Grand Finale - Unexpected Monk Chat

Temple 88 Okubo-ji bus

Temple 1 Ryozen-ji Chinese Henro Tour bus

Miles walked: 5.6

Slept at: Chottoca-ma

Our original intention was to walk, but we are the lazy Henro, and it's seven miles and a 1200 meter climb to the top. In the temple parking lot, we met another Henro, Hyatt, who is fluent in English. We decided to join him on the bus ride up the mountain. We were relieved to see another walking Henro couple who had been at our Minshuku the previous night---we are not alone as the lazy Henro!

Hyatt, Laura, and I at steps to 88

But Hyatt...he is 22, speaks Japanese, English, Turkish, and French (that we know of). He spent his early childhood in Japan, but when his parents were killed in a car crash, he went to live with his father's friend in Turkey. Although he has dual citizenship in the U.S. And Japan, he considers Turkish his native language. Oh, and he lives in Montpellier, France and is a CPA. 

Henro leave their sticks at 88..,we lost four between us, so no need 

At any rate, we visited Temple 88 together and then parted in front of the konnyaku stand when he boarded the bus back down the hill. 

Minutes later, I regretted not boarding the bus myself....no one was returning to Temple 87! But Laura had it under control. She met a monk who invited her the Chinese Henro bus tour! So, just to provide a complete Henro experience, we have now have bus Henro experience! These folks were mostly from Taiwan and even the monk, though living in Osaka now, is from there. 

The monk, the stereotypical tall, thin, and stern type, leaned over across the aisle and asked if I was reincarnated from a Japanese person! This was a relevant question from a monk who was puzzled that we were doing the 88 temples. He also said that the reincarnation of Kobo Daishi, the originator of the Henro 88, was living in Seattle! Finally, he said we were something else, embarking on this journey.

The bus ride was raucous with Chinese songs, prayers, and thank yous to the tour organizers. It turned out the group was on its way to Temple 1 to complete the Henro 88 circle around the island. So, although it wasn't planned, we returned to Temple 1, which was much changed from the first trip around. It was crawling with Henro so that you could barely light incense or deposit your offering and ofuda. Is the season just beginning? I suspect so, because we ran into so few issues with accommodations on our journey.

So this is the end. It was a slog, much like life itself and I think could be viewed as a miniature of one's own life---attitude toward the journey, the people you meet, the problems you solve. I already have some idea how I'd do the journey if I tried it again, which is not always possible in this life. I do understand why people do it multiple times, though...it's a Groundhog Day kind of effort don't you think?

Day 29 - No Temples

Walked: 11.8 miles

Slept at: Sasaya Ryokan

This was the day we unloaded half of our packs and left the items at our final destination in Takamatsu. What a relief to lose eight pounds of sleeping bag, clothing, and so on. Our walk was on pavement alone and included being mesmerized by the siren of 7-11 free wifi so that we forgot where we were and ended up walking in the wrong direction for a kilometer or so. Then, trying to get back on track on a street where the crossings are via underpasses, we went up and down multiple times trying to find the correct direction!

Day 30 - Trail Angels

Temple 84, Yashima-ji walk

Temple 85, Yakuri-ji walk

Temple 86, Shido-ji walk, hitch

Temple 87, Nagano-ji hitch

Miles walked: 10.6

Slept at: Henro House, Nagao

We started the morning with a brief, but sweaty climb up to Mt Yashima where the lovely Temple features  the Yashima Tasaburo badger carved from a giant stone. The legend is that this badger metamorphosed into a man in a straw hat and led Kobo Daishi to Mt Yashima on a foggy night. He is also known to be a monogamist (therefore only one lady badger?) and good luck to marriages, happy families, and restaurants.

At most temples we run into old friends or make new ones. Here, we saw our engineer friend who drove us up hairpin turns in his van home. These encounters always seem unexpected, serendipitous, but really we are all more or less on the same path.

Our crossing down was a bit treacherous with rickety, uneven steps, and ropes slung alongside the steep trail, most gone slack. 

