Preparation: packing bicycle and experimenting on how to cook rice

Packing bicycle

It’s only two days away from departure. The only thing I have to do before I start my journey is to pack my bicycle. 5 years ago when I traveled Japan, I went to GAINT chain store and ask them to pack my bike for me. Despite the cheap service fee (7 US$ that time) for packing bicycle, their service was quite good. So I choose GAINT again.

I have called them to make sure they are still providing packing service 1 month ago, the staff told me that I have to call them again 1 week before I bring my bike to the store so they can keep empty box for me, and bring my bike at least 2 day before the departure day.

This morning, I check and tune my bike then head to GAINT. The staff check the condition and equipment quickly and charge me 10 US$. Unfortunately, they do not provide shipping-to-airport service.

Experimenting on how to cook rice with camping stove

5 years ago when I was traveling In Japan, in order to keep daily expenses low I ate toast and drink cheap milk almost every day. Soon I found that I lost my sanity gradually 4 months after I started my journey because of malnutrition.

I was not short of money in fact, I just wanted to keep daily expenses as low as possible. But this time I have no choice. If I were to travel with the budget of 10,000 US$, I just had to limit my expenses.

Instead of eating toast, I think cooking rice and spaghetti will keep me from malnutrition. Cooking spaghetti is easy, but cooking rice with camping stove needs some technique and experiences. So I think I have to try weather the method I have learned from internet works or not, and check if the brand new stove function well or not.

Here is how I cooked. It’s not the best way to cook rice. I still have lots of chances to figure it out…

 1.      Wash rice. Add water into the inner cooker with rice in the ratio 1:1. Wait for 30 minutes or so. 

2.      Pour water into outer cooker and keep outer cooker wet during cooking. Put a weight(ex: stone) on the top of outer cooker, cook on a high flame.( cook for 3 minutes and water boiled)

3.      Keep cooking for a while. (cook for 7 minutes this time)

4.    Open and cover the cooker as fast as possible to check if rice is well cooked. Turn off and wait for a while.(wait for 30 minutes this time)

Result: a little bit sticky,, probably put too much water(1:1.3), but taste fine.