Day 23: Matsuyama to Imabari City, Kikuma

Stayed in the worst minshuku ever last night. They checked everyone in and the disappeared. It was like staying in a college dorm; people coming in and going out until well past midnight, and the last of the talking and singing not until 2am. Little sleep.

Was out and on the road at 6:30. Beautiful day, but got pretty hot by afternoon; maybe around 27° (80°F)

I'm staying in a hotel at Marina Seagull on the west side of Imabari City, maybe 20km north of Temple 53. It seems pretty empty, but the guy who checked me in (and who then went back to repairing a jet ski) told me that boating season doesn't start until June.

I've had stomach trouble since day one of this walk and have been afraid to drink coffee without certain access to bathrooms. I know, TMI, be i'm happy because today is Day 23, and the first day i felt good/safe enough to actually stop for a break at a coffee shop and slowly enjoy a good cup of coffee.

Some pictures from today.

At T53, in the back of a very, very small cemetery, is this small foot-and-a-half tall stone marker. If you picture the very small hump on top extendind another 15 cm (6") higher, it would be in the shape of a cross. 

The figure in the stone is supposed to be Mary, of Christian fame. Back in the days when being a Christian wouldvgrt you killed, the made this stone to look like a Buddhist grave marker so they could worship in secret.

A restaurant made to look like a train. 

Found mysrlf back by the ocean this morning after several days in the mountains.

Then part of the afternoon was back in the hills. This was from those hills as i headed fown to the coast to find the marina.

Tomorrow i'm off to visit Temples 54-58.

Day 22: Kuma Kogen to Matsuyama

Woke this morning to incredibly strong winds. Wondered if the roof would come off. (It didn't)

As i left the inn, the guy who runs it told me that when the winds stop the rain would start to fall, so i set out hoping the winds would continue.

And they did. As i climbed to the pass where i started the drop down into Matsuyama, the winds were right in my back, pushing me up the hill. On the trail down on the other side of the pass, the winds sounded like a jet was circling overhead.

The rain held off until around noon, when it began to sprinkle on and off. But even when it was on, it wasn't enough to force me into rain gear or to even dig out my umbrella.

I finally had to get out the umbrella about 3:30, for the last half hour of walking to tonight's inn. Once in my room, though, the skies opened up and it started to pour cats and dogs. The weather report says it will blow north tonight and tomorrow will be sunny.

The view from near the top of this morning's pass of Matsuyama and the ocean in the background.

Kōbō Daishi is said to have tried to move this boulder (near T46) by putting a net around it and lifting it to carry it away. He was unsuccessful, but the rock still has the marks left by the net as it cut into the stone because of the heavy weight.

Here's a close up.

The inside of one of today's Daishi Halls.

A Shinto shrine along the road.

I can't believe it is already into May. Time is flying by so quickly. I think i made a decision this afternoon. In order to relieve a little pressure on the schedule, i may not make the climb to Temple 60. I was there in both late March and early April and have already walked it, so it's not as if i was just skipping the temple altogether.

Plus, the lodging i got for the night before when i should make the climb is past Temple 60, and just past Temple 62 as well. Some part of my brain just doesn't want to go backwards to do the T60 climb.

I'll make the final decision over the next few days, but I'm certainly leaning towards just moving forward and gaining a half day in my schedule.

Still planning to return to Temple 1 on the 19th and then heading to Ōsaka and then Mt. Kōya on the 21st.

That means oniy two more weeks of walking!

I need to get back to yoga as soon as i get back home, my hips are really starting to feel the strain of carrying a pack every day for 30 km. And i'm sure any flexibiliy i had in my hamstrings is now gone since i do no stretching. They may kick me out of class and send me down to a beginners class again. :-(

Temples 52 & 53 tomorrow. I stay in some kind of inn in a yacht marina tomorrow. Will get there under sunny skies with a high temperature of about 25° (77°F).

Day 21: Uchiko to Kuma Kogen

Last night's lodging didn't offer the normal sit-down b'fast this morning, but, instead, gave me a bento (box lunch) that i could eat in my room before leaving or take it with me and eat it on the road, which is what i did. So, an hour after setting out i stopped to eat several small onigiri, sime fried egg, and a sliver of salmon.

Another beautiful day. As hot as yesterday but since the majority of the day was spent walking in the forest, and out of the sun, it was easy walking.

Some pictures from today.

An early morning in a mountain farming community. 

A Daishi Hall (i think) near the top of one of today's mountain passes. 

The view of the town Kuma Kogen from the hills on the way into town.

And the same view from the oppisite side, looking back from the trail going out of town to Temples 44 & 45. The hills in the back-right are what i crossed to get into town and T44.

