Stage 2: Temple 6 to Temple 11, 22 kms, Cool to Cold, 10-7.

Rain Is Rain! 

It seems that it doesn't matter where you walk on this planet, be it Spain, France, Australia, New Zealand and now Japan. When it rains, it's wet. Brilliant stuff Geoff. 

After another huge breakfast (I could only eat the rice, soup and fried egg) we said goodbye to our lovely hosts this morning (Seiji Hayashi & spouse) and they dropped us back on the Henro trail. It was an excellent experience because we learned so much. 

 

It was a cool start to the day, dry but windy with the temperature dropping fairly quickly as per the forecast. Quite the change from yesterday, and we layered up to better manage.

 

We stopped at T7 and completed The Process. It continued to cool and threatened rain as we walked. We could see it in the distance. 

Hey Bryan, I spent some time with this fellow and his whole body was just wiggling and shaking. Nice dog, and big for Japan

 

The crops are being put in and heat tunnelled. We should begin to see the rice planted pretty soon. The fields are being readied.

 

The light wasn't very good for picture taking and much of the photos are from Temples. This is at T8, Kuadaniji. They are each named. Look closely and you will see two monks walking from the left. Very interestingly dressed, almost as good as us!

 

 

As I've said, most Henro take bus tours, and this is simply the changing of the tours. 

 

I never tire of watching the artists put the stamps in our books. 

 At T9, Hōrinji the rain finally began to fall and the temperature dropped to about 7 degrees. 

 

 

From that point on our ponchos Caesar and Sangria came on for the rest of the day except when we stopped for lunch at an Udon House with a French couple Thierry and his wife Dominique. Thierry walked the route last year and they have come back again this year to walk it together, and we are staying in the same Ryokan tonight. Anyway, the rain started to come down very heavily, and with 9 kms to go there wasn't anything to be done except to call a taxi. Well we could have, but instead we walked. Puddle jumping and trying not to get too wet. Sadly Annemarie's new Solomons leaked and both feet got quite wet. For the first time ever my feet stayed dry! 

The climb of 310 steps to to T10 is well known. You can drop your pack at the bottom at a couple of the businesses there and then hike up. There will be lots more stairs, but this was interesting. At the top...

 

And at the bottom! 

The rain came down pretty solidly as we walked along. Too bad really as it is pretty country and there was lots to see and share here. I did stop at the top of a dike to shoot back across the last single lane bride we crossed on the flood plain.

 

And then upstream where Annemarie continued along...in the rain.

 

We eventually arrived at T11 and the monk who provided our seal was pretty funny. I walked in and bowed to him and he waited. Then I remembered my manners and greeted him and said hello. Then he smiled and said a few funny things to me in English. It was like he was a senior guy filling in for a junior mink who was ill, and fully enjoying the experience. 

 

The temple had a beautiful cherry tree, and if it's not raining in the morning then I'll try for an early morning photo. You can see how wet it is.

 

 

I like this last photo because to the left is the trail we will head off on at about 6:30 tomorrow morning as we climb into the mountains for the next two days. It oooks a little like the scene from Lord of the Rings, Return of the King where the three heros led by Aragon head off into the mountains to raise the army of the dead to help at the end. I hope it's less perilous! It's one of the principal climbs on the route...there are a number.

 

We head up to the top of the third of four climbs for tomorrow night. I caught this shot earlier today before it was covered in cloud and rain. Should be very beautiful...it it doesn't rain!

 

Another great meal this evening. I dried out Annemarie's boots after smuggling them up to our room and using newspaper and the hair drier to sort them out. Our wet gear is now all dry, except my wool sock which are hung to hopefully dry. Sleeping on futon matts tonight on tatami floors. Not sure we set them up correctly?! Best get use to them, we will be sleeping like this most nights from here on. Tonight we learned how to use the washer and dryers all in Japanese, know if the shower and bath room are occupied, learned how to dress appropriately after walking and how to tell time with your hands! All good here so far. Hosts again very nice. Lots of folk here tonight, maybe 16 including us 4 foreigners. Perhaps 12 are walking.

 

Best to all.

Stage 1: Tokushima to Temple 6, 17 kms, Sunny, Warm 20 :)

Place Of Spiritual Awakening

It has begun! After the expected very restless night we managed to get up and on the move this morning. We caught the 8:45 train to Bando Station to begin our 88 Temple walk and met a Dutch couple here to walk 4 stages and a French couple who plan to walk the whole route. So there were others to share the excitement with.

 

It was a little funny as we geared up this morning. Everything felt sort of the same, and yet quite different. Pack, boots, hat and poles all had a familiar feel to them, but then there were our front bags, the hakui vests, meditation bells on our poles and pants (not shorts) on our legs. Familiar, but odd. I'm sure we will get use to everything in a few days. The first two weeks has helped considerably in our cultural understandings, but still so much new to learn. Half the fun!

