This blog and this journey

 Background to the journey

It is a long time (more than 20 years) since I last visited Japan. That trip was more working than holiday, with the work being in Tokyo, so that I was able to visit many of the tourist highlights of that astonishing city, but no more than a glimpse. Afterwards I took a Shinkansen south and visited Kyoto, Nara and Osaka before flying on for more business in Hong Kong (that was a story of typhoon and influenza so not the greatest).

So having seen a description of the Shimanami Kaido I decided to do it! Decided on a length of stay, booked the flights and started work on the planning. I have also wanted to visit Hiroshima so the flights were booked in and out of Hiroshima, with the cycling bookended by days in Hiroshima.

Garry and Sandra are also travelling, although Sandra will stay in Hiroshima while we do the riding bit.

The Plan

The plan was developed in two tools which are appropriately cross linked:

1. A Google Sites Website
   
2. RideWithGPS for cycle route planning

There was a somewhat iterative process for determining the route and selecting accommodation but all that stabilised months before the trip. As I write this in March nearly all the accommodation is booked and paid for.

The plan is designed to be reusable. That is more or less built into RideWithGPS. As for the web site it does imbed some assets that are "mine" and would have to be replaced (such as the accommodation spreadsheet) but that is easily done.

During and After

Lots of us like to share our trips. If it wasn't for that I would probably never have found out about Shimanami Kaido in the first place!

I plan to capture:

• A blog entry for the day talking about the experiences, difficulties, highlights and so on.
• Photos from my phone.
• Video footage from my DJI drone (I have registered as a drone operator for Japan and paid the fee).
• Video footage with telemetry from my handlebar camera (and possibly stills as well).
• Video footage from my phone.
• The GPS track with telemetry from my Garmin (which automatically propagates to RideWithGPS.

I will post a link to the daily blog on FB...