, taking an extra hour to reach the airport.
Overall, it was an amazing trip. Next time, I would stay for two weeks and follow the EyeWitness: Peru travel book's two-week itinerary. I would also definitely do the Salkantay hike.

Today started gentler than expected, both of us awake before the alarm. I forgot how early first light is, already the city was waking up in the dim blue of the predawn. We brushed our teeth and got dressed and muttered about how ridiculous it was that we needed to be at the ferry terminal an hour early. They weren't going to check anything besides our tickets, but then again, we've heard worse stories about dumber technicalities. Just after 430 we were outside and a few minutes later we were away.
The city in the morning was mostly quiet, a few trucks rumbling on the highway. Luckily the forecasted rain had already ended, I had fully expected to have the added misery of being wet and cold to the headache of being up too early. We arrived somewhat breathless to the ferry terminal, a giant ferry awaiting us. Lines and lines of heavy trucks were waiting their turn to load while lots of cars were also waiting. Looks like everyone took the hour before rule seriously. An attendant looked at our QR codes and told us to put a sign that he gave us on our bikes and put them to the side while we waited for general boarding, which was in 45 minutes. Grumbling, we parked our bikes and went inside the terminal.
The terminal was simple but clean, I double checked the reservation with someone at a computer as I had nothing better to do. Upstairs there was a small gift shop where we bought a box of cookies for our upcoming host. Seemed like we should try to get them something from a region they're not from, though I'm sure they'll appreciate the sentiment. The cookies do look tasty though. We shared a drink from a machine and stared out the window, a little dazed. Framed tourism posters were hung about the space, one for each region in Japan. I initially thought they were anime posters, but it seems that's just how ads are made. Maybe one inspired the other.
Eventually it was time to board, we were the last as is usual when we're biking. We walked our bikes up the ramp to the second deck and were ushered to one side where after we had removed our bags our bikes were wrapped in blankets and secured to the wall. We thanked them and headed into the ferry. The third deck had a check in counter where we got a key to our room, which was a private room but not facing the ocean. We only wanted the room to nap in, so that was fine. The third deck had bunk rooms as well as a room where you just got a section of the floor, while the fourth deck had the private rooms, the ones facing in like ours and the more expensive ones facing out. The fifth deck had the deluxe rooms as well as the suites (which I don't think were even available to rent). We plunked down our bags and I went back to sleep.
I found the rocking motion of the ship rather soothing while laying down, and settled into a light nap for a few hours. Around 830, both of us needed something to eat, so we went to explore the ship's amenities. We found the cafe, which had a disappointingly small selection of things to eat. We later would find out that the restaurant that serves breakfast did not open, probably leading to a run on the pastries. We got a cookie and coffee and sat at a table, watching the waves go by. Bryce informed me that he gets seasick around this time, leading me to ask him why he wanted to do this then. He just likes boats I guess.
After breakfast we wandered around to see the amenities. We found the grill restaurant that was more expensive than we cared to spend on, a small arcade with machines from the 80's, some air hockey tables (the sports corner), a theatre with a 10am showing of Tom and Jerry, some vending machines (ice cream time), the onsens, a yellowed smoking room straight out of 1994, a business corner, and a kids corner with blocks. I wanted to play with the blocks but didn't. They would never understand. Also kids are gross and I'm sick enough already. Overall, the same as anything else we've seen in Japan, a relic of the 80's, still spotless, still running, but at 10% capacity. More employees than you can shake a stick at, all doing their very best job.
I felt a little ill after writing for awhile so I went to go lay down while Bryce went to the arcade, promising to nobody in particular that he was going to wait til lunch to crack open a cold one. I said I didn't care but good luck with that as I went back to bed. Being horizontal with nowhere to go felt good for awhile. I had a lot of writing to catch up on.
Towards lunch I got up and found Bryce in front of a slot machine with a strong zero in his hand. I said nothing about the pre lunch drink, but asked if he won anything. One of the machines you could spin all you like, so we did that for awhile. There was one machine that looked fun, so I played a top down shooter for awhile while Bryce tried his luck at some godawful prize machine full of dusty crap. Eventually the restaurant opened for lunch and we filed. There was a 25th anniversary ramen available, and we both got that, along with a croissant. The ramen was pretty good, I found the shio broth comforting. The croissant was because it didn't fill us up enough.
After lunch I was in the mood for a bath. An onsen on a ship felt like a luxury I wanted to try and I thought it would be restful. Bryce had no interest in trying his luck at hiding his tattoos, I didn't care if I got kicked out at this point. What're they gonna do, tell me to get off at the next stop? I did what I always do, hold a hand towel over my arm and mind my business. As expected, not many people were using the bath after lunch and I had it to myself aside from a mother and her babbling toddler who only spent a few minutes there. The bath had a view of the mountains of hokkaido in the distance, and Hakodate a little closer. It was a neat sight to be in a hot open bath while watching the ocean go by. The rest of the ship was whatever but this was nice. I did a few laps of the bath and cold water, and sat in the steam room, hoping the hot air would somehow cure my ailments. I got a chance to properly wash my hair, which had become just fouled from all the road dust, sweat, and body oils that had built up. Gross. I don't usually shampoo as I don't usually need to, but once a week or so I definitely need it while on the road.