I've had a few thoughts about how to present each stage. There is the obvious, show each and every temple with a bit of its history. That could be tedious and boring, both to write and to read. No, I think I'll enjoy writing more if I mix it up a bit and pick up interesting things from the day. For sure some temple photos. After all, it is called the 88 Temple Walk. However, I'll start with a couple of photos from Temple 1 (T1) where it all begins.  I can assure you that Annemarie is on the right...a good thing to have that sorted out!

 

It was lovely and quiet inside the grounds. I took these two photos when we went out to gear up a couple of days ago.

 

Yesterday David told us to walk an alternate route to T2 that is the original Ohenro path. We didn't expect to see this in Japan! A log house?

 

There is a gate at the front of each temple. The temple process begins when we first bow to the temple at the gate and walk in on the left side of the gate to permit the spirits free access.

 

You then typically announce yourself to the gods by ringing the bell, but just once...very lovely deep sound! I assume Coke was only sponsoring this one bell?

 You then proceed to cleanse yourself to permit movement onwards to the temples to pray. Ken you asked about this earlier. Take a cup of water and wash your left hand, then your right hand, then cleanse your mouth with the water in your left hand and again rinse that hand. Got it? Ok, then you can move onwards through the process. 

Some of these wash stations can be quite beautiful, often with a dragon water spout.

 

Next you light three incense sticks and allow a little smoke to drift over you...now you smell better pilgrim!

 

Then light your candle...we forgot to buy some...oops. 

Still with me? Ok, then walk to the main temple and ring the bell there...just once.

 

Then put your name slip in the box. Your name slip has your name, address, the date and your wish or prayer written on it.

 

Throw some small coins (if short of coins, less is more) into the donation box and then put your hands together and recite the heart sutra or any number of other sutras that you might fancy. Then walk to the secondary temple, the Daishi Hall and repeat the worship that you did at the Main Hall. Once you have completed these processes and are satisfied with your effort you can then proceed to the Temple Office or Nōkyōjo where your book is stamped with the name of the temple and deity with a beautiful calligraphy included which even most Japanese can't read. It's truly a work of art.

 

You pay ¥300 for each stamp or about $4. Ok, now your process is just about over. You can use the toilet facilities which range from very basic to heated toilet seats. Then one heads for the gate and exits on the left side, turns and bows as per when you entered. A complicated process taken generally very seriously by the Japanese Henro. Going forward on my posts I will refer to this as The Process, unless I forget the term and call it something else:). Of course if there are questions I will do my best to answer them.

We had lots of fun today, discovering new things and meeting all sorts of locals who were friendly and very helpful. We even made a few of them laugh with us at our efforts to try speaking Japanese, and sometimes their efforts to speak English. Take this bakery where we bought lunch. Yes Jim, it was open when we arrived. 

The women inside were great fun as we tried to communicate. As we walked away one came running out to show us that she had remembered "see you later". She was so pleased, and this started a discussion about how to say it in Japanese. We all ended up bowing endlessly and saying our thank yous and   goodbyes all over again! So funny...if you were there. But this exchange has been more the norm these past weeks. 

Then there were the four ladies who provided us with osettai, hot tea and a cookie. Same sort of verbal exchange happened together with our passing them a name slip as is the custom when someone presents you with osettai. 

We found our first of many, many, many, many stairs on this route. No picture today. There will be many, many many, many more stairs for sure!

We saw some fun signs. Libby and Glenn and Louise, this was for you.

 

The trails themselves were different and interspersed with mostly road walking. Often we would walk through an ancient cemetery, something strictly Asian in my experience and always interesting.

 

Oh and the flowers! It was really warm today, the first warm short sleeve day of the season here.

 

 

Caitlin for you, because you gave me some of these to grow at Christmas.

 

I'll post more blossoms tomorrow.  I also purchased my first Kit Kat bar from a Japanese vending machine! Yup a hat change. My pack is so small that I needed something that folds small. Sorry Ken and Neil, no Tilly boys! Thanks Bryan for the loaner:) 

A nice story. Our friend Sonomi arranged for us to stay on a farm tonight and gave me instructions written in Japanese for me to give to to someone at T7  to phone on our behalf for a car pickup. As I was getting my stamp done at T6 these two ladies began the game of trying my Japanese on, while they tried on their English. Endless fun of course, but when the topic turned to where we were staying tonight I showed them my phone note and thought I'd told them that we were to be picked up at T7. My counting is pretty good in Japanese, so I figured they got it when they said the word for 7, nana. The lady on the right pulls out her phone and before I know it she kindly calls and then tells me our ride will be here in 15 minutes! Oh well, I was getting tired anyway:) 

 

So we hung out and I chatted with other two ladies, one from Japan hosting a 40 year friend from Thailand who wants us to come and visit. I have her address and phone number...haven't lost it with time! Then I introduced Annemarie and the discussion started all over again. 

Where we are tonight. Lovely couple and I'll try for a photo in the morning. 

 

They prepared a meal for royalty tonight. We each had one of these and we are so full! Felt it rude to not finish everything...  no problem with protein and veggies for tomorrow.

