A Week at a Guesthouse of Another Color

After realizing that my time walking the pilgrimage had come to a close, I was at a loss for what to do next. Going back immediately to Matsuyama and Sen seemed too quick, especially because I still hadn’t accepted that the ohenro and I were done for now.

Out of the blue and extremely generously on her part, my new friend Masayo offered to let me stay a week at her guesthouse as a volunteer staff. I didn’t have to think long before saying yes, and proceeded to have an excellent week with Masayo and her friends.

Ishikawa-san and I got to be good friends, I even went to her shop in Takamatsu with her to work for a day!

Tayasu-san gave me an awesome haircut and photographed his work for his blog.

Masayo and I did a touch of woodworking to put new tatami mats into her guesthouse’s private room.

Masayo’s friend, Masada-san, came over one day to teach me a bit about shodo, Japanese calligraphy.

And together, they chose my kanji name, the top one means beans and the bottom means Asian pear, both things I love, of course!

I got to be on friendly terms with an elderly couple who run the shop next to Masayo’s guesthouse. I bought onigiri (rice balls) there everyday and decided they are the best in Japan.

During my week stay we had a pizza night and a taco night with her friends.

Ishikawa-san’s birthday was coming up, so Masayo bought a cake and we all sang to her and then devoured it!

I’ve fallen in love with the still-living bean sprouts sold in the grocery store here. If you cut them off and put the bottom back in water, they grow back several times, like a garden in your kitchen!

I came back to Sen about a week ago, and had an excellent welcome-back dinner with Matt, Nori and some European guests.

My first takoyaki (fried octopus dough balls…) party!

Trust me, they’re a lot tastier than it sounds 🙂

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For Now, the End

I didn’t foresee the end of my walk, I guess in the way we never can anticipate injury and the unexpected.

On my second to last day walking, I spent the night at the best zenkonyado (free or very cheap accommodation for pilgrims).

It was actually the home of an amazingly kind couple.Over the years Noriko-san and Munenori-san have hosted hundreds of pilgrims from all over the world. They offer bedrooms in their own home, and Noriko-san prepared the best breakfast I have ever had, ready at 5:30am for us to get an early start.

Japanese breakfasts are the best!

About mid-day through the day before, I suddenly felt a gnawing pain in my left heel. At first I thought I must have just pulled a muscle, but it never got better and actually proceeded to hurt more and more as the day wore on.

The view from the Goshikidai, a plateau where temples 81 and 82 are found.

Even though I probably should have stopped walking immediately, I was stubborn and packed in a 25km day climbing a pretty high elevation the next day.

An ohenro-san that I’d run into several times before was taking a break at the top of this steep climb. We walked several hours together after this.

Even though my foot was hurting quite a bit the whole day, I still managed to have a good time and really enjoyed the views from this stretch. Little did I know it would be my last day on the pilgrimage.

The temple bell at #81. It’s common for temple visitors to ring the bell upon entering the temple grounds.

Temple 81 was one of my favorites.

A rest break at #81 to eat a rice ball that Noriko-san packed for me that morning!

I came across this man constructing an awesome rest shelter for pilgrims! There was already a notebook so I got to be the first write-up for the new rest hut!

Coming down from #82 to Ichinomiyaji.

Fortunately for me, I was recommended to stay at a small guesthouse in Takamatsu, near temple 83, the owners of which know Matt and Nori.

Emi-san and Yutaka-san owners of the cutest guesthouse in Takamatsu!

I ended up spending two nights in Takamatsu at Chottoco-ma guesthouse, trying to decide what to do.

In the end, there wasn’t really much to decide, as walking on my hurt foot was really painful.

Now with a little distance from the disappointment that I felt at the end of my days walking, I’m actually glad that I stopped when I did. I now feel tied to this island and to the pilgrimage, and I have little doubt that I will return one day and finish.

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October Typhoons

Those of you who were following Japanese weather during my days walking know that there was a typhoon in the area my second week.

The biggest of the season came the following week and my already-worried mind did not have fun evading the storms.

