Dokkodo: Lonesome Road of Running

Spending the night at Barcelona Airport. Dozing on a bench, I waited at the gate for 5 hours and half. Air France AF1449 departed Barcelona at 6:10am as scheduled. Farewell, Barcelona! Farewell, Spain! Until next time!! And then, about an hour and a half later, I arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. I had to wait there for 5 hours. And then, at 1:20pm, AF292 finally departed from Paris to Japan. Farewell, Eurasia! Thank you for all the memories! I don't know when or where I'll be next, but I'll definitely come back! My luggage was returned to me without being lost. The wait at the airport was long, and I hardly slept in the 13 hours from Paris to Kansai Airport, watching 5 movies. Piapi, my wife greeted me with a smile at the gate at 9:30 a.m. I'd been messaging her online and talking to her on video calls every day, but it was still nice to see her again in real life. I was lucky to have come back alive, and that alone made me so happy. Around 11 am, on the w...

Day 75, the morning of the seventh day in Barcelona.  Checked out of the hostel and took a taxi to the airport. The plane leaves for Paris at 6:10am tomorrow. And I have to wait in transit for 5 hours. Arrive at Kansai Airport at 9:30am on the 24th. It's a long, long journey. Checked in my luggage early. My buggy and bag will be sent directly to Kansai Airport, but I don't want to be the victim of lost baggage. The airport is where you can really feel the hyper-weak yen, with hamburgers and sandwiches all costing over 1000 Japanese yen. Walking around because my butt hurts when I sit.  There's a fool here who walks 20,000 steps in the airport... Patience is tested, just waiting at the airport is wait training. 18 hours in Barcelona, ​​5 hours in Paris, the waiting time is longer than the time spent on the plane... lol * Photo Albums * YouTube Movies

Day 74, my last day in Barcelona. Those days of constantly traveling every day are long gone. I don't know when I'll be traveling again, but I hope I can make good use of this experience in the future. Rather than making up for what I'm missing, the challenge is to make the most of what I have now. I spent two full weeks relaxing in Seville and Barcelona. I could have run 500-700km in two weeks. But even during the time I wasn't running, I had plenty of time to think about various things. There are many things I should and want to do after returning to Japan, but first I have to overcome my Urashima Taro syndrome. Urashima Taro syndrome is different from jet lag. Urashima Taro is a main character of Japanese old fairy tales. It takes quite a while to end my trip and return to the real world. Urashima Taro returns from Ryugu-jo Castle and realizes that he is in a different world than he thought. The moment he opens the treasure box(Tamatebako) given to him by Princess Ot...

I wonder if it's getting more autumnal every day. I don't run here anymore, but I feel relieved just knowing that the maximum temperature doesn't exceed 30 degrees. The morning temperature is 21 degrees. I don't need air conditioning in the morning or evening anymore. I want a hot drink rather than a cold one. In the morning, I took a walk around the hostel and went shopping. I'll leave the country after one night tomorrow. However, I'll spend the night at Barcelona Airport on the 22nd, and fly from Barcelona to Paris early in the morning on the 23rd. I'll wait in Paris for 5 hours. That's a long time to spend at the airport. It takes 19 hours from Paris to Osaka Kansai Airport. I spend most of the day in the hostel lounge. Many guests come and go every day. I sometimes talk to them, but there are very few Asian people. I work hard to organize my travel data and records. As an analog-oriented person, I make videos that are just like a memory album. * Pho...

