AM20: The Japan Journals

Day 59

May 29th

Unlike the fog of clouds I witnessed yesterday, today graced its presence with a drastic change in scenery. Earlier today, I traversed the infamous "Tottori Sand Dunes". Before this trip, I had never heard of this landmark. For all I knew, Japan was full of brisk mountain tops and beautiful beaches.

The drive to the dunes was about 100 miles from Asago, which was the right amount of time to get the ocean breeze on the Supermoto trim. One sight that I'll never get tired of is the coastal views, by way of the DZed. Again, maybe it's my landlocked habits that contrast this view but I can never get enough of seeing what the Sea has to offer.

Speaking of Supermoto, I have noticed a different feel in how the weight is distributed. A lot of it is in how the bike is planted. In its original form, the DZed has a 21" wheel in the front, followed by an 18" wheel in the back. Supermoto wheels, on the other hand, have equally balanced 17" front AND rear wheels, allowing for more space to be occupied by the fat tires.

There's no question that the setup has altered the feel of the bike, as the meaty tires absorb the pavement differently. It's definitely an adjustment, to say the least.

Unfortunately, the new setup also means that my bike isn't eligible to ride in the dunes. Fortunately, I was able to find a nearby rental place that'll acquiesce to my thrill-seeking needs. The rental bike and truck were affordable, but the rental crew did say that there's one condition.

Because the dunes are relatively small (10 miles long, about 2 miles wide), there's only a small section that allows motorized vehicles. They went on to tell me that the bulk of the tourists prefer to take camel rides across the dunes, as their company also offers those rentals. The idea of camel crossing is too hilarious to pass up, so I decided to book a time for that after my first ride. Unlike the bike rental, camel rentals include a handler/guide, who's more than ready to answer any question I have.

Before I go in-depth on these sandy hills, I first wanted to rip through and see how the rental bike handled. The company provided me an old 2 stroke enduro bike, made by Kaigan. A fellow Japanese manufacturer, Kaigan has been out of the 2 stroke game for years. When they were making these kinds of engines, they had a 200cc Enduro model that was known to be the ultimate joy, off-road.

Fortunately, the company supplied me with one of these models, which was about 20 years old. With smoke billowing out of the exhaust like a mid-winter chimney, memories of my early riding years come back to me. This kick start only, fuel mixed bike is a sure remnant of yesteryear.

To elaborate, 2 stroke engines require a mixture of gas and what they call "pre-mix". The latter serves as a lubricant for the engine, as it's not built to draw on oil from the crankcase (which stores typical engine oil). This results in a snappier, smoggy engine. Two-stroke engines have become less popular over the years, mainly due to changing emissions standards. Some people just don't know how to have fun.

The rental place was only a few miles from the dunes, so I was on the sand in minutes. The area sectioned off for riding is rather small, but has an incredible incline. I was told that some of the dunes climb as high as 50 meters (roughly 150 feet). Winding the throttle violently, I strung out the best of what this bike's powerband has to offer.

Going up the sandy incline is unlike anything I've climbed before. The revolving, grinding patterns my wheels are taking just continue to dig slight ruts into the sand. It reminds me of the saying "two steps forward, one step back". Gaining traction on this kind of terrain is increasingly difficult, and arduous, by the foot. Fortunately, the rental company prepares for this kind of terrain and installed a paddle tire in the rear to help with my evaporating traction.

The feeling of being dug in is amplified on the sand, which means I have to be more nimble and decisive. Any bad maneuvers could result in a buried bike. I must have spent anywhere from 2 to 3 hours tearing around the one dune. Hearing the engine whine its way over the steep inclines was like having a raucous, metal singer piercing into my helmet. It was a cool visceral experience and the Kaigan 2 stroke was the right kind of bike to ride with.

After a quick lunch break, I returned the bike/truck to the company and replaced them with a camel (oh, and an overzealous guide). After struggling to mount my butt on the camel, I settled into a posture and allowed the guide to take us around. During the tour, the guide gave me an overview of how the dunes came to be.

The process of forming the dunes took thousands of years. It started when runoff from a nearby river collected in the Sea of Japan, only to be pushed back to shore. Many years of this process occurring resulted in the dunes being built up to what they are, today.

To even further illustrate the changing landscape of the dunes, what we're walking on today could be shifted by the winds coming off of the coast. Between that and the changing tide, the dunes are in a permanent state of flux. Throughout the tour, we began to see people doing various activities. One such activity was sandboarding.

As the name implies, it's basically people snowboarding (on sand). I couldn't help but get a hint of adrenaline from the sight of these people shredding down the dunes. Along with those boarders, there were a number of people paragliding and camel riding throughout the area. This place is a haven for extreme sports, as about any thrill-seeking activity could be adapted to this sand. I had a blast watching some of these people send it, which only heightens my need to return tomorrow.

At the end of the tour, the guide gives me the rental information for the sandboards and other items, if I wish to pursue them tomorrow. He also informed me of a local "sand museum", with various sculptures. With all due respect to the place, I'm going to veer far from that. This place is a unique environmental artifact and there's just too much to do outside.

With the rental stuff taken care of, I decided to call it a day and find a nearby hotel. There's been plenty of cool landmarks on this trip (some I already knew about), but the Tottori Sand Dunes are one place I did not anticipate experiencing. This is an attraction for thrill-seekers, of all kinds. I have to go back and try my hand at that sandboarding. By the looks alone, the activity looks like it could match the excitement level of the 2 stroke riding today. That, in itself, speaks volumes about this place.

Thanks again and I'll see you soon!

-Ayden