I stayed in Kuma for two nights to provide time to walk the loop to the two temples, thereby symbolically passing the halfway point temples wise. Distance wise I'm actually 750 kilometres along my path after 28 stages. To put this into perspective, if I was walking the Camino Frances I'd be less than two comfortable stages from finishing in Santiago.
Because the stage was short I decided on a late 7am breakfast. I woke early and followed the Manchester derby on line...a boring 0-0 draw, but one point closer to Liverpool with a game in hand:) Still it was nice to take my time this morning. A leisurely breakfast chatting with Kristine and then it was time to go. We walked out at the same time and decided to climb up to T44 together, a very nice temple in the early morning fog. A massive front gate greeted us.
I read that they replace the sandles here every 100 years, whether they need changing or not!
That said, a nice quiet temple experience this morning. A good way to start the day.
Kristine admits that her sense of direction is pretty poor and asked me to continue along with her until we made it through the first climb and down to the highway. As we passed up through the cedar forest the sun broke through the fog and the results were quite dazzling.
At the top of the pass, another view...poor me!
We arrived at the road and were having such a good conversation that we just very naturally continued along and ended up sharing the journey all day. Lots in common with great kids, spouses and an interest in travel and world events. I think we learned quite a bit from each other about our two countries as well, and even risked discussing politics! Strange things can happen on the Ohenro!
I saw my first live snake on this walk, you might recall reference to the two dead ones. This one slithered it's way right past my foot and crossed in front of me. It was just shy of a metre in length (no doubt Neil is laughing...hard!) and I have no idea if was friend or foe...just happy there wasn't any aggressive behaviour. Probably feeds on the multitudes of frogs! I did, however, get bit today by an aggressive ant! A dangerous place this Shikoku.
The trail took us to a well known 100m high rock face called Furuiwaya Rock which appears to be an unconsolidated conglomerate of stone and sediment. I know I'm in an extremely volatile volcanic and plate tectonic area, but this definitely looks out of place here, perhaps formed by a sudden event like a slide? But then why so high...uplift?
Neil, a bridge for you. Maybe not Roman, but maybe Samurai?
We walked on to T45 and said hi to a number of Henro I hadn't seen for a while which was nice.
The climb to T45 was very intereting and I'd have to say that this temple was one of the best so far.
It had a nice feel and an added pleasure was that I was able to reconnect with Thomas from Bordeaux and a Russian couple I'd met a week ago.
So some reconnection happening for sure Annemarie as you'd hoped for me. Some of this connection will break up again, but it's always a surprise when people keep popping up along the way. A very nice experience in deed.
I'm meeting more foreigners now than before when I was almost entirely with Japanese men. I like both experiences, but I have to say that after 4 weeks on the trail, it's nice to speak a little more English. Now 6 weeks since I left home with Annemarie. Time moves along. This is me and Kristine:)
The walk back via a slightly different route was pretty straight forward...climb, descend, walk the highway with a 125m cliff less than two feet away. Walk through another long tunnel without a sidewalk. A normal day on the Henro! Look how nonchalant I've become about heights! Who'd have thought? Straight down off the edge. Seriously, this was a bit uncomfortable.
Back at my place at about 2:00 and a stop for groceries because I still need to keep eating. Always eating. My weight loss seems to have stabilized with a drop of just over 3 kgs. I'm eating all the time as I walk to keep my calorie input high. Feeling good. My post walking, pre-dinner meal after my shower and hot bath. I'm getting good at jumping right into those hot baths. I think my skin is toughening up!
Tomorrow it's some 30+ kms plus many temples to the large city of Matsuyama, where there is a bed waiting for me in a nice 3* hotel for two nights! I'll be walking out and returning by train the first day. Holidays begin tonight in a couple of hours so it will be a busy night out there! I'm high in the mountains in a smallish town, so expecting little action here!
Congratulations on passing the half-way point! I didn't realize your journey was almost twice as long as the Camino.
ReplyDeleteAnd remarkable photographs of the light in the forest. I hope you'll print them, put them up in a special place at home.
Good luck on today's walk!
Ken
You are busy! That's half the temples, I'm well past the half way point walking. It's 1200 kms. Ok, get back to work!
DeleteSo you're close to being finished, then. Of course all the temples in the last few days are going to slow you up--what with the process and the tourists and all.
DeleteThe presentations went well. This morning--the defence. Who knows what'll happen there?
Ken
I really liked the routes you have followed the past couple of days - much better than slushing along in the rain beside a busy highway! In fact the scenery even reminded me a bit of some of the country you walked through in Portugal and France but I guess thats to be expected as you are still on the same planet. I'm sure that a two day stop-over after your next hiking day will be very welcome and give you (your body that is) a chance to recover from - may I say - the abuse that you have extracted from it on those 30 k + hikes and the 750 K that you have covered thus far on some challenging type goat trails. On the other hand I am very impressed that you have managed so well.
ReplyDeleteHope you can find a good American type breakfast on your rest day and maybe a steak at dinner or is that asking too much......................
Take care.
Dad
Hey Geoff, great photos today - those sun rays through the cedars are always inspiring. The temple approaches seemed wonderful too. Loved the samurai bridge. We hope Golden week adds to the richness of the experience in Japan, btw, what is it for? Sarah is just back from leading a retreat in a place on the escarpment to the coast - she was able to spend some time in a little chapel tucked away on the edge of the rain forest like some of the temples you have been visiting. I've spent way too much time at a desk in the uni!! Did manage a couple of early morning walks around the lake this week and they were good. Best, Neil and Sarah
ReplyDeletePS My old Moabs from the Portuguese are still going strong - if a little worn at the heel!!
DeleteHi Neil, Golden Week is a complete national holiday where much shuts down in the country for a solid week... 9 days. It seems to celebrate spring and ialso a bit of nationalistic stuff with many more flags hanging today. Most folks are in a really good mood!
DeleteBy the way, those Moabs need retiring. They're done and were done when you walked in them last fall you crazy person!! An American guy was walking in a pair when I saw him yesterday, and the terrain here wasn't kind to them, they were falling completely apart. He and his wife have stopped walking now as she has developed some bad issues with both feet. Her boots were very poor too...I think they were Moabs;)
The Boot War of 2017.
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