In the morning, I put on my  one-tooth geta and went out into town for the first time in a while. I ran in the park along the coast. A feeling I had almost forgotten was revived. I felt like climbing Mt. Kongo in my one-tooth geta. Autumn is approaching in Barcelona, ​​as the number of days with maximum temperatures below 30°C is increasing. The sun doesn't feel very strong. Having experienced that heat inland, it is really comfortable now. But I spent most of my time relaxing in the hostel. My main outing is shopping. I cooked a simple home-cooked meal again today. I think I'll be regaining the weight I've lost soon. Four more days until I leave the country. I can't wait to get back to my homeland. * Photo Albums * YouTUbe Movies

Day 71 is cloudy, and a rare day with the temperature not exceeding 30°C. It looks like it might rain. I work on editing the e-mail newsletter and organizing travel data and records. I make it a rule not to do much sightseeing, even when I visit tourist spots. I do when I want to, but I try not to get into the crowds. I end the day by wandering around town a bit, doing some shopping, and making a simple meal (photo below: top is dinner, bottom is lunch). * Photo Albums * YouTube Movies

I slept well last night because I couldn't sleep well after staying up all night at the airport on the night before. In the morning, I walked around the beach. Barcelona is also a city that has hosted the Olympics in the past, so there are a lot of runners. I saw young people practicing beach volleyball on the beach. I think that one thing that can be said in common in various cities around the world is that many health-conscious people get up early and do something good for their health. Of course, it's not just running, but there are also many people who are dedicated to walking and cycling. Some young people in the same dormitory at the hostel went out at night and slept until the afternoon... (lol). Around noon, I walked about 3 kilometers from the hostel to Plaza Catalunya. I was supposed to meet up with the Kawazoe family, who had come to Barcelona at the same time. In the afternoon, I spoke in Japanese with people I hadn't seen in a while. I was grateful and moved to...

Waking up on the floor of Barcelona airport. It was more comfortable than spending the night on a bench.   I used the pick-up service from the airport to go to the hostel. I left my luggage there and I decided to explore the area until 2PM I can check in. Then I walked just under 3km to Sagrada Familia. There were so many people that I just took some photos and left. Apparently there was a thunderstorm last night. The maximum temperature was below 30 degrees. The climate of the coast is different from the one of inland. As expected, Barcelona is a big city and there are supermarkets open 24 hours a day. I checked into the hostel just before 2pm. Each room (8-person dormitory) is equipped with a shower and toilet. Great view from the 6th floor. There are also several supermarkets nearby, which is convenient. The facilities are also well-equipped. As you'd expect from a hostel with a good reputation. I was a little sleep-deprived last night, so after dinner I'm already feeling sl...

I left the hostel just before 11am. I ended up staying at the Black Swan Hostel in Seville for a week. It was a great place to stay. Google Maps said it was 17km to Seville Airport. Once I leave the city and the sidewalks are gone, I'm on a busy highway. The noise and exhaust fumes are even more annoying next to the highway. The shoulders aren't very wide either, so it feels dangerous at times. I was guided along the road, passing by the air force base and going around to the airport. I was forced to take a strange route and backtrack in places, so it was a total of 20km. I arrived around 2pm. It wasn't easy to get to the airport either. I decided to take a taxi from Barcelona Airport to the hostel, and from the hostel to Barcelona Airport on the day of my return. I packed the buggy for the first time in two months. That's it for this trip. Today's ride took me over 2000km in total. I had another problem when I arrived at the airport. I bought my ticket online some ...

Day 67, I met people of various nationalities (mostly young people) at a hostel in Sevilla, Spain. Everyone is different, but we are all global citizens. The ultimate form of excluding others is war. Coexistence with others is the path to peace. To achieve this, I think we need to shift to a way of life and mindset that accepts everything. If a journey is a work of art for a traveler, I want to leave it in as many different forms as possible. I also think that it is necessary to use time and space to fully communicate it to someone, such as images (videos and photos), words (text and audio), etc. Even if it is an experience that only that person can have, it could be something that stimulates someone's motivation, and it could be a hint for someone's way of life. If the traveler has put all his energy into it, risking his life and existence, it will fascinate many people and become even more meaningful and valuable.

 Took a whole day to make this movie English caption is available.