After the onsen I went to go see how Bryce was doing, happily reading his book in a chair by the ocean. He accompanied me to the room to lay down for awhile, the hot water and sloshing of the rough seas making me feel a little ill again. In our room, we heard a faraway bang like we hit something. I'm sure it's nothing. The ship sure seemed like it was leaning more to one side though. We didn't do too much else for the rest of the ride, we did a few more laps of the ship trying to find more things. We did find the forward saloon, which sounds wild but is merely a room facing forward with comfy couches. Unfortunately all the windows are blocked off, so the room is a little pointless other than a private space to talk or read in a dim room. The ship overall was comfortable, but I definitely got a little nauseated from the rough seas.
The ship finally docked, late, and we were let out to the open air of Hokkaido. It's a bit chilly here! I immediately noticed the change in air, it's less humid for sure. It will be a shift to go back to cool temperatures but a welcome one. Nights in the tent should be much less sticky at least! Good thing we still have our biking tights, riding in just shorts is pretty cold here in the evening. Truthfully though the cool temperatures is better for biking and I wasn't really enjoying the heat, so this is a welcome surprise.
We docked at the east port of Tomakomai, which meant we had to bike into the city where we planned to stay another night. I needed another really solid sleep to finally kick this illness, so one more hotel night before we braved the wilderness south of Sapporo. We braced ourselves and headed west, directly into a heavy crosswind that was some of the steadiest and toughest wind we've seen yet. It swept right over the flat grassy areas on the coast, really reminding us of the prairies. Everything is so spread out here compared to the rest of the country, I wonder if Sapporo is like this too.
After a rough push through the wind on roads that were somewhat falling apart from the truck traffic and a lack of maintenance, we got to a town about halfway. The nausea from the boat was getting to me and we were both too hungry to go further without a bite to eat. Luckily Hokkaido has their own brand of conbinis and we were more than happy to see some new products. We got their take on fried chicken, some Hokkaido grown potato wedges and some soft drinks we hadn't seen yet. The wedges were great, the chicken was good and one of the drinks was terrible. Sour bubbly water with no flavor. What's the point?
Biking further into the city now, we rode over bumpy roads on very wide, very long roads designed entirely for cars in mind. Don't get me wrong the bike path was nice but the distances between buildings reminded me again of the prairies. It takes forever to get anywhere! I might find the streets of Hokkaido a little dull if things are this spread out, but then again we couldn't even scratch the surface of things before so maybe we won't feel like we're missing out as much.
We stopped twice for bike parts, Bryce getting a new tube to hold on reserve, I got a spoke wrench that I'm excited to try out. My rear wheel should be well tensioned, so I can go off of that. Next we headed to the hotel. We debated laundry tonight, but ultimately there were a few too many things to do and I'd rather enjoy myself, get to bed on time and then get up and do laundry over breakfast tomorrow. The hotel was lovely enough, with little surprises for later. First we needed a proper dinner.
Barbecue was on the mind, but we landed up at an izakaya. We ordered edamame, a green salad, chicken wings, a plate of assorted skewers and more hokkaido potatoes. The potatoes, again, were far and away the best part of the meal. The company was a group of red-faced salarymen watching a baseball game along with the rest of the staff who were also eagerly watching the action. The Izakaya had all sorts of baseball accoutrements which made watching fun. Normally I'd rather peel off my fingernails one by one then watch baseball, but with some friendly folks letting me know when to be excited with their cheering I can enjoy it. As we were leaving one man gave us some lemon candies he had and Bryce surprised him by having maple candies for everyone in the building, much to their delight.
Bryce needed to recoat his jacket, so we went to a parking lot and did that under a streetlight. It would need to dry overnight, another reason to do the laundry in the morning. I wanted a piece of the onsen on the top level. Inside there were three baths, two hot and one cold, with one of the hot baths being outside. I luxuriated outside by myself for some time in the cool air, as well as the hot bath indoors in the wood panelled room, and a sauna with a tv inside! All very nice. I took advantage of the cleaners and lotions available, and the freezer full of popsicles outside the onsen.
Back in the room, there was a fruit jelly waiting for us in the fridge which we enjoyed, a strawberry puree. But the treats weren't over yet, from 930-11pm we could enjoy the hotel's original late night ramen. Now this isn't something I want to have late at night normally, but this is exactly the kind of thing that makes me smile. Time limited free food? I'll set an alarm. The soup itself was nothing special, but the presentation and the fact I could have it in hotel jammies made it all the better. Truly, a good rest day. I could have done without the 20km ride in the wind, but I can't have everything I guess.