Another nice statue. This one of the eleven-faced Kannon; eleven faces symbolizing the fact that she can see everything, everywhere in order to find anyone that needs help.

 

Went to the dining room at 6:30 for dinner and was shocked when i was told i didn't get any.  When i asked "Dinner and breakfast aren't included?", i was ever more shocked when his response was a simple "You didn't ask for them."

I've never encountered this before. But, there was nothing to say so i changed back into street clothes and went across the street to the convenience store to buy something to eat. Intetesting.

Tomorrow i walk into Matsuyama City, stopping at Temples 46-51 snd covering about 33 km. Don't yet know what time the rains will start. Supposed to be in the afternoon, but at what time?

Day 20: Ōzu to Uchiko

Walked well past the center of Uchiko. Ended up stopping about 13 km short of Kuma Kogen, where Temple 44 is located.

Matsushita-san left me about a half kilometer from my lodging as he turned onto Highway 42, to get all the way to Kuma Kogen, to catch a bus to Matsuyama, to catch a train to Takamatsu. I think I'm on my own for the rest of the walk.

Hot day again today; was around 26° (78°F). Should be the same tomorrow but rain is forecast for sometime on Tuesday and Wednesday. If I'm lucky it will rain Tuesday night, after i check in, and stop in the morning before i check out. 

Met this guy on the road today.

A very nice Daishi Hall out on one of the back trails. For being out in nowhere-land it is very well maintained.

A wooden zoo along side the road. Quite a few animals in it, but a preponderance of penguins.

Another nice view from one of the back roads.

Day 19: Seiyo City to Ōzu

Cold  morning but hot by afternoon. One of those hot, not a cloud in the sky kind of days. I have no idea how far we ended up walking but we didn't get to our lodging until 5:30.

An interesting ad I see in every Toyota dealership window. The glare makes it a little hard to read but... I wonder how they think this sells their cars?

Bangai 8, where the Daishi had to sleep under a bridge for the night. This isn't the bangai temple, but the statue of the sleeping Daishi under the bridge. Which I'm certain was here in this same spot when the Daishi was alive.

A great view from the climb to another mountain pass.

What a temple looks like after it is abandoned and left to rot.

Day 18: Tsushima to Seiyo City

Woke to a cold morning. Left the hotel just before 6:30 so I could get to Uwajima Station by 9:30, when Matsushita-san's train arrived. I got there with 1 minute to spare.

From there we walked to Temples 41 & 42, and then to tonight's lodging.

Walked another very nice trail over Hanaga Pass between T42 & tonight's inn. The sign on the trail head said the trail was closed but we walked it anyhow and it was wonderful.

A few pictures.

The view from the climb to Hanaga Toge.

1,000 folded paper cranes.

A shrine dedicated to farm animals.

A statue I liked.

Day 17: Mishō to Tsushima

It was sunny and warm down at sea level, but got cold as i walked over Kashiwazaka Pass this morning. Top of the ridge was in the clouds.

As I started the climb i saw this sign posted by the trail head.

The sign near the top is the typical henro trail marker. The big red sign says "No playing here, it is dangerous!"

Forced me to stop and consider what I was doing, but I climbed anyhow and the trail was fine. Some kind of joke?

On the way down I found an older woman sitting in front of an old building, or shack might be more accurate, in a small clearing.  She was surrounded by sticks of wood and had one propped up in front of her that she had obviously been sawing on. She must have been on a break when I got there because the two saws were sitting on a table by her side.

Our conversation was short but looped through the same sequences several times. The weather has cleared today, hasn't it. Yesterday it rained pretty hard. Tomorrow it is supposed to clear up. Where are you staying tonight? Where are you from? And from here she looped back to The weather has cleared today, hasn't it. And continued until the next loop started again.

She wasn't talking to herself because she waited for me to answer after each statement/question, during each of the loops.

I wonder what a life like that would be like. Where the only thing that matters is yesterday's, today's, and tomorrow's weather, and where the henro who happens to pass through your compound on that day is spending the night. When life slows down to the speed of your saw. I think I lead a pretty simple life but hers makes mine look incredibly complex.

Some pictures from today.

The power stones that bring the kami (gods) down to ensure this field's crops are prosperous

Here's how they grow at least some of their mushrooms in Japan. They stack up wood in hot & humid forests and the mushrooms grow on the logs.

I head for Uwajima tomorrow to meet a friend, who will walk with me through May 2..Wil arrive in Matsuyama on the 3rd. Then all that's left is the walk along the top of the island.

The schedule is still tight but it's looking better with each day of 30km under the boots. Especially if today's good weather holds.