In the morning, I had breakfast before sunrise, then got ready and set the buggy out again. As always, it was a ceremonial final run. It was about 2km from the hostel where I was staying to Plaza de España in Sevilla. As I was running, I reflected on the past two months. It started with my lost baggage at Biarritz Airport in France, and the 24 days of the Camino de Santiago were full of ups and downs. Portugal was my 11th country, and it was interesting, but there were many things that happened. The road to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of the Eurasian continent, was also tough and hard. After Lisbon, the heat also increased. The buggy's wheels also malfunctioned. I also had back pain (sciatica-like), and it started to hurt after running more than 30km. After re-entering Spain, there was an even tougher trail, and I even encountered a mysterious accident in the Andalusian mountains. What if I didn't return alive...? ? ? It really was a life-or-death moment. I can laugh ab...

The heat is still continuing. Today is Mountain Day in Japan. I have been worrying about the news about the earthquake in Japan, but I hope everyone in the Miyazaki area is safe. After much consideration, I decided to make the goal of this trek here in Seville. You could say I retired or DNF, but I think this is the best I've done so far. About 2000 km in Spain and Portugal, including the Camino de Santiago. If it was just flat roads and mild weather, it would only be 2000 km, but the first half of this trek was a rough mountain route. The road surface was scree, gravel, and there were steep climbs with gradients of over 20%...all roads that I had never taken in a buggy before. The buggy must have been screaming. The wheel was loose and still not working properly. It would not go straight unless I replace the wheel. The original goal was Barcelona. There are still a little over 1000km to go. Heatwaves are expected on the road south from Seville, and there are 30-70km sections (sect...

Day 63, my second day off in Seville. I had the dorm to myself, but two guys came in late at night. I didn't have any particular plans, but I woke up before sunrise and had breakfast. The photo shows yogurt with granola, dried fruit, and nuts. It was exactly one week ago that I was wandering the mountains of Andalusia without internet or GPS. It's like a lie that I was struggling to get out of the forest where there were no people, no cars, and only wild deer and free-roaming cows. Now I'm in the city, but there are people and cars, and I feel that I am protected by civilization. It's out again! Extreme heat alert!! I wonder what will happen next! ? * Today's Photos * YouTube Movies

Day off in Seville. My back, neck, shoulders and hips hurt from pushing the heavy buggy uphill. I couldn't increase my pace because the load increased as I increased the distance I drove. I decided to rest for a while in Seville. Due to a strange phenomenon where a two-night stay was cheaper than a one-night stay on Booking.com, I planned to stay here until the morning of the 12th. This was the first time I stayed four nights in a row on this trek. Went to the bike shop in the morning. As expected, buggies are special, so it's best to replace the wheels. One of the spokes was about to break, so I had it replaced. It's not perfect, but it still turns straight to a certain extent. I think it's amazing that it can still run after being used so hard. It may be inevitable since I'm using it for a different purpose. After that, I wandered around the city, did some shopping and returned to the hostel. I'm not very interested in sightseeing, so I ended up spending the d...

Day 61, 35km to Seville. Mostly downhill today. Other than the heavy traffic, it seems fine. The photo shows a strangely shaped tree that helped me get out of a pinch. I recognized the tree on the way there, so I realized it was the path I had taken. This tree was the difference between life and death! Started at 7:15am. Now in Las Pajanosas after an hour and a half of riding. Thick fog everywhere. The fog disappeared as soon as the sun came up. Heading south on the N630, but the highway runs west, so it's a surprisingly quiet road. More and more cyclists are riding their road bikes at full speed. The area is without shade, and the maximum temperature is forecast to be 35 degrees, but thanks to the wind it's a little cooler. After riding 34.6km, I checked into a hostel in Seville at 2pm. It's been a while since I've stayed in a dormitory. It's been days without conversation, so words aren't coming out smoothly. Coming out of the wilderness into the big city, eve...

