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.
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.
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