Day 27: Saijō to Unpenji

Long 31 km today to get to Temple 65, over to Bangai Temple 14, and then to lodging at the foot of the mountain that Unpenji, Temple 66, is located on. Checked out at 6:30 and checked in at a quarter to four.

A bit of the trail up to Temple 65. A very nice walk with bits of this and mountain trails.

But once you climb the mountain, you still aren't done---you still have a set of stairs to climb to get to the sanmon (main gate).

I seldom tire of these pictures of farmers working in their rice paddies up in the mountains.

A very nice statue of Fudō Myōō at Bangai Temple 14.

Bangai Temple 14 is a fertility temple. If i showed you what was under the clothes on these statues some of you might blush. Others might get jealous? I'll just leave it to your imagination.

That feeling off inevitability started to sink in this afternoon. Part of my brain knows that once i cross Unpenji tomorrow morning i' in the last of the four prefectures. From tomorrow time will start to fly by even faster than it has to this point.