This past weekend Jason and I revisited our old Saitama free-camping ground via an 80km ride up the Arakawa river, this time with Can. Mike in tow on his new black Trek, as well as assorted women who took the train and buses to meet us there for a BBQ and the Cotton Cafe.
Sports World occupies an idyllic position at the crown of the Izu peninsula, overlooking a wide swathe of richly forested mountains and valleys. In its heyday it was a sports and relaxation haven, featuring tennis courts, miniature golf, a dive pool, restaurants, a hotel, a huge wave pool, a spa, and a gym. It was abandoned in 1993 as the economic bubble burst, and has lain untended for 15 years. Now its many tennis courts are visited only by skateboarders and grafitti artists, up-turned cars line its once broad thoroughfares, its wave pool is coated with red rust and algae and its golf course is a jungle of overgrown palm trees.
After the success of our Arakawa River Ride, both Jason and I were chomping at the bit to get out and cycle-camp some more. Jason was keen to hit up the Arakawa again, whereas I wanted to try something new: the Tama river.
Last weekend Jason and I took a cycle-camping trip north up the Arakawa river (wild river) into Saitama. We set out on April 27th and came back on my birthday, the 28th, covering 170km in total, free-camping overnight in the grass by a day-time BBQ area.
It was an incredibly liberating feeling to get out of the city under our own steam, without having to rely on crowded commuter trains or pass through one of the city’s manic transit hubs.
Once we were clear of the city, rolling on the excellent bicycle path that tracks the Arakawa for most of its length back up to its fount at Mount Kobushi in Saitama, we were surrounded by green, clear fresh air, and lots of empty space.
