funny
Volcano Mode
The highest e-bike assist setting looked like a volcano character, so volcano mode became shorthand for sending it.
June 23-25
Kyoto In Volcano Mode
Kyoto is where the itinerary stopped being a schedule and became a series of increasingly confident decisions, including one e-bike pole negotiation.
Temple morning, Gion, chopsticks at the far Hashi Lab despite a closer one existing near the hotel, Fushimi Inari at sunrise pace, transit scrambling, e-bikes, Sarah almost running into a pole, Genko-an's blood ceiling, ramen, Nintendo Store, chicken skins with Nick, karaoke, the separate zen garden Sarah liked, and Arashiyama rain.
Efficient chaos, shrines, markets, and volcano mode.
Days
How this stretch unfolded.
Tuesday / 2026-06-23
Koyasan To Kyoto
Nothing says peaceful temple morning like forgetting to turn off a 6:00 AM work alarm in a room with paper-thin walls.
Accidental 6:00 AM work alarm, temple ceremony, burning ritual, travel to Kyoto, Gion market, Hashi Lab chopsticks, and conveyor-belt sushi.
temple ceremonygion markethashi labconveyor sushi
Wednesday / 2026-06-24
Kyoto In Volcano Mode
A sunrise shrine hike, a wrong-direction bus, Sarah nearly introducing herself to a pole, and the discovery that every trip needs a setting called volcano mode.
FamilyMart rice balls and coffee, Fushimi Inari in an hour, wrong-direction bus recovery, e-bike volcano mode, Sarah almost running into a pole, Genko-an windows and blood ceiling, Nabura ramen, Nintendo Store Kyoto, chicken skins, and karaoke.
fushimi inarie bike tourgenko an windowgenko an blood ceiling
Chapter Moments
funny
Sarah Versus Infrastructure
On the Kyoto e-bike ride, Sarah almost ran into a pole, which gave volcano mode the physical comedy it deserved.
temple
Calm Room, Not-Calm Ceiling
Genko-an had the Window of Enlightenment, the Window of Confusion, and Fushimi Castle floorboards overhead from Torii Mototada's 1600 last stand.