It was an early wake up call for me in order to catch the first bullet train out of Shinagawa - my alarm rang at 5:00 am. I was out of the B&B before 5:30, walking to the 24-hour Family Mart convenience store to grab breakfast.
Walking around to see what caught my attention, I was reminded of Europe when I saw alcohol sitting on the shelves right next to other non-alcoholic beverages. As I browsed the aisles, I saw lots of snacks, dessert buns, sandwiches, lunch boxes, and onigiri. It was too much choice! But something smelled really good - there was a station for oden! I was sold - I picked out as many ingredients as I could to fill a cup, grabbed a few snacks, and was on my way back to the train station.
I wasn't really sure where it was appropriate for me to eat my oden, so I hung out near some other people standing around and made quick work of my breakfast while it was still hot. The train platform was a few steps away, and as I sat waiting for my train, I marveled at the clockwork precision by which the trains came and left. I was also surprised by the number of suited up commuters since it was a Saturday - but I did hear the Japanese are workaholics.
Waiting outside on the platform did get a little chilly - but nothing too terrible for a Canadian! I was actually very pleased with the weather - not too hot, but sunny, just like a perfect spring day in Vancouver.
After boarding the train, I busied myself with the fast-moving scenery, catching glimpses of cherry blossoms all over the countryside. It was difficult to capture all the beauty with a camera because the train was moving so rapidly, but that was a small price to pay! It was fun watching the big city buildings thin out into sprawling villages, seeing which communities adopted more Western-style architecture and which retained traditional-style roofs.
About 3 hours later, the train reached its destination: Shin-osaka. Time to see if I could snag a non-reserved seat on the bullet train to Fukuoka! I rushed to the ticket counter, but the line up was evidently useless - if all reserved seats are sold out, the only thing left to do is to go to the platform, find the cars that have non-reserved seats, and hope you are able to get a seat. Fortunately, this train did have cars with non-reserved seats (some don't) so I carved a spot for myself at the end of the queue at car #3, crossing my fingers that I didn't waste too much time.
The doors to the train opened 4 minutes before the scheduled departure, and I managed to get a window seat! What a relief! I made a mental note to reserve seats on all future train trips - the stress was definitely not worth it, especially since the JR pass covers the reservation fee.
It was 2 and a half hours later that the bullet train pulled into Hakata station. I made it! Thankfully, the tour guide and my traveling companion were waiting for me at the exit gate, so there was no time wasted in getting to the hotel.
Turns out the hotel was just a 5-minute walk away from the train station, and around the corner from the tour guide's office. After getting checked in, the tour guide brought in my rental bike to get it fitted and we were free for the rest of the day until dinner. Yay!
First mission: lunch. The tour guide recommended that we head back to Hakata train station because it is a giant building housing a 10-level shopping mall. On the 9th and 10th floors, there are more than 40 restaurants serving all different kinds of food. It was incredible! In the end, we chose a soba restaurant where I indulged in a bowl of fresh soba noodles served with a variety of toppings - something that I had not seen in any other Japanese restaurant. The soba noodles were similar to what I've had before, but with no strange aftertaste and no hint of sogginess.
With satisfied stomachs, the next errand was to reserve seats for all future train trips! Luckily, the employee at the ticket counter was very patient as we explained which trains we wanted to take on which days. I think we made 6 reservations in total. It was a productive day - one that warranted a reward!
A trip to Daiso! Coincidentally, there was a Daiso store in the building adjacent to the train station, and I went crazy when I saw the amount and variety of food on the shelves... all for only ¥100 ($1) each! It was my candy land. I combed through each aisle and despite exercising restraint, ended up picking up 7 different kinds of snacks! Mmm... now I was all set for those train trips.
Later, with our hauls from Daiso and a satisfying exploration of the 10-storey mall, we headed out to dinner with the tour group. We numbered 5, including the tour guide - one American, two Canadians, and a Singaporean. Dinner was at a mediocre izakaya - nothing much to report about the food, but it was fun getting to know the people we'd be cycling with for the next few days.
Looks like it'll be an early morning to pack up and get cycling to the next town: Hita! Off to bed for me!
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