So last I wrote I was in lodging next to a beach. Still in Tokushima prefecture but approaching the Kochi prefecture that is infamously rough part of the pilgrimage with rain(don't think there's been pilgrin who HASN'T experienced rain here).
But before that I still had one more temple and thats the fourth bangai bekkaku temple in Tokushima to take care of. It was fairly short trip from the lodging so it was done fairly quickly. From here it would be 55 kilometers with NO temples to visit. Not much to do except put some feet ahead of other and walk.
I had fairly short bout 20km or so, day planned before I would reach last lodging I could realistically reach in this day. Next one would be way too far. So I waked until I reached town where I was supposed to take the western route out of 2 in the map. However I somehow managed to steer too much north so got lost..Trust me to get lost in almost straight road. Lol! Luckily it was no big detour in the middle of nowhere but have to wonder am I first modern pilgrim to have walked that road? Not part you would expect to get lost and there's nothing there for pilgrim to go deliberately so could be...
Getting back to route I went to konbini store for breakfest filling and went to the rest hut nearby to eat them. Seems this was first of these free henro huts built. There was also some fruit/something juice for free that I drank of. Pretty good!
I walked some more before entering the second town on path that had last konbini for a while so bought some serious food supplies(too much in hindsight) and called today's lodging to confirm I am coming(she had been bit worried about that since I didn't have a phone number to call to).
Then I reached the tunnel that marks the border between Tokushima and Kochi prefecture. I enter in while in Tokushima, exited in Kochi. I have come Kochi! Show me what you have got!
Well today was only short stint so nothing too spectacular happened yet. I checked in to one of the most ancient and run down looking lodgings yet but hostess was friendly enough when we got to talking, meals were good and futon good enough to sleep so no major complains. She even prepared 2 rice balls and gave bottle of tea as o-settai. Thank you! For 5500 yen quite cheap for all this. Old building or not! However later heard less than favourable reviews of that place. Well does look kinda rough. But dunno. I didn't have major problem with it. Wouldn't be high on my lodging list on this trip but not bad enough I wouldn't be willing to book there again if I came here again.
11th day was going to be simple walk along sea coast. Literally. Only couple unnumbered bangai spots and one konbini stop but apart from that it was all walking along highway listening and looking at the waves hitting the beach.
Day I had been dreading a bit. But it was actually bit better than I had feared so all good in the end.
Original plan had been to go for tad short of temple 24 but due to leg issues had booked lodging bit earlier and maybe lucky I did. This place was very nice(got good vibe just from outside!) with good meals(and 11th differet type of dinner in a row) and quite an interesting Jean Sibelius fan as a fellow pilgrim. He was also very good walker(he stayed last night in the same beach side place I had stayed in and walked 46km in a day!) and very, very, VERY talkative. I'm not usually the quiet one around table but this time I had hard time putting anythig in as he kept talking and talking and talking! As he kept no barrels I had to concetrate fully to keep up but did get pretty much everything he said. From a lot of things. Damn that guy talked a lot!
Not often I get beaten in talking but thanks for good listening practice!
Did you know it was mountain sakura all the old poems etc were made? I didn't but that was tidbit he told and host agreed. Interesting. Those were the original cherry trees it seems. They were later imported out into cities etc out of the mountains.
So far apart from short stint of rain it hadn't been that bad in Kochi. However when I woke up it was all rain...Rain. In steady pour. Bad enough that if I hadn't had full rain gear with coat and pants I would have been completely soaked in minutes. Miserable weather to walk in but at least views were great so trying to avoid cars giving me extra wash(failing once resulting in entire right side all the way up to hed getting completely soaked by car that passed by) I proceeded toward the temple 24.
Alas the cave Kukai spent 3 years living was off limits due to recent stone falls so that was bummer. I met first time here canadian ladies pair with whom I would be doing leapfrogging all day. I would outpace them, I would go to toilet or take a break and they would catch up and take a lead. Repeat. This continued until I left temple 25 for a konbini stop.
Temple 25 had rather steep and tall stairs to climb to before getting to the main hall. view to the misty sea was quite beautiful.
Rain had briefly stopped here but picked up again so on a konbini took up rain gear(minus trousers) again and headed up toward the 26. I was way too early so took up any excuse for a break. I also stopped at pharmaceusty(sp?) for some cream for dry skin and ended up getting various pain killing stuff, bandaids etc as osettai and met lady who had just been shortly to Finland. We had good time chhatting about Finland there.
But no matter of breaks I arrived rather early to the templ 26. Here I also saw I think first time actual priest doing the pilgrimage. Interesting. Lodging opened after about 30 minutes so had bit chilly waiting but not too bad.
Lodging had one of the most amazing views out of any room I have stayed so far and had nice time just watching it sipping tea before going into bath, talking with other pilgrims there, doing laundry and being in a room for a while and then went to dinner that was more like a feast. I lost count of sashimi slices I ate. 15? Boy I overate but it was so goo-ood! We also had lots of talking and laughing. It's really nice how people here seem to take me into the discussions freely. One of the best parts in this pilgrimage. There's very strong "us" feeling. I get to use my japanese probably more than I have ever used in my life before here. And they don't seem to be holding back much but speak rather naturally. Leads into some trouble with dialects but hey studies!
Tomorrow might be bit tough day if I try to do the temple 27 as well but if I can do that helps day after that. And forecast says rain for full week for now at least some time of day every day...Kochi!
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