Fortunately my ohenro network (Thanks Rachel/Matt/Nori!) recommended the coolest (only) guesthouse in Konzoji and I ended up having an awesome time with the owner and her friends.

A quick rest hut break while power-walking from an advancing typhoon!

The view from temple 77, or thereabouts.

Some ohenro-san buying gingersnap-like cookies at a traditional shop near Zentsuji, temple 75.

Buying freshly made mochi (rice and sweet bean sweets) near temple 78.

My first udon, in the prefecture (Kagawa) where they originated. I made friends with Kazu, a motorcycle henro-san, and we grabbed an udon lunch together after temple 79.

Fall at temple 80, Kokubunji, another personal favorite of mine.

Hiru-san was an awesome henro-san that I ran into several times around temple 80. We had a nice conversation somehow with my broken Japanese, one of many along the route.

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Unpenji, Temple #66

When I was about 16, I remember going on the first hike that I actually enjoyed. Up til that point, it had always been my mom dragging me along, usually with a fair bit of complaining on the trail as well.

Since then though, I have loved hiking with a passion. When asked to list my favorite place in the world, usually I can’t think of anywhere I love more than the Smoky Mountains, atop Mount LeConte at sunrise.

The stretch of hiking up to temple 66 was a great hike and actually the first time I did any real backpacking. Which is exactly what I was thinking as I lugged my 6kg pack up to the highest temple of the 88, at 927m.

I got to the top, after several hours of really steep incline, around 1pm to find that the whole mountain was enveloped in clouds.

I didn’t pass a single other person during my ascent and the fog and stillness of the forest was both atmospheric and creepy.

Unpenji had a tsuyado, free pilgrim accommodation at the temple itself, so I quickly settled in and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the temple grounds.

One of 500 statues of enlightened beings situated around the temple. This one has my stepmom Carolyn’s eyebrows exactly!

I was the only pilgrim staying at the top that night and to say I was a little unnerved up there all alone wouldn’t be far from the truth. There was no electricity in the tsuyado, so after about 6pm when the sun set, it was me and my headlight and an early bedtime by 8pm.

The clouds and fog burned off by sunset and gave me quite a show!

Even though it wasn’t the best night’s sleep of my walk, I loved being at the temple after all the tourists and other pilgrims had gone home. The ropeway cable car up closed at 5pm and after that, it really felt like I had the temple all to myself.

I felt very honored to be having the experience, definitely not one that I ever imagined was possible for myself in this lifetime!

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A Night in the Mountains

After about a week of walking, I did realize that I wasn’t approaching the idea of the thing in a way that I really liked. Most days I was comparing myself constantly to other walking pilgrims (most of whom had started at temple 1 weeks before me) and telling myself that I should be walking more kilometers and faster than I was.

At the same time I was also really aware that my favorite parts of walking were when I was not rushing. When I stopped to talk to people along the way or took a break at a place that seemed friendly or inviting. I loved spending silent, still time at each temple instead of rushing through and going on to the next.

With all this in mind, I tried to start planning my days to be more relaxed and less pressure-filled. Definitely easier said than done.

The first signs of fall at temple 65 Sankakuji.

Two monks at temple 65 who sign notebooks for pilgrims. The one on the right was very helpful in directing me to a good place to spend the night.

In climbing to temple 66, Unpenji, I decided to go slowly and break up the ascent over two days. Somehow I chanced upon finding a great zenkonyado (free place for pilgrims to sleep) exactly where I needed it to be!

As you can see here, there was a raised tatami bed, plus a mini-fridge with food and drinks inside, a table and chairs and a stuffed mannequin to keep me company!

I was all settled in by 4pm or so and writing letters on the table, when a friendly older man I had seen tending to a rice field close-by came up to have a chat.

Not an hour later I was sitting in his living room playing with his grandson, Tairi, while his daughter, Akemi, cooked up an amazing meal for supper!

Somehow I was lucky enough to get to have a hot shower, sleep in their very comfortable guest bedroom, and have the pleasure of their company that evening and the next morning.

Yano-san builds houses and actually built the one where he and his family now live. It was a beautiful home and I sincerely enjoyed talking to him about all kinds of things, including the pilgrimage. He had completed about half of it and had some suggestions for me about the road ahead.

