Day 7 Touring: Koyasan, Cloudy, 5 ( but we were at 900m)

Kobo Daisha Gobyo!

Today has been an important day. We know that our pilgrimage experience began when we made the decision to travel to Japan and walk the 88 Temple route on Shikoku, but there are milestone days that happen along the way. Today was one of those and for me really represented the beginning of the spiritual journey. We were speaking of this early this morning. How we were having difficulty finding that place. Simply visiting all the temples and sites was nice, but we were essentially having a tourist experience. Nothing wrong with that. We've been having acres of fun. But we both commented that in all likelihood the mental place we want to find will have to wait for Shokuko. That all changed today. 

 

Up earlier than usual, it was a cool morning that greeted us as we set off to the train station. We scrambled around in the huge station trying to find our gate to Osaka, but when we finally got on the train it didn't move. Hmmm. Seems that there was a major problem with the system and the line was down. With people packed like sardines on the metro cars we managed to get off and headed back towards the Bullit Trains to try our luck there. Of course many others were having the same thoughts and it was a wild scramble to get there. Having managed to secure two seats apart we raced to Osaka where we had to find our way to the next train only to find the system outage had affect these trains as well. Huge lines of people! We jumped the metro across town to the next train station and was it ever busy during rush hour! Vancouver hasn't any thing to complain about!! We managed to find our next train and so began a long climb into the mountains to Hashimoto.

  

The two car train was winding upwards through numerous tunnels and past small villages.

 

 

We climbed and climbed until finally reaching Gokurakubashi where we boarded the cable car up the mountain to Koyasan. It was great, seemingly almost strainght up, but of course it wasn't. Much of Koyasan is a World Heritage Site, particularly the parts we were to experience. 

 

We took the bus into town and continued out to the end of the line where the walk up to Kobo Diashi's mausoleum started. 

There was even a huge map of Shikoku.

 

We walked up the trail in the very cool air and realized that we probably should have taken some warmer clothes...that sit quietly and very clean in our hotel room! Walk faster, walk faster...brrrr! Actually we wandered along very slowly, absorbing the moment. You see, the trail runs through a cedar tree forest with over 2,000 mature trees ranging in age from 200 - 600 years old. Don and Kati would likely love this walk. 

 

Along the trail are over 220,000 grave sites, many are ancient and house the remains of samari, nobles, feudal lords and others. Some are simple.

 

Others quite dramatic.

 

As we approached the bridge just before the temple mausoleum we stopped to view a sight where prayers are said wishing the spirits of people who have recently passed a restful future. A very peaceful place.

 

We continued onward to the Gobyo-bashi bridge and looked towards the Kobo Daisha Gobyo mausoleum. 

 

 

No photos are permitted from here onwards, but the protocols are to make yourself look ok (yup, I'm good) and then bowing with respect (yup, nailed that)  before crossing the bridge and walking up to the temple. Inside a Buddhist service was underway which we watched for a time before buying a small reminder of our visit to carry on our pilgrimage. The amulet is supposed to protect the Henro from any calamity. We figure that any assistance is always helpful out there on an unpredictable journey! I sure hope it works:)  We were also informed by a monk that we could get our stamp book just past the bridge on our way out. So after retracting our steps and providing the requisite bow, we made our way to a place where we asked the monk about the book. Those available were far to big for a walking Henro to carry, so we walked back out of the area and purchased smaller books just outside the gate. We walked all the way back to see the monk about getting the first stamp for our pilgrimage. He kindly obliged. He wrote something like, "Man and woman walking together. Safe journey". He was very pleased that we were walking as comparatively few do. He bowed and wished us a very good journey. It was a pretty important moment and we both felt like our journey had jumped far closer.

 

We decided to walk the long route back through the cedars. Fewer people, more meditative.

 

 

 

 

We passed a place that said if you looked in the well and didn't see your reflection that you would be dead in 3 years. I didn't look. Another place where a Buddhist nun had been buried in the 9th century indicated that if you listened to the grave stone you could hear hell. Again I wasn't up to the challenge. Guess I just wasn't curious enough! All these things aside, it was a beautiful, peaceful walk. Just the tonic needed after our crazy morning.

 

 

Everything felt very old, as though it had been here forever...except this guy, who appears to be a crowd favourite? 

Tomorrow we have several places to visit in Kyoto before jumping over to Nagoya to meet our new friend Sonomi who helped us to arrange our first three nights on the walk. Her sister has invited us for lunch so when we get off the train we are presently riding, we will look for some appropriate gifts to bring with us. We are very much looking forward to this after so many emails back and forth. Sonomi has walked the Spanish Camino and other routes as well. Should be fun.

When we arrive 'home' later tonight I'll try to maintain the discipline it takes to write a journal each day, I'm going to complete our adventures from yesterday. Otherwise I just won't get there. Almost to Kyoto. Time to pack this away.

Later and now late, but I promised myself, so....this fellow will be ticked if I don't do this!

 

So we moved on to Yasaka Shrine. It caught my attention with its bright colours. So I was determined to find my way here.

 

 

 

Now you've likely noticed the lovely young women dressed in traditional kamonos. I asked one such woman who told me that they are dressing this way because it's Spring and it's a traditional time to do so. This will go on for about a week, and adds lovely colour to the public places. The guys also dress traditionally, but less frequently.

We then moved on to the last major temple visit of the day. After all, it's easy to get temples out and I know that there are likely 88 other temples in my not distant future. KIyomizu-dera Temple is a World Heritage designated site and we'd heard that it was in the early stages of restoration. We decided to take a chance and arrived to find a human gong show underway! It was actually kind of fun working our way through the mass of humanity who had also decided to visit the temple today, plus many tour bus loads. 

 

This was the gate. We hadn't even reached the main part yet.

 

As mentioned the main temple complex is being restored. A mass undertaking that will take years. The scaffolding is indeed bamboo. 

 

 

We found this little gem on a steep side trail that few were attempting.

 

Then back down and into the crowds! This one is for you Caitlin!

 

We walked into Gion an area on the east side of the city where there are numerous older homes and small shrines. Once away from the tourist street we kind of had it to ourselves. Very pleasant.

 

 

I asked this woman for a photo and without a word she provided her permission. 

 

And as it's very late now, I'll leave you with this one to ponder:)