For the second time this year, I decided to cover enormous distances by airplane (leaving direct from my local airport), and for the second time I had no problems... other than the fact that tire patch kit glue is now considered a “flammable item” and is not allowed on the plane (and they make a point of asking cyclists). I told them they needn’t bother asking: EVERY cyclist who isn’t an idiot carries it! After wasting nearly an hour searching for a replacement tube in Chitose, I finally headed northward... and immediately the scenery changed to the farmland I’d expected to see in Hokkaido.

I’d heard that early July was the best time to see Hokkaido’s famed flowers, and so I expected to see some... but I never expected to see so many. These were growing wild of the main road: the first of many, many beautiful flowers (both wild and cultivated) that I was to see during my two-week trip.