On our way up to 85 we were greeted on the trail by a sign inviting Henro in for a rest. Inside, a lovely couple invited us in, gave us slippers, and served tea and snacks. We chatted in broken English. They have been hosting Henro in their home from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, six days a week, for nine years. They built the house just for this purpose and seem to be promoting Japanese culture as well. They have a special Japanese tea ceremony room in the house and I noticed the straw cushions in the house were on display at the folkcraft museum in Ritsurin Park. 

The tea ceremony room

Day 28 - Ox Demon

Temple 81 Shiromineji
Temple 82 Negoroji walk
Temple 83 Ichinomiyaji hitch

Miles walked: 10.7 (136 floors)

Stayed at: Kirara Onsen

We left our Minshuku late -- it was 8:00 am after all, and climbed up through the woods to Temple 81. Tiny Siberian irises were in bloom, way in advance of the iris bloom in this area. Remarkably, we also walked through the woods to Temple 82. There we saw the wondrous site of morels growing out of cracks in the pavement on a small road. I understand this is not a normal morel habitat. We also visited a Henro hut with free snacks!

View from trail

Temple 82 had a giant statue of the Ox Demon outside. Apparently this monster was eating villagers a few hundred years ago, and a man whose arrows were blessed at the temple succeeded in taking Ox Demon down. The litttle sketch on the signage is very Where the Wild Things Are, don't you think?

It was Laura's birthday, so I promised a western meal at one of the family restaurants known to be located near our hotel. Hmmmm...we finally found Joyfull, but the menu Was unsatisfactory. The next option was Gusto. I think there were visions of pizza and salad here, but we could. To locate. It turned out that the big sign for Gusto was in katakana! After we had given up and bought cold hamburgers at the 7-11, we found the tiny words Gusto at the side of the restaurant.

No worry, though, the hamburgers were not bad.

Day 27 - Coffee at McDonalds

Temple 79: Tennoji walk

Temple 80: Kokubunji walk

Walked: 9.4

Slept at: Ebisu-ya minshuku 

It was a beautiful day and we arrived at Temple 80 a bit early so we went to a local McDonalds to use their free wifi. Their coffee in Japan is good, unlike in the states where the employees don't seem to know how to make coffee. As usual, we drew a small crowd --- children staring, the braver ones saying hello in English. The older folks, of which there are many during the day, asked us where we were from. It seems that America and USA are the best understood responses, with United States drawing a blank.

Temple 80 is lovely, nestled in a forest, but without the usual steep climb up to the grounds. Still having extra time, we sat atop rocks in the lovely temple garden and read. We met a Danish man who found the walk less challenging than anticipated ...a first! His pack was tiny...and he claimed to have a sleeping bag! After this, he is off to Vladivostok to take the trans-Siberian railway home. Hmmm, a good idea for a future trip?

Day 26 - Beginning of the End

Temple 77 Doryuji walk

Temple 78 Goshoji walk

Walked: 9.8 miles

Slept at Utangre Zenkonyado

At Temple 77 we were presented with Ossettai of sticky rice and red beans...it weighed at least a pound...and a drink...another pound! All pilgrims, bus, car, walking received this generous offering. In spite of the extra heavy load and the threat of rain, we managed to get to our destination quite early, so we walked to a Family Mart and sat in front for over an hour using their free internet. Aaah to be 18 again when actually 67! Much of this trip seems to be designed for folks much younger and I'm constantly amazed by others' acceptance of two old-lady backpacker hitchhikers.

Siberian irises

A zenkonyado is cheap or free housing outside of a temple. Our hosts charged 1000 yen ($9.00) for a tatami room, two futons, a shower, breakfast and lunch. The generosity of the folks offering this respite for pilgrims is amazing. The other guest was an Italian pilgrim who was using the place as a base while he walked to temples without his backpack. My favorite line, "I'm Italian, I must have coffee and pastry for breakfast." To be sure, this was not offered at the zenkonyado...he had scoped out every cafe on the island.

