"21 EMON"

Did I succeed or fail in this journey?
I had some troubles, so I can't say it was all right.

One big purpose is taking photographs. From this point of view, I was failed. Yes, taking photograph is my big goal. When I go sea side or mountain area recently, I don't go alone as often as I did. As a result, I lost many chances to take photographs. Traveling with my friends, I spend more time to chat, of course it is enjoyable. This time I took the style of bicycle trip with solo tent to be in the nature. There is only thin sheet of my tent between the nature and me. All I can do is cycling or releasing the shutter.

I wanted to take some great photographs. And I took many photos to express the beauty of the nature, rows of classical houses, colorfulness, giggling... I lost the over 500 photos that I intend to express them. I had a plan to have a photo exhibition, but it becomes difficult.

I stayed the night at the peak in the Alps, in the evening, clear sky, without the moon, full of stars. The night of the meteor shower of the Perseus. I was taking photos. How many times will I have the time like that in my life? But I lost that film. They never come back to me.

Since I missed taking photographs, this journey was failure.
Dear travelers, if you find the camera labeled It must be mine. Please inform me if data is OK.

A mountaineer climes a mountain. How do you divide he is success or failure?
I think only reaching the trop doesn't mean the success. I think reaching the top and die is worse than failing to climb and survive.
If he can reach the top and survive, I can say he is successful. Even though he lost his mountaineer goods or his tent, the survivor is successful.

Although I am not a mountaineer, (though I climbed some mountains,) I can say I was succeed after passing through the Alps which was biggest purpose of this trip and going home.
Now I am writing this diary in the airport in Roma, so I will go back to Japan with no problem. I will update this from my house, so if you read this diary, it means I can survive.

I lost my bicycle because I was stupid. But getting rob is very humiliating.
I was just walking a street, but suddenly I was attacked without any reasons. And I was robbed my camera. I didn't format the data, I didn't slow the data card into the water, but I lost the photo data.
I am an engineer of camera maker, so it is good for me that the camera is considered to be expensive enough to be the target of robbers. But I am very sorry.

No one wants to become a miserable victim, but any one can be so. Like I was so actually.
I have a lot of things to think over. But it is impossible to take best care at all the time, or if possible, I can't enjoy the time.
When I climbed a big mountain in Japan, I asked to an expert about tomorrow's course.

"I heard this course is quiet dangerous. Am I OK?"
"Yes, you can walk carefully in dangerous point. So you are OK."

Yes, It's OK to take proper care even in dangerous zone. Not all of foreign country is dangerous. Dangerous area is only a part, same as Japan. Of course almost all area is peaceful and beautiful.
In dangerous area, I must take greatest care, in peaceful area, take minimum care and relax. This is what I couldn't do. I couldn't pay enough attention in the slum. Then could I avoid the second accident?
When I met the first accident, of course I was depressed and reflected, but the things which has no alternative is only two films, I didn't loose most important things. But soon, I lost my main camera and the photos. It was critical. Of course loosing the bicycle damaged me so much, but loosing the photos might be worse.
When I was in the trouble, I could believe two big accident in a day. I know the misfortune comes continuingly. When the burglar attacked me, I knew that area was dangerous area. I knew it, and I was attacked, I lost. Perfectly my mistake.
I might have a slight hope that someone sells my camera at a street stall around there. I thought I couldn't go anywhere without do nothing after the accident, so I stayed the hotel near there. But should I give up soon and go other place?
I don't know what was best choice at that time, but I must not have a same mistake again. Never.

I lost everything except minimum in foreign country. I was attacked without any reasons. This is the result of spending precious money and precious vacation. Shouldn't I make a journey? Didn't my trial make sense? Was it big failure?

I had much uneasiness before a start. This is the first trip by bicycle in foreign countries, so I have a problem of language, how to carry my bicycle by an airline or a train, how to find the place to sleep, time is enough or not, camera buttery,... There are many problems.
I could solve each problem. It is sure! I did it! Yes, I had done!
The airplane to Narita leaves Paris. People and cars become smaller and smaller. A town becomes smaller and the country spreads. Fly through the clouds. The altitude is going higher...2400m, ...2500m, yes this is the same altitude I could climb up perfectly by myself. Now I can research and cycle and reach to everywhere on the earth. I could accomplish it. At least And I will do better next time.
Yes, This journey was a good lesson. I lost my bicycle and my camping tools, but I can work hard and buy them again. Now I know the way to go everywhere. First trial should not go well. Next time I can do better.

The last talk of "21EMON", Japanese manga by Fujiko F Fujio is fastened as follows.

21Emon is a son of a poor hotel's owner. But he wants to be a space adventurer. So he works hard, and bought his spaceship. Then he starts to adventure with his companions. But after traveling some stars, they stray to the end of stars, named "graveyard of spaceship". They make new spaceship by big potato, and finally they can get away from there. On the way to his home, he answers to the questions of his friend like this;

What do you want to do when you go back to home?
"I want to sleep well in my warm bed at first."

And then?
"I want to eat a mama's dish to the limit."

Then?
"Then? Of course, I shall work hard! In order to get a great spacecraft once again!"

I will do as he said. I shall browse manga at a bookstore as long as possible, eat my own dishes to the limit. (I lost my cooking tool in this journey. I should buy new one)
And I shall work hard in order to get the great bicycle again!

Fortunately, I have a work from tomorrow.

(2004 8/21)