15 Noto felszigetrol Niigata-ig

Szeptember 14-e, szombati nap van. A mai napra kituzott cel eljutni a mintegy 400 km-re fekvo Niigata varosaig. Ebbol a legnagyobb feladatnak egyelore a Noto felszigetrol valo kijutas es az eszaki iranyba tovabb halado Hokuriku autopalya megkozelitese latszik. 

A noto-i autostoppolas a mai napon sem megy sokkal simabban, mint elotte. A nap nagy reszet a felszigetrol kivezeto, mintegy 150 km-es utszakaszon toltjuk hat kulonbozo autos kocsijaban, illetve rajuk itt-ott orakat varakozva az ut szelen. Mire feljutunk ama bizonyos Hokuriku autopalyanak abba a parkolo-pihenojebe, mely a tovabbiakra nezve tokeletes stoppolohely, mar estefele jar az ido. Elottunk all meg mintegy 250 kilometer, es ismet ugy vagyunk vele, hogy csak akkor megyunk valakivel, ha elvisz egeszen Niigata-ig. 

Besotetedett mar javaban, mire ezt a szemelyt megtalaljuk. Pontosabban aztan o talal meg minket. Latva tenykedesunket, egy baratsagos, beszedes kamionsofor  szolit meg, hogy o szivesen elvinne a vezetofulkeben, ha nem zavar a kisse szukos hely minket. Hat, valahogy ma nem zavar. Igy erkezunk meg keso estere Niigataba, annak is egy, a leendo szallasunkhoz nagyon kozel eso parkolojaba egy oriasi kamion iszonyatosan rumlis kabinjaban, csomagjainkkal egyutt az ulesek mogotti fekhelyen ucsorogve. Azert jo kaland volt, meg sosem utaztam ilyen pazar kilatassal az elottunk, korulottunk halado forgalomra. Elismeresem, tiszteletem es koszonetem a kamionsofore, aki kulon a mi kedvunkert hajtott be a belvarosba, ami egy ekkora jargany eseten bizony kulon becsulendo. 

Megerkeztunk Niigataba. Bucsuzkodas roppant keszseges kamionsoforunktol...

A neptelen mellekutcakon koborolva, szallasunkat keresgelve dobbenunk ra, hogy a megadott iranymutatasokkal valami santit. Nem egeszen ugy kanyarodnak, kapcsolodnak az utcak, mint arra szamitottunk. Altalaban az iranyokkal, utvonalakkal kapcsolatban en vagyok hatarozottabb, de most Teodora van inkabb vonalon. Hirtelen otletkent, valamifele megerzes nyoman egyszer csak befordul egy haz nyitott ajtajan, ahonnan feny szurodik ki a sotet utcara. Mar lepek is utana, hogy megallj, ne setalj csak ugy be valakinek a lakasaba, mikor belulrol koszones hallik. Megerkeztunk. Ujabb couchsurfing szallashely, es ujabb erdekes tapasztalat. 

Tanulok egy szamomra uj kifejezest: geek (gik). Ez itt keremszepen egy igazi "Geek House", azaz gik haz, gik mivoltara teljesen buszke het lakojaval egyutt. Meg kulon "Geek House" egyseges mintaval nyomott polojuk es kis felragasztos matricajuk is van. Het felnott ferfi, a huszas eveikben, illetve a harmincasok elejen, akik egyutt berlik ezt a hazat. A gik let pedig nagyjabol a kovetkezoket meriti ki: minel tobb idot tolteni a szamitogep (ertsd MacBook) elott egyutt, egy szobaban, es az eletet a virtualis valosagban elni. Minden egyeb tevekenyseg, mint pl. etkezes, takaritas, haztartas  csak mellekes, csupan biologiai letfenntartast szolgal. Kepzelheto a folyoso, a konyha, a furdoszoba es a kozossegi szoba allapota a magatol odahalmozodott mindenfelek es lerakodasok kozt kialakult osvenyekkel. Azert megis mindent egyutt veve, lattunk mar rosszabbat is. Ugyhogy bizakodoak vagyunk. Ha azt tuleltuk, ezt is tul fogjuk elni, az biztos. Most az egyszer amugy orulok, hogy a halozsakom becipzarozhato egesz korbe. Igy biztos, hogy nem erek hozza semmihez alvas kozben. A fogadtatassal kapcsolatban egyebkent semmi kifogasunk nem lehet. Egytol egyig nagyon kedvesek, udvariasak, ahogy az jo japanokhoz illik. Sot, egyikuket leszamitva, aki szuper hallgatag, egeszen vidam beszelgetos elso felorat toltunk el, mielott mindenki ujra rakapcsolodik agyhullamai teljes kapacitasaval a vilaghalo megbabonazo csodajara.

Kettonknek a kozossegi szobaban jut alvohely. Masnap, vasarnap reggel van de azert aranylag koran kell kelnunk. Fel nyolckor ugyanis kezdodik a sracok kedvenc rajzfilmje a teveben.  

Errol a szakaszrol fenykepeket nem  keszitettem, viszont IDE kattintva az eddig megtett utunkat lathatod a terkepen.

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15 Niigata

We arrived to Niigata late lat night, in a huge truck. I always hoped we would get a ride in a big truck while doing all this hitchhiking and i was so excited that we did. Actually, if that guy hadn't picked us up and gave us a 300 km ride on the expressway i have no idea how we could have made it to Niigata the same day. We were riding in the loft, behind and above the drivers head in his sleeping space. It wasn't the most comfy seat, but I enjoyed the view - I have never sat so high on the road. 

He took us all the way into Niigata city, and dropped us off at a convenient convenience store parking. I mean , it was convenient for us, because it was in the center, not so much for him, his truck occupying almost the whole parking lot. I would say it is an art to maneuver a big truck in the narrow streets of the lego-like cities in Japan. 

We didn't even know that one of our funniest couch surfing experience is still awaiting for the night. We were staying in a geek house. And if you don't know what that means, I am not surprised. I didn't know. We arrived to an old Japanese two-story home, and we were welcomed by Haru, our host and seven other guys, who are sharing the same house. They were all sitting in the living room, so you would think they are very sociable. Well, no. They are geeks. And they introduce themselves as geeks, they have this strong geek identity. It means they are always on their computers. They all had MacBooks and we were sitting around in the living room, each one of them with a laptop. When I asked what they do for a living, some said they were IT students, others had IT jobs. It was a totally new culture and layer of society unfolding before my eyes. The lack of physical activity and eye contact was still bearable, but one thing that really made me a strong non-believer of the macBook religion was the lack of hygiene in the house. I guess you can't stay online while you are cleaning the bathroom, and obviously it is too much time staying disconnected, so I would guess they haven't cleaned for the last couple of years. The bad news was that we had to sleep on the floor in the living room. I didn't know if I should laugh or cry, then I decided to laugh for three reasons. 

1. we made it to Niigata and we have a place to stay with funny but friendly people.  

2. we are here for only one night 

3. on our list of all the places we have stayed we agreed it is only the 3rd dirtiest. And if we have survived the other two, this won't be a challenge too big!

Knowing this, we gave special thanks for having sleeping bags and fell asleep happy, but setting the alarm at 7am for Sunday morning, because the guys said their favorite cartoon starts at 7.30 so they will be down in the living room by then. 

geek living room, with Hunor blending in