He also fixed breakfast for me the next morning and gave me my first taste of black garlic, which was amazing! Upon heading out, I felt like I had truly made new friends and I also feel like I will one day see them all again.

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A Ferry Friend

I was inspired by the ohenro pilgrimage in so many ways, but more than anything I was inspired by the continual generosity of people I had only just met.

The support, friendliness and osettai were never-ending and really surprising in the different ways that they came about. One of my most memorable happened when I walked into a small family-run market along the ohenro route to buy some lunch supplies. Upon seeing my outfit and hat, the older woman at the counter added a bottle of tea and a pastry to what I was purchasing, and after a few minutes conversation gave me 500yen as well, more than repaying what I’d spent for an apple and salad.

I gave her my name slip, which she immediately added to her wall of name slips that had accumulated over the years. The colored name slips indicate that a person has walked the ohenro multiple times.

From my trip to Korea earlier in September I had met an older man (and serious road biker) who had told me to contact him once I reached the section of route where he lived with his wife. Chan and Kaka, as I was told to call them, went above and beyond what I saw as the norm for osettai.

Not only did they pick me up in their car and bring me back to their house, they also fed me incredible meals and introduced me to Japanese calligraphy for the first time ever!

Chan even chased me down the next day on his motor bike to give me something I’d forgotten at their house. I was really just astounded by the degree to which this couple took me in so selflessly and really felt inspired to be more giving and generous in my daily life in whatever way I can in the future.

A blister check at a park playground, around day 7.

In Japan flowers even grow out of the cracks in rock walls!

One of my favorite temple rituals is the hand-washing that is done upon entering the temple grounds.

This set of convenience stores was how I got internet on my brother’s loaned iPod. To say I am a dedicated fan of Family Mart is putting it lightly!

So many rice fields, so many mountains.

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#60 Yokomineji

Checking in on my toes, which I did at least a dozen times a day in a constant preemptive hunt against blisters.

My first official mountain was Yokomineji, which I tackled somewhere around my 5th day on the pilgrimage. By then my feet were somewhat getting used to the 25 or so kilometers of use everyday and my shoulders weren’t so upset about the weight of my pack anymore.

It was a beautiful climb and I had a great weather day for it.

A perch and a snack at temple 60.

From my first few days of walking, I found that I loved spending time at the temples. Some more than others of course, but each day I tried my hardest to sit for at least 30 minutes at each one and just observe what goes on at these places. What kinds of pilgrims come through, what they do and in what pattern, Yokomineji was one of my favorites because the atmosphere and even air was so refreshing and calm.

So many things on this pilgrimage were lost on me (like the meaning of these red wooden gates), and I am determined to return to the walk at some point in my future with much better Japanese!

Some parts of the route are exceedingly well-marked, like this one with at least a dozen markers telling me to go this way!

I walked down from temple 60 following an older pilgrim named Ueda-san (you can see his white clothes vaguely in the distance above). We spent some time talking and passed one another at several different points over the next few days.

I really do love Japan. It can be such a pretty country.

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To a Ryokan in Komatsu

Because I had never done anything longer than a day hike before, I left for the pilgrimage not knowing whether I would even like walking all-day, everyday.

It turns out that I do, especially when there are so many new things to discover and people to meet along the way.

One of my favorite rest huts that faced a small garden and shrine. I found this place after a particularly hot and exhausting morning and it felt like a dream come true.

The pilgrimage route in Shikoku is, for the most part, really well-marked. I found that the only times I got off the path somehow were when I stopped paying attention. Also I can not say enough about the incredible rest huts along the path and supportive people who live near the route as well. Without fail, each time that I felt overly exhausted or noticed negative thoughts creeping into my mind, I would meet someone who, with their conversation or even just a smile or cheerful ‘Good morning’, made me so grateful to be walking the ohenro.

Part of the tradition of walking the pilgrimage is keeping small slips of paper with one’s name, age, and a reason/wish for walking. When passers-by give o-settai, you give a name slip back to them in thanks. Above you see one of mine that I left for the keeper of this rest hut.

