Great ride around Mt Yotei today 55km - after a night of thunderstorms the rain eased into a perfect day with Yotei clothed in her emerald robes of jungle above us. Stopped at a beautiful clear spring - as picturesque as a Japanese etching- through the potato fields and sunflowers, and small villages. As scenic a day as you could want anywhere on the planet.

Drove today down to Lake Toya - a caldera lake that still has steaming mountains around it and is more likelakr Como than anything you'd expect in Japan..... Maybe the coffee isn't so good but the Tempura and soba noodle creations are spectacular ! 37k ride around the lake then a swim - one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in Japan... Eerie swimming over reeds that ten drop off into the deep blue like an outer reef drop off! Crystal clear and serene. Smoki...

Well it's definitely different to just a few months ago - from meters of thick snow to a lush almost tropical jungle in the mountains! We've been here a couple days - mostly in shorts and tshirts- exploring mountain trails on foot and a maze of backcountry roads by bike. The food is amazing - luscious tomatoes sweeter than anything I've had in Italy, deep orange wild salmon so cheap it will make all you Aussies cry! ... Bunches of asparagus, a plethora of inde...

Ready to head off to wild mountains and cold oceans soon....