Day 10 -- Shokubō part deux

Total distance: ~25 km (it’s hard to look up these things without a good internet connection)

Today I planned on staying at a place only about 20 km away. I estimated it to be a bit more because I can’t make Google Maps plot paths that use walking routes, like the one I took to get to 24. I made it a bit of a short day because 1) there was some mountain walking and that always slows me down, and 2) there wasn’t anywhere suitable to stay after the one I booked.

I had a request for a self-portrait wearing my sedge hat

But I managed to arrive at the place I booked at about noon. This would not do. Luckily I was walking with a dude at the time who reminded me that temple 26 offered something called shukubō, a ryokan-like experience offered by the temple itself. I had forgotten to even check (most of the temples don’t offer this, or offer so few rooms that they’re always booked), but luckily by noon today they hadn’t rented out all their rooms. I booked a room and canceled my other reservation (sorry Fuji Business Hotel!).

Today I had a walking buddy! I don’t want to make a habit of it—I actually greatly prefer being alone with my thoughts while I walk—but it was a nice change for the day. He was about 10 years younger than me, and was going pretty quick in order to be done with the entire pilgrimage by the time college entrance ceremony takes place in mid-May.

Anyway, I walked a lot and my feet don’t feel nearly as bad as I expected them to! I think I’m finally getting used to all this physical activity. Finally.

Temple 24 最御崎寺 Hotumisakiji  (14.2 km)

Mikuradō

Actually, before I got to #24, there was a little cave area called Mikuradō (御厨窟) where, apparently, Kūkai (the central figure credited with founding the Shikoku pilgrimage) came to study Buddhism for a year. It’s actually a really interesting-looking place.

Anyway, the mountain road leading up to 24 wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought. I mean there were stairs stretching up further than I could see, but only one set of them! That’s an improvement!

Temple 25 津照寺 Shinshōji  (5.? km)

There was, luckily, a convenience store on the way, so I stocked up on foodstuffs. Interestingly, it was a Yamazaki, which is a convenience store I had never shopped in before but had always wanted to. There aren’t any where I lived in Aichi. So that was a nice first.

Temple 26 金剛頂寺 Kongōchōji (5.? km)

Excellent view of the city after #24

There was quite a climb to this one. It was certainly a harder climb than the one to #24, but that may just be due to the fact that it was near the end of a day of walking. Even though I extended my walk I still ended up arriving before 3PM, so I kinda just chilled out (literally—it’s cold outside!!) until someone was around.

Also, I met a German guy who is now staying next door. Neat. I think I’m going to be going a lot further than him tomorrow though.

Speaking of tomorrow, I’m not sure what I want to do. I can definitely make it to #27, but there’s no shukubō, and to get back to any kind of main road (i.e. the one that leads to #28 and has all the lodging places on it) you have to backtrack pretty heavily. First of all, that’s a bunch of extra mountain walking, and secondly, it’s pretty boring to walk the same road twice. However, there’s a walking path (entirely mountainous) that is about 2 km longer that I can use to cut a sorta diagonal line to #27, and then take the main path back down to the place I’ve reserved. Maybe I’ll do that.