Our lovely benefactor

Day 24 - Onwards to Temple 76

Temple 71 Iyadani-ji walk
Temple 72 Mandara-Ji walk
Temple 73 Shusshaka-Ji walk
Temple 74 Koyama-ji walk
Temple 75 Zentsu-ji walk
Temple 76 Konso-ji walk

Miles walked: 14.9

Slept at: Mi Casa SuCasa

A busy day, but this collection of temples are all close together and on flat surfaces. We pushed (for us), knowing we would have an extra day to rest. Our hostel was next to the railroad tracks in a dilapidated collection of buildings. Our room, however, was okay and our hostess, Yo, had lived in San Diego for five years, so she helped us plan several days ahead with accommodations.

Crooked tree

View from our hostel

Day 23 - Traveling with Monks

Temple 62 Hojuji - walk, head assistant monk chat

Temple 63 Kichijoji - walk

Temple 64 Maegamiji - walk

Temple 65 Sankakuji - monks

Temple 66 Unpenji - engineer ride

Temple 67 Daikoji - engineer ride

Temple 70 Motoyamaji - engineer ride

Miles Walked: 7.7

Slept at: Motodai Business Hotel

You haven't lived until you've hitchhiked with a van-load of newly graduated Shingon Buddhist monks on a road trip. Of course we were tired from walking and faced a 45.1 km stretch between temples. The monks, noting our distress, told us to wait "just one hour." We were uncertain if this meant they were going on an errand first, but the four young men began throwing blankets and bags and two half-liter containers on whiskey on the parking lot, preparing to make room. It turns out, two of them squeezed in the back of the car, seatless, while we took the actual seats.

Although English was scarce, we managed to learn the ages of the men (23, 31, 27, 27), where they were being stationed after monk school (I got that one was assigned to Mount Koya), and a bit about the restrictions of monk school. No wives or alcohol allowed, but both are acceptable afterwards. And we connected with them on Facebook.

Once at the Temple, our four monks created quite a scene with the other Henro, who took photos of them, and the. Of us, because we had walked in together.

When it came time to chant the heart sutra in front of the temple, we got confirmation that our monks were the real deal. Their chanting was beautiful and otherworldly, a perfection that could only be gained through years of practice.

After this we still had four temples to visit, most great distances apart. We met an older (our age) Japanese man, also in a van. His van was tricked out as a camper with a butan stove (vented), boxes of small vitamin drinks, cupboards, bags, and so on. We sat on a wooden platform at the back of the van and watched as he expertly maneuvered the serpentine roads up to the top of Unpenji -- one of the tallest mountains.

Laura and I both pegged him as a widowed engineer, perhaps visiting the temples as tribute to his wife. But who knows? No English. At the last temple, we were quite a ways from our hotel and it was late -- temples close at 5:00 pm. It took an hour, but we asked him to take us to temple 70, which he did. Laura thought he was going to a spa (he kept saying --spa), but I'm guessing it was a campground.

Day 25 - Rest

No temples

Walked: 3.6

Slept at: Micasa Sucasa

Day 22 Saiyo

Temple 55 Nankobo - walk

Temple 56 Taiwan-ji- walk

Temple 57 Eifuku-ji - walk

Temple 58 Senyu-ji - hitch

Temple 59 Eyo-kokubun-ji - hitch

Temple 60 Yokomine-ji- hitch

Walked: 6.5 miles

Slept at: Kamatsu Minshuku

View from Temple 60

We are making crazy progress as we tear through Ehime Prefecture as only a hitchhiking Henro can do. We walked to the urban temples in Imabari, but then found a lovely car Henro couple who agreed to let us join them on their temple visits. This took us up to the very high up Temple 60 where we sat quietly in the backseat as the driver executed the hairpin turns.

In spite of all the rides, we were exhausted at 4:30 pm and asked the couple to drop us off on the way to Temple 61 so we could check into our Minshuku.

