more and more signs.) 2 kilometers off the main road there was an elementary school. I decided to head up that road, which is one of countless narrow, winding roads that can be found here in this hilly area. I can't recall seeing more than one or two one-way roads in all the time I've been here, but almost every side road is so narrow, it's hard to believe they aren't one-way roads.So many of the roads around here, even some of the "main" roads, are so windy and narrow that at just about every turn there is at least one pole with a round mirror attached to it so that you can see if there is any traffic coming. I've never seen so many of these mirrors on roads before, but I tell you, they come in handy. Of course, you end up looking at the mirrors so often, you have to learn h
ow to drive without looking at the road! But that's not such a good idea, since another danger lurks: ditches!Yes, there are ditches along the side of most roads. It's insane. I'm not talking ditches that you can drive into and possibly back out of, either. I'm talking drainage ditches that appear to be just wide enough to swallow your tires whole! It's pretty damn unnerving to tell you the truth. A video of me driving into one of those damn ditches, hearing this awful screeching metal and a loud "BAM!" and coming to a sudden standstill constantly runs through my head as I drive alongside these dangerous obstacles. Ahhhhhh! Luckily, the video has yet to be filmed and I hope it never does make it to a theater near you!
Another surprise along these roads is that you can find a drink (never food!) vending machine just about anywhere, so you don't really have to worry about dying of thirst in case you do happen to drive into a ditch. I swear, just about every five or ten minutes there'll be a drink vending machine somewhere along the road. You can find vending machines at fairly obvious locations such as bus stops and rest stops, but you also find them at just about every pull-out along the road as well as under random trees just off the road. Why don't we have this many drink vending machines in the U.S.? Oh, and in case you're wondering what types of drinks you can buy: Mostly about 10 varieties of tea and coffee, along with one or two sports drinks and usually one variety of coke, too.
Just hope that the machine you find isn't as old as the one pictured here! I really doubt this one still works, but it sure would be cool to refurbish it, eh? I found this one in the middle of nowhere. I went exploring down a road one day and boom, there was this ages-old vending machine. Crazy! The machine sure would make for a nice souvenir, don't you think? Do you dare me?
Ditches and vending machines aren't the only surprises you get, though, when you venture down the path less driven. Some of the roads are so old, they aren't really maintained anymore, so they are slowly becoming overgrown with brush, bamboo, branches, and whatnot. Which means you have to drive slower than slow, not just to navigate the narrowness and windiness! It's really nuts!
I found such a road today. I headed down one road that seemingly led to two towns, since their names were clearly posted on a big, blue road sign, in both kanji and romaji (the latter being English for all intents and purposes). What a road it turned out to be. The first odd thing I noticed was that all of a sudden there was a sign on my half of the road directin
g me to the left, off the "main" road and onto a tiny road that was serving as a detour. Huh? Since there was no traffic whatsoever, I slowed down almost to a halt and noticed that the "main" road appeared to be washed out or something. Hmmm...Anyway, I took the detour. After about 30 seconds, I noticed the second odd thing: The road (path?) I was driving on was running alongside a beautiful, brand-new bridge. But the bridge wasn't quite finished. Despite the fact that there were polished signs with the name of the bridge on both ends, tall light poles in place to light up the bridge at night, and shiny guardrails along the sides of the bridge, one thing was missing: The actual road bed! It really looked like the construction crew vanished into thin air before they finished their project.
Anyway, after about another minute, the road/path I was driving on rejoined the "main" road, so off I drove. I couldn't help but notice how the road on that side of the bridge looked like it had been paved only a few weeks ago. But I also couldn't help but notice how the road was slowly becoming overgrown with brush, bamboo, branches, and whatnot. Just when I started to think that maybe I was on the "Road to Nowhere," guess what happened? Yes! The road ended! Unbelievable! I just don't get it. Did the construction workers run out of money? Did they go on strike? Were they on their lunch break? Did they all get kidnapped? Say what?
Come to think of it, I've experienced this before in Japan. You see, down near Nobeoka, there are about six or seven huge support structures in place, running perpendicular to the highway. They have obviously been built to support a roadbed, most likely for a freeway extension. But there's no roadbed, nor does it look like one will ever be built. I just don't get it. What a strange country! Anyway, happy trails to you!
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