PIX FROM JAPAN

How much fun has it been getting to IM Japan??? More than you can imagine. Luke and I had tried to pack as lightly as possible. I have this huge suitcase but for once it is filled with products/sports gear for others. After Japan we head to Bali for a race in which I am bring in loads of stuff for the under privileged children of Bali. More on that later but first I had to carry it half way around Japan. If it was not for a good cause I think Luke might have killed me.

After a few false starts from Fukouka we finally arrived in Goto. At the airport we meet our amazing host family...Masaki. Junko their daughter speaks fantastic English as she has just returned from 2 years in Australia. We are staying in their beautiful traditional Japanese home right at the finish line in town. I was especially excited as I have always had a bit of a Japanese fetish.

We settled in and got right out on the course to see what was in store. It seems to be quite a lot hillier that we thought but all was good.

On our second night we were taken to a fantastic Japanese restaurant where we ate ourselves silly on all the amazing fresh seafood. Most of the Masaki family and extended family lives in Goto. Dinner was a blast filled with loads of broken English, bad Japanese and some charade like conversation.

Tomorrow we will head out to view the whole bike course as Shane Smith from Tri Travel has offered to give us a lift with all his crazy Tri Travel Tour kids. It made me laugh to see and hear all the Aussies that are travelling together. So many of them were from Perth (my home town). It could be quite the fun car ride as they are all having a ball. Laughter seems to be the key to that group.

Stay tuned

Memphis