This Minshuku was lovely. They had just moved to a brand-new facility with lovely tatami rooms and images of all 88 temples displayed on the walls. I was super excited at the dinner, which featured nabe, a dish I'm familiar with through Naoko. Nabe is vegetables and meat cooked at the table in a clay pot filled with broth.

Nabe, yum!

Day 21 - Imabari

Temple 52 Taisan-ji

Temple 53 Enymo-ji

Temple 54 (skipped) Enmei-ji

Miles walked: 9.5

Stayed at: Port Side Hotel

We said goodbye to Matsuyama very late in the day for a Henro -- 10:30 am and walked to Temple 52 and 53. I was exhausted because I had used my rest day to walk 50 to 51 and to Dogo Onsen. our reservation was at Temple 55 and our plan was to walk and then hitch. Wrong. Because we had started so late, we could find no one who was actually traveling the 34.8 kilometers to 54 and we had made a hotel reservation there. An American Henro was with us in the parking lot waiting for a pickup by his minshuku, and he happened to mention the train. Sure enough, we were a few blocks from a train that would take us within a few blocks of temple 55 and our hotel. Hooray!

At the train station, where we somehow failed to make a scene, we were approached by a high school student in business suit who bravely was looking to practice his English. We spoke with him for several minutes as he became more and more nervous about his English skills. We felt so much empathy for this courageous young nerd, but I am convinced he has a very successful future ahead of him.

The train ride was lovely as the tracks skirted the water most of the way and it was a brilliantly sunny day.

Imabari is a lovely waterfront city with a very commerce-driven vibe. The train station was filled with candies, mochi, towels, hats, and so on with the image of the Imabari mascot. Our business hotel was the second we have encountered with a private room internet service....we had to connect a few thingamajigs together to get a signal. It also had a fabulous tile bathtub, which I appreciated.

View of Imabari

Days 19 and 20 - Matsuyama

Temple 45 Iwayaji
Temple 46 Jōruriji
Temple 47 Yasakaji
Temple 48 Sairinji
Temple 49 Jōdoji

Day 20
Temple 50 Hantaji
Temple 51 Ishiteji

Miles walked:
Day 19: 11.7, most with pack
Day 20: 8.6, none with pack

Slept at: APA Hotel

We walked up to Temple 45, which turned out to be hundreds of steps up and around the mountain. Usually the climbing occurs after the temple administrative buildings, meaning we can drop our packs before the climb. Not here! Even bus pilgrims must climb all the way to the top to visit the temples. Once we had paid our respects, the next step was to get a ride the long distance to Matsuyama and Temple 46. This seemed impossible after we waited in the open parking lot in the rain. Of course we made a scene here. I went to a nearby shop to get out from the rain and we somehow enlisted the help of a man who spoke enough English to understand our plan. He then asked some pilgrims coming off the trail,if they were headed to "46." After an hour of this, we looked into taking a bus, and even went to the bus stop where we found out the bus would not arrive for an hour. Back up to continue hitching, at least until the bus was scheduled. Shortly after our re-arrival, we found a lovely couple who unhesitatingly offered to take us. It was over an hour in the car, soaking wet pack on lap, and it was wonderful! 

Once in Matsuyama, there were six temples in a row to visit, technically doable, but it turns out no, we got a late start. After 49, it was time to make a scene by taking a train from near the temple to our hotel. This is where I love my iphone and google maps. There was a train a few blocks from the temple that would take us to the general vicinity of our hotel. We got to the station (though a bit late because I forgot my stick again and had to retrieve it from the temple). The ticket seller helped us buy our tickets from the vending machine. The train was in the station, but across the tracks, so we waddled over where the train barrier banged me on the head as the train left the track. Not to be outdone, Laura climbed under the barrier. The ticket seller ran over to us, not to chide us for unwittingly ignoring safety procedures, but to tell us the next train is in 15 minutes.

Philly Jesus, I know how you feel after leaving the pilgrim trail and riding a train dressed in pilgrim costume.

I am coming to realize that, like the airport, many public transportation officials know enough English to help out ignorant tourists! This is quite a revelation and encourages me to take more public transit.


