Stage 39: Kokubunji - Takamatsu, T81-83, 34kms, Cloud, Some Rain, 22

A Special Gift

With rain in the forecaste today and a stiff climb in store for this Henro, I was up very early and on my way by 6:00. Nothing worse than climbing in wet gear on warm days. It's like swimming in nylon. This is the wall that started and would define my day. Once again it doesn't look like much, but it's 500 metres (1700') of steep climbing. I heard my Henro pals talking about it yesterday and several hand motions showing the steep grade. None of them appeared pleased.

 

On the climb to T66 I found the going difficult because of the heat and high humidity (it was easier with the snake adrenalin). Today to my relief it was cooler and I climbed without stopping, and it made me feel better knowing I hadn't lost my legs. The heat and humidity do take a toll. Not yet at the top, but already a great view back. Still no rain.

 

On the way up I passed a small cemetery and took this photo to help explain what these wood sticks are all about. I asked Tutsuka about them yesterday and he told me that the top part is a prayer for the name that runs down the stick. You can see the family name on both sticks running from below the prayer downwards. Nice to have some answers to all my accumulated questions.

 

Once up top I found a road way and started walking westward towards T81, Shiromineji. To my horror the road dropped elevation at a steady rate. When you climb, you hate to loose the hard won gains knowing that you'll later have to regain them again. As I walked a rare car approached me and then stopped. It was the smiling faces of the ealderly couple who shared my accommodation with me. He had been very standoffish towards me at dinner, but I think that after I excused myself, the landlord told them that I was a Canadian Henro. This morning they were much friendlier and they even served me my rice and wished me a good journey when I departed. Again, continuing lessons learned from the Henro. A nice gesture to pull over and greet me again.

I met Tutsuka climbing back up the trail from T81. He'd had the same idea and headed out early. I arrived at the temple to find I had it completely to myself, but no way to light my incense as there were no candles burning and I'd long again tossed my lighter during a weight purge of my pack. So the Process was completed without incense, but it didn't feel the same. 

 

T81 is a large group of temples. Of course one is required to climb many stairs to see them all, but it was well worth the energy drain. 

 

Every temple has its own identity or something that sets it apart. This one has small figures of cats on many of the statues. I'd not seen this before. I was tempted to adopt one, but then I'd have to carry it.

This temple has a good story. It seems that in 815 Kūkai buried a jewel on this spot, dug a well and prayed for the salvation of all living beings. A decent guy. Later, Chishō Daishi saw the spiritual light given off by the jewel and founded the temple. Emperor Sutoku's tomb is located here. 

 

The climb back up and across the plateau towards T82 was very nice along narrow trails. My favourite! The subtropical jungle is extremely thick in places with a very solid canopy. It was quite dark with the overcast skies.  

This was pretty unusual, but welcome.

 

I also had company on the trail and I heard them in the bushes. I made sure I sang loudly! I knew they would stay away unless I surprised them. I've experienced them in Spain in the early morning twilight and there they ran away quickly becaus the Spanish love to shoot them. I figured that unless one was looking for revenge that they'd also leave me alone because they hunt them here too. Having eaten a distant cousin on two separate occasions I guess that maybe I should have been a bit worried afterall. Hmmm?

 

Just before T82 I met up with my Canadian pals from Ottawa, the father and son who I met and stayed with a couple of nights ago at the Kōbō Daishi temple. They were walking a different variant of the route and told me to be watching for this fellow as I walked down to the temple.

 

The story goes that this fellow called Ushioni was terrorizing the local population some 450 years ago (eating them) and the villagers hired a famous master archer to dispatch him. Apparently he was successful. 

These temples located on the plateau were related with Sangaku Buddhism and are known as mountain temples, 'Sangaku' meaning mountain. They are quite nice to visit, and even better without Ushioni hanging around. There are enough challenges on the Henro without having to deal with a big fellow like this!

 

 

 

 

On the way down off the plateau the rain finally showed up and I decided to stay out of my wet gear for as long as possible. I mean, just look at this jungle canopy. It has to rain pretty hard to get through.

 

A few views on the way down.

 

 

I took a wrong turn at one point, but decided I wasn't going to climb back up to find out what happened and I decided to just trust my instincts as I've done so often and somehow it all work out ok. What did happen is that I walked through a major Bansi tree plantation area. It was very cool. I'm not old enough to do this according to a local young woman I earlier spoke to, but maybe one day I'll be old enough to give this a try.

 

 

The walk to T83, Ichinomiyaji was through the outskirts of Takamatsu and without the way marks I'd have never found my way through the labyrinth of small streets, alleys and rice paddies. Crazy stuff! At the temple you are supposed to stick your head into a small shrine, and it's said that if you are not of good heart that you won't be able to pull it out again. Needless to say, I'm a work in progress and while I think I have a good heart I didn't relish finishing out I was wrong and having to stand there all night. I had a really good hotel waiting with a real bed!! I hope KD can forgive the slight.

 

 

This was new....usually a dragon. Wasn't sure if I should be disappointed at not having another dragon for my collection or not?

So on to the exchange that I've titled this post for. When I arrived at my 4* hotel I walked up to reception and was greeted in a very unJapanese like manner. I think they thought a street person had just walked up. I appreciate I was long unshaven, has salt stains all over my shirt and I probably, no,  badly needed a shower. Neither spoke English and they were looking pretty desperate when a lovely young woman walked out of the back and says she speaks "a little English". Great! We start through the signin process and when she looks at my address card she gives out a very unJapanese like squeal. "Victoria! I love Victoria!". Turns out she attended a partial year at UVic and I told her where we live and she got even more excited. She then proceeded to make several phone calls for me to try to find me a spot to sleep after T88. No luck. I figured my Henro was doomed to end a day early and I'd have to take a bus back to Tokishima from T88. We got to strategizing and she got on the phone and the computer and we discovered that I could take a bus from T88 to a train station quite some distance off the Henro, but I could then train back to the Henro. Was it possible? We called a Ryokan and they had room! My Henro was back in gear. I had tears in my eyes as I thanked her and she thanked me. I held it together at the desk as that would in deed be very unJapanese of me! What a special gift she had just given me, and she probably didn't even realize it.

I'm off now to find dinner then I'm going to try and find the Craic Irish pub to have a dram or two of Irish whiskey with the Ottawa Canadian Henro. Paul's quite right...there's an Irish pub to be found everywhere on this planet!! I rest here for three nights and will catch up with Kristine tomorrow night for dinner after she walks in, and I'll have a look around this town. But mostly I plan to eat and sleep as much as possible!!