  Day 60, I put my heart into every step, as if I am living each day to the fullest. I believe that an eco-friendly lifestyle that casts aside ego will surely lead to world peace... I will never forget that thought. After 15km of riding on the up-and-down N433, I took a snack break. The organic tomato crackers were quite tasty. It's like dried tomatoes on a baguette, and it's salty. I've never seen this kind in Japan, but it's addictive. If I put it on ramen noodle, it would be like tempura. As soon as I started to walk uphill, my pace slowed down. My heart rate also increased. The temperature was 33 degrees. It was forecast to reach 38 degrees by 4pm. At 3:30pm, I hcovered 40km and checked into a hotel in El Garrobo. A facility with a gas station and restaurant. The temperature rose to 38 degrees, and I was out of breath and my legs were shaking as I climbed the slope. I'm taking in fluids and salt, but the heat is still tough. Days where I barely speak a word. I s...

Departing from the hotel in Galaroza at 7:30am. Another day on the N-433. The road continues to go up and down. Arrived at Aracena at 10am. Found Lidul for the first time in a while. Time to shop. As I got closer to Sevilla, the number of medium-sized towns increased. I took a snack break behind Lidul. At 2pm, I reached today's goal of Higuera de la Sierra, but since hotel check-in was at 3pm, I killed time by strolling around the town. The temperature was 32 degrees. The heat made me dizzy, so I tried to avoid running in the afternoon as much as possible. Since I was running about 30km every day, the day was over in no time. After 2:30pm, I arrived at my lodging at the top of Higuera de la Sierra hill after running 29.6km. The owner, Rafael, who lives in Sevilla, greeted me with a smile. Although it was compact, it was nice and convenient to have everything, including a kitchen. I decided to just rest in the afternoon. * Today's Photos * YouTube Movies

This time I learned that one wrong decision can be fatal. What do you do when the GPS and Internet, which are indispensable for modern people, become unusable? It may not be a problem for people who live in the city, but I think that people who walk in the mountains and travel abroad need to think carefully about it. This is not limited to when you are lost, but you don't realize at the moment when you "fall into a trap," but there are always times when you think "I should have done that there..." Some troubles such as being scammed or having an accident can be avoided by making prior decisions. Day 58, I slept soundly in a room surrounded by civilization. I thought it was great to be alive! I savored the happiness of being protected by various people and things. Today is 38 degrees again, and I will move forward a little. I won't be on the trail for a while (lol). Started from Aroche at 7:30 a.m. The hotel is at the top of a hill, so I brake tightly as I go...

  Aug3 Left Encinasola just after 7am. I immediately headed for the trail. Spain is a place where you are guided to follow a very steady path. I entered the trail lightly, but I ended up experiencing hell for about 13km. At first it was mostly downhill, but then it started to climb up a steep scree slope. The heat also made it hellish. In the end I was on a path like an advanced ski resort course, and the surface was soft and fluffy. The trail was beyond the limit of what the buggy could climb, so I carried the duffel bag that was on the buggy first and walked, then pushed the buggy up the trail. This was the last resort for the buggy. There was almost no shade, and there was only one. I was overjoyed when I finally got onto the road, H-211. However, the national road I followed after that, HV-2112, was a tricky one. The GPS was cut off along the way. There was no internet connection either. I lost track of the path I should take. I connected the Wi-Fi router many times, and when I...

Left Amareleja just after 6am. After spending two days there, I headed for Encinasola, Spain. At 9am, the sun started to shine through the cloudy sky. Route N386 runs through a similar landscape. There is nothing around except pastureland. I took Route N258 to Barrancos. This was the last town in Portugal. The town itself is on a hill. There is a cinema, but no large supermarket. There is a lot of greenery, and the roofs of the houses are all red. I got on Route HU9101 and re-entered Spain! 1:18pm local time. Farewell, Portugal! At 4pm, I finished the last climb and checked into a hotel in Encinasola. I had to put my watch forward one hour after entering Spain. I would lose an hour. A fairly decent hotel with a bar and restaurant. It is the only hotel in the town. I went out to town in the evening just as the supermarket reopened.  There were hardly any people walking around. * Today's Photos * YouTube Movies

