2009 Tokyo HAM Fair
A nice get together for around 40000people over two days.
Many interesting characters came out of the woodwork from all over the globe!!!
The day started with climbing Mt Kasa-ga-dake in Shigakogen with 4 teachers from Seikei Junior High School in Tokyo.
We reached the summit at around 2075m 10:05am, and got one very clear contact with JA0DCQ.
Looking forward to more contacts with students.
Racing back from the mountain...
Last minute preparations meant leaving a little later than planned...
Leaving at 20:30hrs on Thursday 20 August
Super contact with JR1DDO from Nojiriko around 21:00pm near Obuse-Bridge on Chikuma river bank.
Up and over Karuizawa at 1003m at 02:00am.
It was cold baby!
Sun came up slowly through the grey haze, and out popped Mr Namaki at 6:40am August 21, who was riding from Kumagaya to Niigata!!
Coming through Takasaki it was impossible to obey 'No-cycling' road signs and get to Tokyo !
There was no alternate route & simple no way through for cyclists with all these 'No-cycling' signs.
After 3 or 4km of high speed riding, passing around 500cars, I was through the pinch...
After a quick test drive of a 3 wheeler Daihatsu Midget between Takasaki & Omiya
This car was made famous by a movie called Yuki no 3 Cho-me??.....
Stopped in to see Henry, and Teshima-Sensei at Saiei School - which had moved, since it was more than 10years since I'd been there last^-^.
After riding probably 2 times around the Imperial Palace not exactly sure!!??!!
Eventually, More than 300km's & 24hours later arrived at friends place in Camp Zama.
We tested the quality of some light American beer & slightly heavier whisky and listened a little on 2m FM until I had trouble keeping my eyes open.
I was quite happy talking through the night even after no sleep for 2days, climbing Mt Kasagadake, and cycling into Tokyo,
frustrating when your body doesn't do what you want it to (keep eyes open)
Apologies for possibly losing consciousness part way through a sentence...
Waking Saturday morning, the body was surprisingly normal.
Just eyes felt like sand paper & looked like Einstein...a little worrying...
stopping for tea at Asakausa, it was a very small world - bumped into two very good friends Hiroe from Iyama & William from Italy
Coming to Tokyo? - Visit Asakusa, take a ride on the river boats, rickshaw, and Shinkansen - and have spare time to burn if needed.
If cycling do not carry any gear...the road can be bumpy, you'll need a good map - try a 'Super MAPPLE'..then you can pin down exactly where you are and want to go...without it I went 2 times around the imperial palace!!!
Hiroe-san thank you so much for all your guiding and patience. I saw a new bright side to Tokyo^-^.
Next time I'll bring my family & maybe even a bus load of people!! - I'd like to introduce you to my friend from Italy too, Francesca.
Finally arriving at the Ham Fair at Tokyo Big Site- it was a real adventure just getting there...
Generating Electricity while operating... just one of many, many amazing individuals swaming Tokyo today!!!
Dinner on the bay was fantastic^-^
It was a pleasure to meet every single person here,
the mindsets here were so unique - all very different & with a kind of passion.
The oldest member Kel, from Australia told stories of his father transmitting by Amateur radio around 1912 or 1913...
technology is changing - we still have the same passion for the new & unknown...
Many new friends who I hope to hear up on air soon^-^.
Deciding to use the train to save time on Sunday morning, someone unfortunately fell / jumped on the railway lines meaning many police & officials gathered and we spent a long time waiting for track to be cleared.
It was a good opportunity to meet people,
A couple sitting next to me helped me reach Shinjuku and told me a fascinating story.. others were off to a festival in Yokohama
Meeting JR1ASH Mr Shimizu & Mrs Shimizu was one of the highlights.
He told me 'when I do amateur radio it is strange how people come my way...even well known Astronaut Mori Hakase came by... & without trying to meet anyone we just seem to bump into each other..'
Mr Shimizu, 'you hit the nail on the head', this is exactly the phenomena I saw this weekend !!!
As my uncle Ken said 'The harder you try the luckier you get'
After getting off the Shinkansen at Nagano, it happened again!!
My good friend Chris suddenly appeared at the Station we were off to join a 10 year English Club celebration with Dan and his very pleasant group.
Just catching to last train and arriving near home around 23:30pm...it was very very dark, much darker than Tokyo, and the sky was soooo bright, lit up with millions of stars...
I'll need to practice my photography to show you all
It was nice to be back into fresh air, but I missed the warmth of everyone in Tokyo too.