The Kindness of Strangers and the Road to Kyushu
I eventually made it to a massive Service Area, but suddenly, the luck seemed to run out.
One hour passed, then two, then three… and still, nobody stopped.
To kill the boredom and keep my spirits up, I started doing push-ups and squats right there on the pavement.
Finally, a car that had been watching me for a while from the gas station pulled over.
An elderly gentleman and his secretary had been observing my «workout» and decided to save my skin!
A gentleman and his kind secretary
We had a fantastic drive, chatting and laughing the whole way. To my surprise, the man spoke perfect English.
When they dropped me off, the clouds opened up. The woman, seeing the rain, handed me an umbrella. She told me she had a son my age and, in a true «motherly» gesture, insisted on giving me 5,000 yen. I was floored by her generosity. We said our goodbyes with a warm hug.
Next, a guy in a sports car picked me up. We barely fit inside his small car with my huge backpack! He drove like the wind, and we reached the next Service Area in record time.
The fastest driver
There, a young firefighter picked me up and took me all the way to Hiroshima. I even got to meet his colleagues;
they were great guys and treated me to dinner and a few Cokes.
A kind firefighter
The best firefigther team
By the time I got back on the road, it was pitch black. After waiting for two hours, a short, tough-looking older man pulled up in his truck.
He reminded me exactly of Krillin from Dragon Ball! We drove for four hours until we finally crossed onto the island of Kyushu.
Krilin
He gave me some food, and I set off to find a spot for the night. I found a small garden, unrolled my sleeping bag, and crashed.
It was a short sleep, though—the sun rose early, and a stubborn cat decided it was time for me to wake up!
A stubborn cat
My 5 star hotel bedroom
After a quick breakfast and a wash, I was back at it. Two hours later, a very friendly guy picked me up.
He was so excited to meet a traveler that we ended up FaceTiming his wife and son during the ride.
A happy man
But then, the weather turned. It started pouring, and nobody would stop. Suddenly, a police car pulled up.
They asked for my passport and, after chatting for a bit, simply told me to be careful with the truck drivers and wished me a safe trip.
They even told me they liked my hat!
The next ride was with an elderly lady and her son, who took me to Kumamoto—the birthplace of Eiichiro Oda (the creator of One Piece).
Mother and son
The next ride was with an elderly lady and her son, who took me to Kumamoto—the birthplace of Eiichiro Oda (the creator of One Piece).
Funniest guys
This kind woman was my final ride
I went to a local park to celebrate, where I ran into a group of kids. We spent the afternoon playing together,
they honestly reminded me of Shin-chan’s gang.
Shin Chan gang
To everyone who helped me along those 1,500 kilometers: Thank you from the bottom of my heart.