Always Check for Train Tracks
I found a decent spot to stay last night right by the beach — it even had a free shower and bathroom, which was a nice change. I wasn’t that hungry this morning, so I skipped breakfast and headed straight to meet my friend Jack, who does the filming for the Haas F1 team, at a place called Café Maree nearby. We chatted for about 30 minutes, and it’s really got me thinking about applying for tech-related jobs with a team or even with F1 directly. The travel sounds like a lot, but I think the experience — even just for a couple of years — would be amazing. I’m planning to look into what jobs are available after the summer break or for next season.
After Jack left for his flight to Qatar, I headed to the beach to catch some sun and read my book for a couple of hours. After chilling out, I wanted to head up into the mountains for the next few days, but I needed to do some laundry first. While waiting on the wash, I picked up a portable charger — I’ve been running out of battery on my GoPro and phone a lot recently. By the time I left, the sun was getting low, and it turned into a lovely evening for a drive out of Suzuka. I saw on Google that the Akame 48 Waterfalls were about an hour away, so I found a spot to park in a nearby town. I’m hoping to visit the waterfalls tomorrow.
After arriving in town, I fancied a sauna and found the nearest onsen — which turned out to be industrial in scale, by far the biggest I’ve ever seen. It’s called Nabari-no-Yu, and I can definitely recommend it. Lots of different baths and the biggest sauna I’ve ever been in. I feel like I’m overdoing it a bit now, as I’ve bought my own mat to sit on in the sauna, as well as a special hat that keeps my head cooler, allowing me to stay in longer.
After dinner at Hama Sushi, I headed to the river to find a quiet spot to sleep. Once I got into bed, I realized I’d parked way too close to a railway bridge, which was far too loud to sleep next to. I moved the car in search of a better spot in the dark — never a great idea — and eventually came across a bakery car park with a sign saying "shut on Tuesdays." Luckily, it was Monday evening, so it worked out just fine.
Looking forward to the waterfalls tomorrow, then heading over to Nara for some hanami, which is the Japanese word for cherry blossom viewing. I’ve heard good things about that spot, so I’m excited to see if it lives up to the hype.
