Have you seen the Inside Story of WONDER HOPPER vol.1 post that Kimura-san shared the other day?
If not, be sure to check it out!
It’s making me incredibly excited for the upcoming vol.2 scheduled for early next year.
I hope my blog post today makes you feel the same way.
Now, WONDER HOPPER is a community event that celebrates both rides and food.
It’s about spending a day enjoying the scenery and local ingredients of the areas we ride through.
This time, I participated in the event as a cyclist, not as a staff member.
An Amazing Location
The start and finish line was VISON in Taki, Mie Prefecture.
I actually went along for a test run once before, and the view from there was truly spectacular, so I was excited even before we started riding.
Casual conversation and scenery that naturally brings a smile to your face—this was more than enough.
Riding with others really is fun.
There was plenty of interaction with nature, too.
It made me so happy to see everyone having fun like kids again.
(I was definitely the one having the most fun.)
Enjoying the Food
Riding is fun, but as a foodie, I also want to fully enjoy eating.
All the food was incredibly satisfying!!
For breakfast, Keita-san, the owner of our own Early Birds, created a special menu just for this occasion.
It truly fulfilled my wish of having a breakfast just like that.
Lunch and dinner were provided by Matsukaze Company, which operates Ageki Shokudo / Nord in Inabe City, Mie Prefecture.
It was absolutely delicious.
I wish I could eat it again...
No, I *will* go to eat it!!
For lunch, we had sandwiches.
Eating them while listening to the murmuring of the river was exquisite.
For dinner, we had a course meal.
While enjoying food made with local ingredients, the conversation was dominated by stories about our ride and each other.
You don't find such a wonderful atmosphere very often.
I ended up drinking too much.
(Since I was driving, it was non-alcoholic, haha.)
It was an event that made me want to participate again and also inspired me to create such rides myself.
Kimura-san, Keita-san, thank you for inviting me!!
They’re planning to open up public slots for next time so more people can join in, so come join me!
Until next time!