Miyakejima and the boy

Miyakajima
Decided to get away and at the same time introduce the boy to cycle touring.
So chose a close(r) destination , that being one of the islands in the Tokyo bay area. ..
After a late start due to a touch of the hangovers we set off along the arakawa cycling road, this follows the river into Tokyo. It's a 50 km ride to the ferry and while I may be used to it , a 12 year old boy may not. So we went slowly with a stop or two. Cheese burgers were needed. Around five pm and after cheeseburger or two we arrived at the end of the arakawa cycling road. This necessitated asking our dear friend Google maps , whom promptly replied with , " left, right , straight, go home E.T."..
We turned right and went straight.
The ferry was a long way , and the boy did well to keep going. When we arrived at the ferry, he was on reserve. The ferry duely paid for we settled in for the wait , junk food helped.
Boarding the ferry was straight forward, once the silly people had been dealt with , they wanted the carrier removed for no reason. Not happening.
The ferry was very nice , clean and well run. We had a small tatami room to ourselves and the boy had a TV. He was happy.
A walk around the ship revealed a shower for 100 yen , bonus. 
At 10 we had a shower and went to bed, the light went off anyway. Knowing we had to be up at 5 am in order to be ready to leave the shop we set the alarm.
5am the alarm went off , we arose and packed up. Just as we finished a very hurried steward came running up to us , urging us to get a f###ing move on. He wasn't joking. The ship literally stops for a few minutes and it's gone .
Well there we were in the cold and weak morning light.
This time we didn't wake Google. It's an island.
We cycled up to the top of the road and turn right up the hill down into a lovely bay.
Now at this point, I should point out that Miyakejima is a volcano and sometimes it clears it's lungs . The beach is made up of volcanic moon rock. A lovely place to cook some eggs and bacon.
After breakfast we continued, on the look out for a convenience store. There ain't none. So after a few km, we stopped. It was sunny and warmer now, so the boy went to sleep on a rock and I cycled back to the nearest habitation that might have been a shop and bought supplies.
He was still asleep when I got back , so I made coffee and ate donuts before the monster awoke and saw donuts.
We continued along the road and took a detour to the lighthouse.
A walk around a windy volcanic shoreline is interesting , in that you can see the flow of the liquid mud and rock that came from the centre of the island . and the colours of the differing layers. It was easy getting to the lighthouse as it was down hill but returning to the road was long.
The boy by now was nearing empty and with lunch time approaching we decided to stop. Well he had gone from cycling to walking to needing the cattle prod . So the next lay-by lunch sorely needed.  He slept.
After lunch the hill was attacked once again and a steady plod finally was rewarded with the familiar long and graceful downhill.  The view was very nice to say the least .
Now we cannot call these villages , they are but one or two houses does not a village make . but the road started to rise again and I knew the cattle prod needed recharging so I started to look for somewhere to sleep.  I kind of already knew where but the boy was now on auto pilot .
We arrived at a volcano viewing site where a huge valley had been created when the island threw it's toys out of the cot . We dragged the bicycles up to the top.  It looked ok , but the wind and now the rain were starting to drive up from the beach making our intended resting place a little harsh. On decending to pick up the boys bike, I noticed a path leading to a beach. Following the path led to a lunar landscape  of desolate and quite beautiful proportions.  I, as by now you have realised have fallen in love with this place.  love may be a strong word but I do like this
Miyakajima 2
Island . it has a desolate beauty to it which I like. 
I set up a lean to and put the sleeping bags inside. gave the boy the bivi bag and I just slept in a sleeping bag. I started to cook , the boy was  talking on his phone and when I looked round his tank was empty and he was asleep.
Oh well. I ate dinner, bacon eggs and fried  spam with mashed potatoes in a mustard sauce and went for a walk.
On return, the boy was awake and eating , so I made some chocolate and retired for the night , the rain had settled in anyway.
The next morning the boy decided that he was going to follow higher instructions and try to return for his enterance ceremony on the monday. Which meant being back on the Sunday. Ok for me but I seriously doubted he could do it , well over 120km,  in a day ? . We packed up had breakfast and were on the road by 9:30. It was warm but the rain was on again off again on again affair. the boy seemed happy.
we followed the road around and up until we arrived at what looked like a shop with a vending machine. On giving the boy money he bought a drink and found 100 yen. looking some more another 100 yen . By the time he had finished he had found over 500 yen !.
I mean while was still in tears and in shock at seeing the price of a small can of beer. If I lived here homebrew would be the order of the day.
We followed the road round. What I mean to say is ; there is no other road so you can only go one way. When we arrived at the airport a helicopter was sitting on the tarmac and a plane was getting ready to leave. We decided to watch the plane take off.
As we were, I struck up a conversation with a woman looking after a small boy. She was the English language teacher at the local high school, which explained her use of the English language.  I found out a lot about the practicalities of living on the island. Amazon did deliver but.
With lunch and a ferry deadline approaching we bought Benton at the first and probably the best (so far)  supermarket as well as some souvenirs before hitting the road and arriving at the place where we had breakfast 24 or more hours before.
a big dinner consisting of everything we had left over and the bento we had bought , left us needing a walk on the beach and as we had a few hours to kill .
I like being a few hours before departure , everything ready just get on the ship. So after we had washed , changed and packed .The bike loaded into their container and tickets bought. We went for a walk .  Noticing a bit of swell in the ocean, I told the boy to stand by the big rock. He didn't see the wave . The photo is a classic .
The ferry arrived , an amazing bit of efficiency rivalling a F1 team and we were away. Same deal as before. 
I say in the cafe and read while the boy watched TV .  It's a surprisingly long journey. But a shower and hot food and a walk on the deck does wonders for the constitution.
The ferry was uneventful and arrived at 8pm .
We unloaded and set up and were on the road by 9pm . Now I wanted to sleep at the arakawa river then spend the next day going home . The boy had other ideas.
Tokyo. What can you say ! Are the people like everyone big city ,or is the Tokyoite gifted with a special brand of head-up-their-arse. The ride towards the arakawa , one should use their  own imagination to fully realize the frustration.
It was a straight run this time to the river and facing a 40km ride in the dark would land us in Tsuruse at 2 or 3 in the morning. I said to the boy if he wanted to camp , he said "no" but wanted a cheeseburger.
So along the river we went ,arriving at itabashi McDonald's near 11 pm.
Back on the road ,it was cold and clear and just a matter of crunching the miles .  Until the boys battery went flat . Around asakadai. About 10 km from home .
Rest breaks weren't helping, so the only thing to do was push when his legs gave out.
He did very well , very well indeed. We arrived at tsuruse around 2 am and that last climb up the hill was his  absolute all he had nothing left.
We arrived home at 2.30 am and he died at 2.31am.
I unloaded bthe bikes and had a snack before going to bed about 4. To die, to sleep,
To sleep, perchance to Dream; aye, there's the rub,
for in that sleep of death, what dreams may come,
when we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
And one of us had shuffled.
Miyakajima is a easy ride and a nice little adventure.
As with the other islands in the Tokyo bay it is easy to get to
If I have any complaints it's the cost of the ferry. But seeing as how long it took and how clean the ferry was with all its amenities . It's a small price to pay

Will I go back . Yes I will