Bicycle Journey

     After a few days doing some research on the internet, and sending mails inquiring about some bicycles offered to sell, I finally bought my new one yesterday. You can find a lot of great bicycles here in Japan, because most of people own one and use it for their everyday's needs. But speaking about prices they are really expensive, so I decided to find a good used one and accomplished that goal. I found a really nice canadian guy who sold me his bike for only 4,000 yens (around US$43) and almost new, he only used it for two months. Including the basket, a light, a security lock and almost not use, it was a really big deal.

     But it wasn't as simple as that. The whole story starts with a 45 min trip in the subway to reach the town where the sellers lives. When we met in the designated place we went to the police station to change the owner's name, because in Japan, all the bicycles must be registered with their own number so, if it is stolen and the police finds it, they call you and you get it back. It took about 2 hours because the guy didn't have the receipt and had to ask for a new one at the store, and then buy a new number to stick in the bike to register to my name.

     So, after all the legal procedures, I was the brand owner of the bike BUT the problem, I was 30 km away from my home in the night and haven't been there before. I pick up a small map and a compass and started the journey back to home crossing the entire city of Tokyo. I can't complain, beside the cold weather it was a great experience, I could see a lot of places and the beautiful lights of the city. After the first 10 km, I had to stop in a small restaurant to recharge batteries, and tried really nice food there.

     The reason why is very important to keep all your paper in rules here in Japan, is because you never know when you will be asked to show them. In my way home, a police man stopped me and asked me if that bicycle was mine, immediately he reported by radio the number sticked in the bike that I just had bought a few hours ago and my name was recorded in the registry as the owner, and later he asked me to show him my passport and alien registration card, but as it takes 2 weeks to get it ready, I showed him the certificate of residency and as everything was in order, he let me go. The journey completed 4 hours after I started to ride my new bicycle because I got lost a few times. Here you can see some photos I took in my way home.