Matsuyama is lovely and in full bloom. Our hotel rooms look over at the Matsuyama Castle grounds, which are fully in bloom.

We slogged up the hill to the Castle, which was a breeze without our backpacks. The Castle seemed immense as you looked up the thick stone walls. In the Castle, shoes came up and we climbed up steps/ladders to reach the upper chambers. The views were even more incredible.

Pushing aside Japanese children, we dressed up as samurai for a photo op! 

I was determined to visit Temples 50 and 51 and to take a bath at the famous Dogo Onsen -- the oldest onsen in Japan. To do this, I successfully, and without drama, took the train to the Temple and walked the interminable 5 or 6 kilometers to Dogo Onsen. This Onsen does not have a hotel attached, but it seems many ryokans in the vicinity allow access to the onsen because many people on the street were wearing Onsen attire: Yucata (informal kimono), howrie (jacket), and Geta (wooden flip flops).

I entered the onsen, removed my shoes, and went to the counter where I was told to go outside and buy a ticket. There were three options. I ran into an American/Canadian Henro, fluent in Japanese, at the window and he helped me figure out the menu. I ordered a bath with yukata, no towel, and tea in a public room. The lower end option was bath only and the higher included tea in a private room. I was glad to have been to other baths, but still found the instructions, obviously provided using google translate, incomprehensible. I was told to leave my jacket in the big public room, but take everything else to the bath and the return to the bath, and afterwards return in the yukata.

Dogo Onsen

I went downstairs, put my belongings and yukata in a locker, and went into the bath. I was the only westerner in the bath -- not unusual. I sat down on one of the little wooden stools and grabbed a wooden bucket. I had not been given a washcloth, but located one, although I'm not at all sure I was supposed to have one since I hadn't paid extra. The woman next to me, and indeed many of the women, were ancient. She was bent over with age, but had no problem sitting on the tiny stool. She scrubbed and scrubbed, and I scrubbed and scrubbed. I was determined to scrub as long as she did, but failed again, by getting bored after scrubbing every part of my body two or three times. the bath was full --maybe 20 women were enjoying it -- but I found a place to slip in and relax after today's walk. The women sat in small groups, enjoying intimate conversations. I saw one woman, my age r older, sitting on her feet in the washing area while lathering her hair. Ouch! I am amazed at the flexibility earned by living so low to the ground --- tables, beds, bath stools never more than 18 inches from the ground.

After I had soaked away my fatigue, I went back to my locker. After the bath, I was supposed to put on my yukata and then go to the large public room for tea. But wait, if I put the yukata without getting dressed first, I will have to change my clothes in the public room! What to do? I decided in favor of modesty and got dressed (with difficulty no towel) and put the yukata on over my clothes.

I am so glad I was able to visit this ancient bathhouse.

Day 18 - Temples 43 and 44, Onsen

Temple 43 - hitched
Temple 44 - walked

Miles walked: 6.4, all with pack

Slept at: Furuiwaya-so onsen


Thank goodness the rain abated today. We walked back up the hill to 42 to catch a ride to the very far away (and at high elevation)
Temple 43. It took awhile, but we found a nice couple with a fast-driving husband to take us up. From 43, we walked mostly through the woods, to our sleeping location. Thankfully my pack felt much better without the extra items, though with the weather warming up, perhaps I will mourn the loss of my hiking sandals.

Temple 43

The onsen loomed up at us from the woods, right next to a towering volcanic karst -- one of the few buildings recognizable To me as a giant roadside restaurant. Perhaps it was the bus parked outside? At any rate, we went in and claimed our adjoining tatami rooms. In the bath, which was quite large, we attracted the usual attention and a woman even older than us helped Laura get set up.

Karst...view from window of onsen

The actual guests at the onsen were small, although they were set up to serve many more guests. We met an English- and Japanese speaking man from Houston Who was doing the walk on his own, who observed that this is
and is not as clean as it was four years ago and that minshuku owners were dying off, not to be replaced. Such a shame to lose these sometimes charming houses dedicated to bathing and feeding pilgrims.