 

We had a great chat using the SayHi app and the router is working really well so far.  We thought they would eat with us, but after we said good night at 6:30 and retired to our room to write, they left to go out for the evening. All alone on a farm, with the cat.

Lastly, the title. The island of Shokuko is divided into four prefectures or provinces. As the Henro walks through the first Tokishima Prefecture, he/she is considered while on this Buddhist journey, to be entering The Place of Spiritual Awakening. It sounds a very interesting place to be indeed, and I'll be looking for it for the next 17 temples or 185 kms, what ever comes first. 

A great and stimulating first stage. But time now for some yoga to stretch out a bit and then a few emails responses. Thanks for all the notes and comments. Really nice. 

 

Tokishima: Sunny, 14

Getting Ready To Go...

Today was neither a touring day nor a walking day. It was a preparation day. We met with David Moreton for a long coffee meeting and he was super helpful! During my research for this pilgrimage there were a few gaps in my information and he was able to easily rectify the issues. Very nice:) We discussed pilgrimages in general, the community of pilgrims world wide that we have all experienced and discussed friends in common. We discussed numbers of pilgrims on the route, and while 150,000 are in this route each year, there are only 200-300 foreigners (yes, that's what we are known as here) and about 600-700 nationals that walk the route, say 1000 walkers each year. So we will have lots of space, but this is the busy time as it's the dry season until the end of May. And yes, he confirmed this has been a warm winter in Japan, a switch from last year, the opposite of our own winter switch. 

After coffee at Tully's Coffee David walked us over to the international centre above the train station and he introduced us to some of the people who work there and helped us locate a few more resources. We parted company, but I'm sure we will stay in touch and he invited me to meet with him again after I finish. Time permitting I will.

We decided to sight see a little and walked to the local gardens. This city of about 900,000 isn't really a tourist type place, but we found that the blossoms were a bit ahead of the northern areas and we found a wedding in the photo stage of the process as well. Boy, are they ever young looking! Maybe I'm just getting older? 

 

 

It's going to be quite something when all this colour shows!

 

We managed to safely negotiate away from the cliffs...

 

And headed back to our room to have a cheap lunch and sort ourselves out. David had given us the idea to return here by train after Stage 4 following two days in the mountains to stay in a decent place that night and get a bit refreshed. Apparently this is a fairly common practice. I also knew of a bottle neck at Temple 21 where there is only one place to stay. Long story short, we ended up returning to the International Centre where a helpful lady who spoke English made some phone calls for us. first to confirm that we could stay in T12 which David though was closed to overnight stays. We already had a reservation, but in light of that information, we reconfirmed. All good. The T21 situation isn't as good. The tour companies book all the beds there at the foot of the gondola and this is a very tough stretch without other places to stay, so we sorted out the bus schedule and will have to travel back to Tokishima to stay over night again and then bus back early the next morning to catch the gondola up to the summit and continue onwards. A 3 hour round trip. Thankfully we have this sorted or we'd have been hooped! Extra cost and time wasted, but we will have a bed that night. As I said, a known issue on the trail. Besides, this hotel is pretty sweet with heated toilet seats, an amazing shower and lots of space in the room! Lap of luxury! 

We then walked over to an international store to look longingly at the groceries. The candy shelf...we were looking for M&Ms for our mountain mix. Sadly no luck. 

 

We then checked out the beer for David, Rob, Ken and Neil. 

 

Then home to run the laundry through and pull our stuff into a suitable pile to load up after dinner tonight. We are presently enjoying an excellent beer called Yebisu Premium and some Pringles from the above store:) The laundry is done so I can now get out of this kimono type thing, the name escapes me, but the name starts with a 'y'....yukata? Not my cup of tea, but I guess I'm going to have to get used to it. Annemarie likes them though. They are usually in most places we will stay in and they are the après walking attire here...really, not kidding! Ok Bruce, stop laughing!! 

Tomorrow the main event begins. We've had a wonderful time getting to know this country and its beautiful people a little. We've met some special folks along the way and seen some amazing places. But now as they say, the peddle hits the medal, and we begin the journey that we've prepared so hard for and have been anticipating with growing excitement. If we complete the planned walks then great, but if not, as my writer friend Ken who is sitting in Regina once said to me, "If you go then you have a story. If you just stay home, then you don't".  I've not forgotten this lesson. As my friend Ela in Germany once told me as we trudged along together in the heat of Spain, "you just have to trust that it will all work out ok". Another lesson not forgotten. I carry these thoughts and others as we begin. Tomorrow is an easy day of 18 kms. The tough part is trying to call the gentleman who owns the guest house where we will stay tomorrow night to pick us up at T7.  He speaks not a word of English, but our friend Sonomi has given us the words in Japanese to pass to someone...anyone, to call on our behalf. You can't have too many friends. Thanks Sonomi!

Ok, time to put on some clean, dry clothes and go out to dinner. I'm finding this yukata thing a wee bit drafty:) And no, there won't be any pictures!