The first and last camping trip in Portugal. The temperature outside when I pitched the tent last night was 35 degrees. It was probably over 40 degrees inside the tent. There were no mosquitoes, but there were quite a few flies flying around. I chose a shady spot, but as the sun went down, the fly sheet was hit by the setting sun. The sun set around 8:30, and even at that point, it was like a sauna in the tent. I couldn't stay still for more than 10 minutes. It was so ridiculous that I would get dehydrated and suffer from heat stroke in a tent (lol). The sun went down and the temperature gradually dropped, but I didn't stop sweating until around 10 o'clock, and it felt like all the water in my body was turning into sweat. I bought three bottles of 1.5 liter-water at the supermarket, but by morning I had drunk a little over two bottles. It was around 2 a.m. when the sweating finally stopped and I got into my sleeping bag. The mattress was soaked with sweat. I remembered a si...

Started at 7am. It was cloudy in the morning, but the sun came out soon and it got hot, 35 degrees in the afternoon. I continued on the national road today. I didn't reach the town of Amareleja, so I finally did some shopping at a supermarket. I stocked up on plenty of water. Then I searched for a park where I could pitch a tent for several kilometers and decided on a corner of the Merendas de Amareleja Park. This was my first camping since pitching a tent in a park in Biarritz, France. This was close to the Spanish border, and this might be my first and last camp in Portugal. The sun set around 8:30, and the temperature was not dropping anytime soon. If I didn't drink enough water, I would definitely get dehydrated and get heatstroke. It was going to get hotter from here onwards, and there were no accommodations in the town without tourist attractions. That meant I would mainly be camping in tents. I shouldn't run in hot areas during hot seasons... (lol). * Today's Pho...

  The free breakfast at the hostel was at 8am, so I started late. 38km, there are almost no towns or shops, so I just kept running. In the afternoon, there are only limited shaded areas. The national highway sometimes has no shoulders, but it is generally easy to run. Mostly flat. It is nice that passing cars honk their horns to cheer me on. The buggy is rattling but still OK. I'm sorry for overworking it, but I have been traveling with it as if it were a part of my body, and I intend to keep pushing it until the goal. A little after 4pm, I checked into a hotel in Reguengos de Monsaraz. I took a shower, washed my laundry by hand, had dinner, organized the data from the day, and made plans for the next day. * Today's Photos * YouTube Movies

I left Montemor O Novo at around 7am. There was almost nothing until Evora 30km away. About an hour after I started running, thunder started rumbling. I thought it wouldn't rain much, but suddenly it started pouring. Intermittent rain. A police car stopped in front of me and told me to keep to the left. No matter which country I go to, I often get told off by police (lol). The roads were 100% paved (thank goodness). They were not too steep or too loose, and had just the right amount of ups and downs. I arrived at the bike shop in Evora at 1pm, but they had a lunch break until 3pm. I had no choice but to check in at the hostel first. After unloading my luggage, I went back to the bike shop. The owner checked it and found that the problem was indeed with the axle. He fixed the wobble to some extent, but the rattle couldn't be fixed unless the axle was replaced. For now, I had no choice but to run as far as I could in this condition. As always, I am plagued by problems with the bu...

I set off just after 6:30 in the morning. I just prayed that the buggy would hold up. Followed only the N4 route. No more scree climbs. The wheels were shaking a lot, but it would be fine on paved roads. I've been through a lot of hell so far, but everything will be resolved in the end. I'm risking my life and my future, so God would never do anything bad to me. I'll believe that. I couldn't find a place to stay online, but I managed to check into Maria Gertudes Abrantes guesthouse in Montemor O Novo on a whim. If you think positively, good things will surely happen. * Today's Photos * YouTube Movies

