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.
And you're walking in sneakers?
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