Viki’s report from Rally Japan

Monday 22 October

Today was the first day in Obihiro!
The trip to get here was somewhat a disaster but the fact that I am here, the Legacy is in one piece AND I have already seen Petter make the first part seem better!!!

Back to Sunday…. 21 October

After being up for 36 hours straight I loaded up the Legacy and departed for the 4.5 hour trip for the ferry to Otaru, Hokkaido from Niigata. I left in the wee hours..when the rest of the neighborhood was still sleeping and prayed for my safety during Leg 1! I had team orders from Geir to get the Legacy to the port safely so I gave my best effort!!

I did fine somehow and felt ok.. but I was getting more and more angry as the rain was pouring down on my beautiful Legacy that I washed for 3 hours on Saturday morning!

But I made it to the ferry and was among many local rally cars. They all seemed to be Mitsubishi though! I was parked in the middle among them but my Legacy was the most beautiful of them all! I was really worried how the car would be because they had told us the weather would be very bad and they were securing the cars with blocks. They put the rally cars in the middle for protection I guess?! My friend Hiroyuki had called me to tell me about the bad weather and told me to buy some motion sickness medicine. Since I have never had motion sickness in my life I told him I would not need it. However my last shopping before I left I went ahead and bought some knowing I would never need it.

The ferry was miserable!!! I was in a “driver’s room” which is open floor space for 12 people per room. The ferry was empty really because it was Sunday and it is winter and so only 3 women shared the room. I laid down after one last email to Tone at 11:30am. I realized that by that time I had been awake 48 hours straight! I only slept a few hours before I was rocked awake by the boat. I got up, looked around and nobody was anywhere. It was like waking up in a Stephen King story. I went back to the room (had no idea where the other ladies were) and went back to sleep. Three hours later I woke up and took a walk around. Still nobody! Surely I was in a Stephen King book! But then I saw someone.. I felt better! I went upstairs to take a bath at the Japanese Ofuro (large public bath) but it was closed! When I asked they told me it is too dangerous. I guess that made sense but I wanted a bath! As I walked back the boat rocked so much I had to hold the railing to stand up! Suddenly I realized I was sick! For the first time in my life I was getting sea sick! I got back to my room and took some of the medicine that “I knew I would never need” and soon I was fine. Thankfully I never made it to being really sick just felt it in my stomach and was lucky I had the medicine.
I went back to sleep….

I woke up again a couple hours later to the ghost ship again. I have to say it was the worst ferry ride of my life. The lady in my room told me it was normal for winter. Oh I wish they would move Rally Japan back to August! Unfortunately I didn’t sleep well even though I slept enough because I worried about the Legacy too much so I arrived in Otaru DEAD tired! We arrived more than 1.5 hours late and by the time they allowed us to get off the ferry it was 2.5hours later than last year! I took an onsen (hot spring) bath at a large bathhouse at the port. I relaxed and stayed there a long time!!

Next the drive across Hokkaido to Obihiro! It took about 5 hours. It also rained the whole way and by the time I got to my hotel my Legacy was so dirty I almost cried! Everyone said “it is Rally Poi” (looks like rally car…) but I want it to be clean!

The drive was nice and the fall colors are so beautiful!!! I even saw the most beautiful double rainbow of my life! I enjoyed the drive a little but so much driving alone is lonely. You know Japan is a wondeful place because I feel comfortable to drive long distances through the mountains alone. I do not think I would want to do that back in the US. It just does not seem so safe for a woman alone!

After arriving in Obihiro I started getting more excited! I went to pick up my friends Shige and Tamu at the airport and we went to the Obihiro Keibajo (race track) where we watched Banei Keiba. This was the first time for me to see such a horse race. The horse pulls the rider standing on a sleigh down a short track of 200 meters. There are two humps in the middle one small (1 meter) and one larger one (1.5 meters). The racetrack is also covered in 30cm of sand to add more excitement.
Banei Keiba is only done in Obihiro, Japan!

The participants were Petter, Manfred Stohl, Ilka Minor & Emma Gilmour! After they arrived they took pictures inside with a sleigh and Petter signed autographs. The fans were crazy for him (as usual) and we were among them! Once outside they got some lessons and the race began. They asked Glenn MacNeal to join at the last minute so there were 5 of them competing. Petter came in 4th with Manfred taking last! Emma was the winner! I talked to Emma and she is so sweet. (and beautiful) After everything was over Petter came again to sign more autographs and take pictures. My friends and I stalked him of course. Luckily there were not so many people because it is just Monday and most people have not arrived yet. I asked Petter if he had fun and he said he did. He sure looked like he was having fun even if his horse did stall out on the big hill! It was absolutely fantastic to see Petter smiling so much and being happy! He’s also had a nice short haircut and though Tina won’t like it; I do!!! It suits Petter very well!

I took a very nice picture of my friends with Petter but I was jealous not to be IN the picture.
From left to right: Hideaki from Saitama (near my place), Michiko (she is a local living here in Obihiro), Petter, Tamu from Hyogo & Shige from Tokushima. All but Shige brand new PSSC members too! I am staying at the same hotel with Tamu and Shige & they will ride with me every day. Tomorrow we will go to watch Recce together. We add Hiromo and also Michiko’s husband Youichiro in 3 cars for the day! We depart the hotel at 6am to start meeting up!! Unfortunately Hiromo did not arrive until after the race and so she couldn’t see Petter today!

By the way, the weather was comfortable today at about 14 degrees Celsius. Tomorrow is supposed to be much colder!!!

I’m including some pictures of Petter taken by myself, Shige and Tamu.

I hope you all can enjoy through us!!!

Live (but dead tired) from Obihiro,
Subaru Girl Viki