Stage 14: Kochi T31 - Nagahama Kochi T33, 20 kms, Sun, 24!

No Packs!

After a decent night in our Business Hotel, that's what they call hotels where business people, mostly men, stay in Japan. Solid dependable rooms with a small fridge, tv, bed, bath...the usual stuff. Nothing special, but functional and the beds are like home...not on the floor! They even provide clean pajamas each night. Of course on some of us there's not a hope that they'll fit:)

We wobbled, a little bit, down to the train station and found a place for breakfast. A little dehydrated and very hungry after yesterday. Fed and watered we went to the tourist information office and asked them to book a couple of minshukus for me for the next two days. Really efficient and super helpful. Usually one person with good English. If you wear your white Henro shirt in they take a bit better care of you. So if you come here to travel, try to borrow someone's shirt!

We caught one of the old trolly cars through the city. They are still a key component in the transit system here. Really cool! This was intended to be an action shot, but a speeding train they are not:)

 

Like all buses here, you pay by the distance traveled, and there is a board which lights up with your fee as you go, depending on where you got on. So you always know the damage to your wallet.

 

We hoped off and headed upstream towards our first temple of the day, T31 Chikurinji. As usual the temple is located on top of a short, but sharp climb and I heard Annemarie groan about something as we started up. Climbing is actually much easier now after two weeks and we had the bonus of no packs today as they remained in our BH room. Sweet!  We hiked in yesterday through those hills as we circled the city before heading into its core.

 

It was a pretty nice temple with lovely views of the surrounding city, harbour and general area.

 

 

Then the descent onto the flood plain. First temple of the day visited...onwards!

 

 

We met a fellow from Belgium who was here again this year after his great experience last year. This time he's walking in reverse direction, 88-1, but not liking it as much because he's meeting fewer Henro this way. Makes sense. He seemed pretty invested in the walk and has lost 20 kilos in the last two years. I told him I'd keep an eye out for them! 

We traversed the floodplain and all the rice paddies which are being busily planted. Saw Godzilla again today on the top of some mountain. The Japanese have a keen sense of humour.

 

T32, Zenjibuji was up another stiff climb, and again Annemarie groaned, but made the climb in good time.this was a really nice temple as well with great views forward towards T33, our destination for today. This temple is all about praying for fishermen and sailors. Seems reasonable.

 

Really liked this temple...note the four big boxes of saki on the front left!

 

As I said, the view forward, 9 kms to the next temple.

 

 

We crossed the gap as quickly as possible. We wanted to find a kombini for lunch and then walk on to the free ferry that would take us across the harbour entrance. They leave once an hour for the 10 minute crossing, and if you don't want to sit on a chunk of concrete for an hour then you make sure that you get to the ferry in time!! The boat was mostly walk in Henro, about 7 of us. 

 

Annemarie shot this when I wasn't watching...the happy traveller:)

 

This priest (I think he was) and his daughter were on the ferry and she fell dead asleep. 

 

He was holding her head with his right hand  as he rode his bike away, she in the seat behind him.

 

Sadly T33 wasn't anything special so I'll show you a picture of...

 

They are all in full bloom now! Amazing sights everywhere we walk. Magical!

We took the bus back into town and I'll take it back out to T33 to begin my solo walk early tomorrow morning. Annemarie has decided that a sore foot has brought her Ohenro to a conclusion. Sure she would like to walk on, but with only two days left and a nice grouping of blisters, there seems little point. She will stay in Kochi tomorrow and wander around, shop the street market, see the castle, sleep in, etc.  In two days she will catch the train to Susaki and meet me for Saturday night and then head back slowly towards Tokyo with stops in Kochi and Tokishima. She feels that she has seen all that she came to see and to walk in pain would detract from her experience. I agree. She has done really well on this very tough route.

So, when was the last time you drove in for petrol and had 6 guys working the pumps?! 1968 maybe?

 

This was our dinner being cooked tonight! A local specialty and the fuel is dry straw.

 

Back to our BH and I made some decisions about what gear to send home or to leave behind. A lighter pack for the road ahead will be a good thing. Don't need sandles as there are in-house slippers at each place I'll stay. New rain pants means with my good boots that I can leave my gaiters out. Warming temperatures means I don't need my gloves or buff. And I have a flashing light on my pack, so no need for a headlamp. I think I've dropped about 1 kilo or 2.2 pounds out of my pack. 

 

The beer I drank!!