At 6:20 in the morning, I left the guesthouse in Montijo. I ran all the way east on the N4. It was a flat road through pastureland. To put it bluntly, it was monotonous. After leaving Montijo, there were a few small cafes and gas stations. Soon after, I noticed a strange rattling noise in the rear wheel. I tightened a loose spoke, but the wheel started to shake violently. I thought maybe there was a problem with the axle. I ran cautiously, occasionally tightening the spokes. I knew I had to get a professional to look at it. There was no bike shop in Pegoes, but the next town, 15km away, was open until 7:30pm. However, it was closed tomorrow because it was Sunday. I arrived in front of the hostel in Pegoes around 2pm and thought about what to do, but I decided to try my best to ride to Evora, about 60km away. There seemed to be a few bike shops. There were no accommodations in the area tomorrow. I had to prepare to sleep outside. I think I've said in the past that the buggy is a par...

Day 48: Santiago from Argentina is a musician and architect. He brought his trombone with him. He played some songs for me in the dormitory in the morning. He was interested in PEACE RUN and asked me to visit him if I ever come to Argentina. Today was the last day of my Altra Lone Peak(Trail Running Shoes), which I had run 1600 km on. I'll run the remaining 1500 km to Barcelona on my new Altra Torin. I left Terrace Hostel Lisbon around 10am. It was about 6km to the ferry terminal. I arrived at Montijo in about 30 minutes on the 12:30 ferry, but check-in was after 4pm. I killed some time at the ferry terminal. After that, I moved a little over 3km to the guesthouse in Montijo so that I would be there in time for 4pm. The Brazilian owner welcomed me. Just 10km today but tomorrow I'll be back on the heated road again.  First, I'll head to Seville within 10 days. * Today's Photos * YouTube Moives

I left the hostel in Sintra at 7am. I followed the hiking route to Cabo da Roca. The scree slopes reminded me of the Pyrenees again. The road for cars wasn't too steep, but the walking route was very steep. It was so cold at Cabo da Roca with gusts of wind and drizzle.  Visibility was gray. The temperature felt lower the more I stayed still. The shops were closed and I couldn't buy a certificate for reaching the westernmost point of the Eurasian continent. I took a route down along the coast heading south, but while I was okay with being pushed by gusts of wind, there was also the risk of a crosswind blowing the buggy into the valley, so I braked cautiously as we went down. When I reached the road facing the sea, the fog cleared and the blue sky spread out. The temperature in Lisbon hadn't risen much either. I ran 46.9km and arrived at the hostel in Lisbon just after 5pm. So exhausted. * Today's Photos * YouTube Movies

I left at 7am without having a free breakfast.  The temperature was forecast to rise to 36 degrees, but with the wind it wasn't that hot.  However, it was still tough to ride in the sun on the slope.  Sintra is on high ground and the descent is steep.  Many cars passed me on the winding road.  I could see smoke from the forest fires in the distance.  There are many roads with heavy traffic, and I always get scared on the bypass.  There were some rough roads, but I reached the goal at 4:30pm at Oasis Surf Hostel in Sintra. 42.2km.  About 7km to Cabo da Roca.  Tomorrow, I will return to Lisbon from Cabo da Roca via the southern route. * Today's Photos * YouTube Movies

It's my first day off in a week since Porto. I wandered around the city in the cool morning, but the sun was getting quite strong by 9am, so I did some shopping and came back. Luckily it was cool in the shade. It would be crazy to run in the afternoon when it is over 35 degrees. The dormitory also had no air conditioning, only a fan. When I closed the curtains on the bed, it felt like a sauna. Tomorrow I'm heading towards Sintra. I think I'll arrive at Cabo da Roca the morning after tomorrow. There seems to be a forest fire near Sintra, but I can't find any information on the Internet. Of course, the heat has a big impact on travel. It's important to take care of my health. If I push myself too hard and get tired, it could lead to bad things. The hostel is generous with a free dinner tonight. I've never had a service like that before. * Today's Photos * YouTube Movies