Day 13. Soaked and drowned in a storm.

By the way dating might not be clearest since I write after the fact. This entry describes 8th of April.

Today if day goes as plan was would be one of the longest days, most likely 2nd longest, of this trip. Also includes nice 400m or so climb to a mountain in the end and smaller 100m or so in the middle.

And it was raining from the get-go. This might be a tough day. And not just a rain oh no but quite a storm was blowing up! Well okay maybe slight exaggeration but "raining cats and dogs" was a phrase that was quite an appropriate one for this weather.

Still complaining about weather would not get me anywhere so packing up things I then went to the morning ceremony that was shorter than I expected. Took like maybe 5, 10 minutes at most with a friendly priest leading the activity. After that we went in for a breakfast that was tasty as usual. Common topic around was the weather. It was pouring on hard.

 

I ate quickly and paid my bill. Would be long day ahead so wanted to get in early so was out first. Luckily rain had abated a bit but only marginally. It was still horrible weather to walk in. I went toward the path I needed to walk ponderig which route to go. Shortest one I was warned could be dangerous in this weather. Safe one would add several km to the day. Wasn't sure I could add those and felt confident on my boots that, while less ideal on paved roads, works excelently on uneven surface and have a very good grip.

So I took the short route and it wasn't all that bad. Actually apart from couple spot where I took it slowly it wasn't difficult at all. Good!

Being inside a forest had the bonus side that the rain wasn't getting in my way. Also the fog inside forests makes for a very interesting scenery. Bad side being the high humidity. Off with the rain coat!

Getting back into ground level. That wasn't bad!

Cloud/fog was hanging quite low.

Exitig to route 55, AGAIN, I proceeded toward north making good progress. Legs were feeling pretty good! Maybe I'm getting used to this or maybe the fact I have less food and drinks lightens up my bag enough to make walk feel good. I felt like I was flying!

Getting into first town of the day helpful guide tried to send me toward old walker henro trail but I figured I would take the car route(which was also shorter) and use the toilet on route. After that I actually did go to the ancient route on next opportunity searching for the rest hut in map but turns out it was exactly where roads joined again so needless detour. Ah well. At least got me out of the 55 :D Took here first rest of the day listening the pouring rain. Curiously there was lots of chickens and roosters here giving rather farm-like sounds for the walk.

So much for being able to enjoy scenery in this fog! Out of forest I had the rain coat back over as the rain picked up again.

Found a place to sit so unceremously I sat down. Rain trousers ensuring comfortable sitting even on wet surface.

3km or so more toward north-west and I entered the second town from which first point of interest was convenience store for quick snack and, yep, toilet. Konbini was unusually wide and...well empty looking for konbini. Not that it was lacking in stuff but room was bigger than usual so less cramped feeling. Usually konbinis have quite cramped feeling. This felt emptier for products than it actually is.

Hair salon "What's up" :D Love that name!

Out of the town I had basically two options. Take the traditional pilgrim path over mountain. Or go through highway. Normally it would be easy choice, mountain, but here actually it might be better to take the highway. Distance wise mountain is bit shorter BUT mountain climb means time wise it's both about same. However mountain is harder and this rain makes it even harder...But I like mountains so I went there. Mind you if it's REALLY pouring and if you have shoes whose grip isn't very good this could be dangerous path on a heavy rain. Any heavier and I would have been in trouble as it was and as said my shoes are pretty good for this.

Met a guy near the top who was carrying some sort of pipe down. We chatted a while before I continued.

Humidity was making me totally exhausted. Frankly felt even tougher than Shosanji!

Descent wouldn't have been that bad except for loose, wet leaves that made going down very slippery process. Didn't progress all that fast.

Getting down felt good and I proceeded forward. Seems there was some bangai spot here but missed it alas.

Third village, Nahari, came up eventually but before that around 11AM the rain that had been occasionally stopping before continuing REALLY came down. It was insane. I luckily found out rest hut when it started so could put in full rain protection leisuredly. Then I dived in. It was so bad wondered for a while if I might not find boat more useful than boots soon!

And the bloody trucks didn't pay lone pilgrim much heed so was getting periodic soaks by them despite walking as far away as possible. Well with the weather wouldn't make much difference if I jumped into the sea...

Entering Nahari I felt need for some food and chance to be inside for a while to restore my spirits so luckily there was convenience stores there so straight into first lawson for some warm food and rest. I felt like soaked dog.

