The Cold, the Expensive, the Sun, and the Decision

It was perhaps one of the most rash and stupid decisions I made. It took me to hell and back, gave me discomfort level with that of unimaginable things, and in some instances, the greatest feeling  anyone can ever feel.

I logged 5 stations by bike in 3 hours, multiply that by 2 when I returned. Evgeny, this Russian friend of mine - who I have quite gotten close to because he lives just next door and we both are sticking it out in expensive Tokyo with meager funds - convinced me to bike the whole distance to Kunitachi　国立 station just so we can save 500円(Php250) from the train tickets. I never intended to bike my way to 国立 because I mean, the convenience of the train is right in front of me. I thought I was firm with my decision not to bike, but well, let us just say I easily bend.

And there I was, in the middle of the relentless cold - and I mean the kind of cold that can already numb your hands and face and penetrate several layers of clothing - pedaling, with no prior knowledge of the direction whatsoever, relying only on instinct and the grand presence of the railway showing up from time to time. What is so interesting and frustrating at the same time is that there isn't any road that runs parallel to the train tracks. Like what the f***? So you have to run zigzag along small residential streets and major roads to get to the next station. Which is so weird and inconvenient. But! The good thing with this epic and beautiful yet tiring adventure was that I got to visit different stations. How cool is that? And what I particularly liked were the unusual sights and sceneries. One that I can't forget was this long, winding park that stretched over hills and crisscrossed veins of streams. The lush autumn touched trees were a joy to the eyes. It wasn't like any park I have been to because this one was just a thin area, but the park benches that occasionally occupied a space on the bricked winding pathway looked so romantic in the bright golden sun. I thought I'd never talk about something like this in my life, but...

The only thing I regret though is that I missed to bring my camera with me. I guess I might not have the chance to take pictures of the places I've seen anymore because I vowed to myself never to bike that far again. I tried using my phone but crap these Japanese phones, they don't work as convenient as you'd think.

I dreaded the coming back part of that trip. Usually I get bored with passing by the same places the second time around, but this time we used another route, which to my surprise and horror, it perfectly contoured the railway..O.o It was a breeze getting back. And it was already dark when we got back. We stopped by several stations and I found out that Kunitachi 国立 has a nice station. There were streets filled with Japanese street food and it was my first time to actually see street food here. Although the prices are way ridiculous, not the sort of price you'd think for street food in the Philippines, it looked cool and fun. Their street food here sell for a minimum of 300円(Php150) which is already a high end restaurant in some Philippines cities.

Now, I'm confused whether to spend some crisp Yens and go to Kyoto or save it for a better travel opportunity this spring break. I hope I don't mess this decision. Paris beckons.