And that's just what we did! It was a travel day today and we took the stuffy, slower non-Bullit train down to Shikoku, but we looked good in this fun train! To get to Shikoku you have to cross the Japan Sea and they have built this incredible bridge to help this process along. A few not so good shots out the window as I reached across Annemarie so that I could share the views.
Seems that we passed through a huge LNG processing, storage and shipping centre on the way across. In BC we are told that this is a very green export. It doesn't look too green to me, but maybe it is?
And I know it's supposed to help with the economy...perhaps once the price of natural gas rises one day?
We are staying a bit upscale tonight as we prepare to head off the day after tomorrow. We figured that it would be good for us to get a couple of nights of decent rest before whatever it is ahead happens. This is the view from our hotel. Note the palm trees! 33 degrees north latitude...so why only 14 today?
We arrived mid afternoon and decided to train using our soon to expire train passes out to Temple 1 (T1) to get geared up for our Ohenro. We arrived there and started to sort through the process and then were given a beautiful orange and a tin of sweet orange juice as osettai before we'd even started! The orange will be good to start the day tomorrow. We pulled the gear we needed together and it came to about $110 for the two of us, and that was without a hat, a stick and the white jackets, or hakui! We were told that they only had small hakui and we'd have to walk to T2 to get larger sizes. So we did. Then back to T1 to get our first official 88 Temple stamps. And we were given another osettai, a pair of white gloves. A bit of a jumbled start, but now we are suitably attired and we will take and share photos from T1 when we start on Thursday, just over a day from now. Of course we were a bit excited and returned to our hotel to sort through our gear and put aside a small amount of Touring type stuff that Annemarie will pick up from hotel storage when she returns here to fly home in mid-April.
We now have a free day in Tokishima and have arranged coffee with David tomorrow. We still have to make a few decisions about clothing for the walk, but that will easily sort out as well. Anything that I no longer need as the weather warms into April I can send home with Annemarie, thus lightening my already lightish pack.
Just back in from dinner and it was ok, looks better than it was. At least the beer was good and I stopped and purchased a 7-11 single chocolate chip cookie to test that out. One needs to know these things!
Almost there now. Two more sleeps and we can get this show literally on the road! As we came along the north west coast of the island heading towards the end of the route I could see some of the temples up high. Sort of like this volcano.
What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger...or so they say! But at least the first two days are fairly gentle:). We are both in anticipation mode.
Best wishes to all!
You've got to post pics of yourselves in your new gear. Especially the hats!
ReplyDeleteKen
Sadly there will be no bamboo hats. They are very uncomfortable, hit your pack when you look up, don't stay on in the wind and usually end up being carried as extra weight. Sorry about that Ken. But there will be other things!
DeleteSo here you both are
ReplyDeletefull of anticipation -
gifted as pilgrims.
What wonderful hospitality you have received from these kind people- like a blessing for your walk. It has been a mini pilgrimage to get to your starting point - all part of the adventure. No wonder you are writing haiku, Geoff... well done. Is this the first of many? And it is moving to get a sense of the significance of this walk to the Japanese.
We hope your final rest day is restful and look forward to you setting forth.
Neil and Sarah
Lovely! Thanks mates! As always, special to have you both along:)
Delete