Dinner at Minshuku/onsen

Day 17 - Ehime Prefecture

40 Kanjizaiji (hitchhike from 39)
41 Ryokoji (hitchhike from 40)
42 Butsumokuji (walk tom 41)
43 Meisekiji (ride from 42)

Miles walked: 6.3

Slept at: Business Hotel Matsutake-ya, Seiyo

This was a long day of hitchhiking across long distances which would have taken days had we walked. We were told Hat it was Buddha's birthday and we think this is why there were flowers decorating each temple and tea served in some.

Flowers and tea at the Main Temple

On our walk between Temple 42 and our hotel, I found a walking stick n the woods. Hurray! The path was a bit steep going downhill and it was raining again.

Temple 40-strange hanging bird

The business hotel opened up special for us -- it evens these hotels are only open 4:00 pm to 9:30 am, after which you are expected to leave the building! He made us remove our wet clothing in the front hallway, yet I was allowed to bring my hiking stick (which normally must be thoroughly cleaned, then left in the lobby) up to the room. Our benefactor, the hotel manager, was a saint. Because all of my things were soaking, I dumped everything out of my pack to enhance drying. Low and behold, I discovered several travel items I thought I had list, including an 8-oz electricity adapter! This inspired me to finally purge all that extra weight in my pack. I asked the hotel manager how I might mail a set of items weighing 3 to 5 lbs to my hotel in Tokyo. He took care of it all, even though it was Sunday and the post office was closed. He also made hotel reservations for the next three nights. What a guy. It is so rare to find an English speaker in this area, I'm afraid we took advantage of him.

My pack, blessedly, is Now manageable. This is what I sent back:

Travel skirt
Sandals
Electricity adapter
T-shirt
Socks
Notebook
Bag of ofuda collected,from other pilgrims

I may regret the loss of skirt/sandals if it gets much hotter, but I can live with that.

Miniature fox temple

Cherry blossoms, Seiyo

Night falls in Seiyo

Day 16 - End of Kochi Prefecture

38 - Kongofuku-Ji
39 - Enko-Ji

Slept at: M. Shima-ya Minshuku

Miles walked: 4.8

We were going to walk to 38, but the rain! It pounded the roof the night before and seemed likely to continue all day, so we took a bus down to the temple, which turned out to be magnificent. I read that this location is a favorite for suicides....at least its victims' last view of the world is pure loveliness. It seems they transported stalagmites and giant sea corals to their rock gardens.

From 38 we hitched a ride -- a long one -- to temple 39. It was early because we had planned on a longer walk, so we dropped our packs off at the Minshuku and walked to the nearest convenience store and to a second-hand store called "Garage Second."

Minshukus are family-run guest houses that also serve meals. I am told by an American pilgrim with a Japanese wife that the difference between a minshuku and ryokan is at the discretion of the owner. Some minshukus have amazing service and others are down on their luck. This minshuku was in that category. There seems to be no correlation between price and quality. Such is the lot of the poor pilgrim, who should never complain.

Days 14 and 15 - Rest

No temples

Miles day 14: 5.8
Miles day 15: <1

We found a sweet two-room guesthouse on Oki Beach to spend a little rest time. We both were suffering from travel fatigue and this was the perfect way to sleep off the tiredness. The place was $25.00 a night each and had a small kitchen. Our host drove us to the grocery store and we got two day's provisions and hunkered down. The guesthouse was right next to a surfer beach and also next to a four-story tsunami escape tower. We read, used the rare wifi service, and microwaved our grocery store meals.

Surfers in wetsuits were there on both the sunny and rainy day. The surfing beach was untouched by developers, with the exception of a hotel high on a bluff. The only land use near the beach is farming...broccoli. No doubt the danger of tsunamis hinders development, although I wonder if that would stop us in the USA. Our east coast beaches are prone to hurricanes, yet they are developed right up to the shoreline. Bottom line, it's so much more pleasant to experience an undeveloped coastline; I wish we had this intelligence in the states.

Surfers