With this my path joins with train stations so if I need to call it quits I have train station nearby pretty much always.

Not really photographs from following section as the rain was so heavy I didn't want to risk bringing out electronics out! It felt like walking below a waterfall. I just prayed my weather gear was up to it's task!

From here next point of call was the todays lodging where I had arranged to leave my backbag. Or rather most of contents as I would need bag itself to protect stamp book from the rain. Taking periodic rest breaks(wonder what just few minutes sitting do to recover your feet) in the rain I eventually arrived there having walked about 25km.

Talking with the host, leaving unneeded stuff and receiving cup of warm tea(thanks!) I left for the 4km one way trip to the temple.

Start was mainly following car road but eventually there came walker paths that cut through the mountain. Not too difficult and felt nice after all that asphalt.

Rain was still pestering the ground but at least worst deluge was over.

Haha. Visibility pretty much zero.

And another path to walker's path ahead. Out of the rain into shade of trees! I was out of rain coat here as frankly getting soaked by rain was preferable to being turned into a steamed Timo.

At times it got challenging. But biggest challenges was without doubt the humidity.

Took me a while but eventually got there completely exhausted. I was sooooo exhausted. Together with me came four priests from Mount Koya, or maybe priests in training, comfortably in a car. Felt so jealous! As I was exhausted they got everywhere faster than I so despite the chants taking time for them(they did quite a lot of that) they left sooner than I did. And the chants were quite good. Could tell just from chanting they were pro's.

Arrival! Temple #27 Kōnomineji(God summit temple) is said to have originated by Empress Jingu having prayed here for success before leaving to a war against Korea. Now Jingu is said to have ruled Japan from around 201 but there seems to be very little historical facts about her including that war against Korea!

Obviously since this would have happened in 3rd century while Buddhism reached Japan in 6th century start wasn't as a Buddhist temple though but as the Shinto shrine for Amaterasuokami(who's supposed to be god that created Japan) that she set up after successful campaign.

Gyogi later came carving the Honzon and Kobo Daishi even later setting up the temple buildings.

Oh and after climbing for ages mountain path was that enough? Nope! There were steep stone stairs to climb! AAAARGH!

Seems in ancient times people only climbed here in the morning due to fear of daemons that supposedly haunted here. And this is another one of those barrier temples where supposedly bad things happen to those who come with bad intentions.

The main hall. Honzon here is the 11 faced Kannon and there's ANOTHER statue of her that's hidden and only shown occasionally. That isn't that common. 2 statues in main hall is rare enough but that it's the 2nd one that's hidden one? First time I have heard of that.

Burned down in the beginning of Meiji period during which honzon was moved to temple #26 until 1912. Due to law forbidding build of new temples local residents dismantled and moved unused temple from Ibaragi prefecture and moved it here to house the honzon.

Patronized by Mitsubishi corporation due to mother of founder praying for sons success here visiting the temple every day for 21 days.

The immovable king.

Daishi hall.

There's stone stairways behind temple bell tower. After the stairs there's water spring. There's fairly recent(few decades old at most) story of Kōbō Daishi provided healing related to this. Women from Hokkaido with cancer saw Kōbō Daishi in a dream who gave her water to drink. Later recovering she thought about the dream and realized there was bell tower in it. Searching for any locations that might fit she found out this temple was perfect match to place she had seen on a dream.
 

Unfortunately due to the rain, being exhausted and running out of time for lengthy detour wasn't in mood for a detour. Oh and didn't read notes again though this time rain is good excuse.

After receiving my stamp I collapsed to the nearest chair and just sat there for like 15 minutes before starting slow descent down. Think I missed one or two walker trail on way down. Again had to take rests periodically but eventually about 3h since departure from lodging returned there. About average time it seems.

I quite like fog covered hills and mountains.

That's tsunami evacuation tower.

I got into hottest bath I have ever been which felt GOOD. Then ate good dinner though forgot to take a picture. Then back to room to rest. I was beaten! 34km or so, 2 mountains, climbing down from 3rd, horrible rain. I was exhausted. Probably hardest day so far and if this had been first day might have quit right away but seems legs have got bit used to this drain.

But thanks to effort today next 2 days are bit easier and got lodgings sorted out for them already. On monday get to outskirt of Kochi with Kochi proper on tuesday.

Half the pilgrimage in days for this year or so done. Feeling pretty odd. And good. Legs were surprisingly good today all told.