Another tradition of the pilgrimage is to never let your stick hit the ground when crossing a bridge. I got into the habit of this so much that even now I feel like I should be doing something that I’m not when I cross a bridge, two weeks later.

In Komatsu, I stayed in a small Japanese inn, called a ryokan. The inn catered almost exclusively to pilgrims and had the facilities we needed most, a coin washing machine and excellent food!

The night I stayed there were three other pilgrims, all of whom were walking and had started at temple 1. Even with my limited Japanese and their limited English, we still found a way to talk for a few hours over dinner.

For the most part the other walking pilgrims I met and saw were retired men. The man second from the left was 71 and was on his seventh time walking the pilgrimage!

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To Imabari and Temple 59

I was quick to discover what my favorite part of being a walking pilgrim is…the people.

By wearing any piece of the pilgrim uniform, it becomes quite easy to enter into conversation (even with rudimentary Japanese!) with anyone and everyone.

I peaked my head in to this nursing home to ask if I could sit and rest for a minute on the bench outside their door. For the next half hour I took pictures with the residents and was treated to tea, oranges and chocolates. Definitely way more than I had bargained for.

Temple 54, Enmeiji was a favorite of mine, maybe because it took all day to walk there.

If you look closely you’ll see my tent amid those trees. The nice monk at temple 56, let me sleep on the temple grounds for a night.

Somewhere in Imabari, I ran into this group of retirees who meet every single morning to play a croquet-type game. They had a nice spread of breakfast and tea and gave me a hard-boiled egg, my favorite!

Shelters like this one can be found everywhere along the pilgrimage route. They have been built by locals to give pilgrims a place to rest, or even spend the night if need be. I always had fun reading through the notebooks inside and learning about the other foreigners who had walked the same steps as I was.

I met Kensuke when he spent the night at temple 56 the same night I did. We walked together a bit and met up at temple 57, which was a personal favorite of mine.

The rice harvest was just getting underway as I started walking. Everywhere I went you could smell rice in the air, ready to be cut.

And here’s the man himself, Kobo Daishi, whose statue graced pretty much every temple site. This one at temple Senyuji was especially pretty. I came to rely on these statues and found it comforting to see them everywhere.

I ended up camping a fair bit, my third night was spent at the park on the other side of this bridge. I counted myself very lucky to have had a port-a-potty and water spout close-by!

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Leaving Matsuyama on Foot

As I’ve already mentioned, I was petrified to start this pilgrimage.

I think I say this not to dwell on an established fact, but more to highlight how just walking out the front door of Sen on my own on September 25th at 7:15am was an accomplishment in itself.

The first day I planned to walk 27 km, a little under 17 miles, to an island where Matt and Nori said I could camp. In retrospect, I can see that walking that far consistently right from the beginning was not the best way to start out, but I powered through.

These are from my first day.

The first shot of the trip, a bit foggy because my camera was right next to a frozen rice ball I’d brought with me for lunch!

That first day I learned so much, how to properly wear my hat, to wear leggings so the backs of my legs wouldn’t get sunburnt, and that I really would be okay.

My first temple was #52, on the other side of Matsuyama, Taisanji.

I met this nice man from Kobe at my first temple and together we walked a short 4km to #53. He was returning home that day, but before he left, he treated me to a fish tempura lunch nearby and bought me mochi. Some of the first o-settai I received on my walk.

Here’s a link to o-settai.

My first glimpse of the sea as I walked.

I arrived to my destination that day around 3pm, exhausted and sweaty, and got my first car o-settai when a guy filling up at a gas station offered to drive me to the onsen, after I asked him for directions.

After a two-minute ferry ride to Hojo-no-Kashima, I set about looking for a spot to camp.

A rainbow graced my first evening as an o-henro.

That night I ended up sleeping in the office of the ferry driver because of the intense wind that picked up toward sunset. He and I somehow transcended the language barrier and had a great evening talking about the pilgrimage and drinking tea.

The island was overrun by deer as well, in a cute, but kind of creepy way.

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