Roads

Driving here is crazy.......It is amazing how fast you can adjust. Just a few weeks and we are feeling good, but it is still fun to post about the caios.

First things first, they drive very slow here. Which can be a little annoying since you have to continually check your speed and slow down. The good thing is adjusting to the roads and driving on the left side isn't as hard because you are taking your time. On base the roads are a little wider, but off base.....Good luck :)  

Roads off base are much more narrow, you have just enough room for 2 cars  and that is all. You can't go off onto the shoulder because there is no shoulder. The big brown electric poles in the states are made to break away if hit. Here, you hit them, you die....... They are made of cement and will kill your car if you hit them. There are also ditches off the sides of the roads for drainage so you can't pull off the road if you need to stop or your tire will be stuck.

Steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car. I have gotten in on the wrong side too many times to count. Dave just looks at me and says "I guess your driving today!" Oops.... It is a conscious effort to get in on the side you should. The worst is when it is your friends car and you go to get in. Then you just laugh and say you wanted to be kind and open the door for them. LOL

 

Another hard thing is the turn signal......it is on the opposite side of the steering wheel too. So if your not paying attention you flick on your windshield wipers instead. They call this the Newbie wave. You can always tell who just got here a few weeks ago, because every time you come to a corner their windshield wipers go off.

 

 This gives you an idea of how narrow the roads are here in japan. It really only allows for 2 cars. The hardest part is when someone has to stop to drop something off or pull over for a phone call. They pull off the road which isn't really off the road. It makes passing very difficult.

This is one of the roads. See the big cement poles. Please do not hit them. It does not make your car happy.

 

 

 

They put poles up all over the base during the winter so they can see where to plow. This one had something like a broom sticking out of it. It made me think that a witch must of Crashed landed.

 

 

 

These are the ditches placed just off the road for drainage. It is the perfect size to get your tire stuck, so please never pull off completely especially in winter when you can't see them.

 

 

Even with all the crazy little things with driving. Like forgetting which way is right and left because we yield opposite here. We get the most beautiful sunsets right off the road, near our house. This was a bright red one. So grateful for the beauties that surround us on these crazy roads.

 

We are getting better and it is pretty easy to drive now. Just remember to keep your hiney on the liney  and all will be ok.