Categories
car travel

カーるま

ほら、語呂合わせ

さぁ、車を決めちゃった。2005年シルバでインティリアーが黒くてスバルのレガジィツアリングワゴン2.0Rです。4万9千キロが付いています。

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月々お金が実質的に払いますけど、本当にいい条件です。車検や保険が入っているし、契約が来年の7月までだけし、便利だと思います。スキーラックも頼んでもらいましたよ。この車の燃費は1リットル9キロぐらいだそうです。1リットルが140円の値段、ちょっと高くなるかもしれません。アメリカに比べたら、特に高いです。アラスカを出た前に、ガソリンは、1ガロンが3ドルぐらいでした。1リットル70円ぐらいです。10月10日車は準備ができますので、楽しみにしています。

Categories
car travel

Caruma

Hey, that’s a pun.

So I made my final and ultimate decision on a car. At least until July 31st of next year. It’s a silver 2005 Subaru Legacy 2.0R with 49,000km on it and a black interior.

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I am paying a fairly good chunk of change a month for it, but looking at it one way, only about 13% of my monthly salary. And that monthly payment includes shaken (shah-ken, a sort of car inspection tax), other car taxes, and full insurance that covers another driver in the car with me. I also don’t have any obligation past next July. And, for an extra 250 bucks, I am getting a roof rack with ski holder. Apparently, the car gets about 9 km/l. At 3.785 liters to the gallon, and 1.6 kilometers to the mile, I’ll let you math wizards figure that one out. And at about 144 yen for a liter of gas, at an exchange rate of 115 yen to the dollar, I’ll be spending some money on gas.

I’ll pick the car up on the tenth of next month, as it has to undergo the shaken process and get plates and stuff. I’m glad all that crap is taken care of for me!

Categories
Japan travel

Trip to Sado

With my recent three day weekend (for the autumnal equinox, of all things) I took myself and my bike to Sado Island, the biggest island in Japan (exclusive of the obvious four big ones), about a 2.5 hour ferry ride from Niigata City, to my south. My goal was to ride my bike around the entire island, or as I now call it, to circumcycle the island. The island itself looks small enough, but if you unravel the coastline, it’s pretty long. According to Tomoko’s cousin, who lives on Sado, the coastline is 280km. According to the map I bought it’s about 215. According to my GPS and my butt, it’s about 250. I’d add on 10km to that for tunnels, though.

Integrating photos into this blog is sort of a pain if I do more than a few, so here is the link to the photo gallery for the whole trip: Sado Gallery

I spent Friday night in Niigata City. I packed up all my bike stuff, tent, sleeping bag, and rode to the train station, where I quick-folded the bike, and hopped on the 6:44 train to Niigata. I got a hotel and then had a late night of accidentally paying someone else’s bar tab, and karaoke. I caught the 12:30 ferry to Sado the next day. I almost took the bus from the train station to the port, but instead, set up the bike, and rode it. I am glad I did. I saved 200 yen and actually beat the bus there.

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