Everyone's Pilgrimage
Our bodies are a gift. We put them through so much yet all they want to do is reward us.
Well rested after our first overnight in a henro hut, my body and this morning seem fresher. Mika, the French pilgrim we met around Temple 5, set up his tent outside next to the toilet. He arrived late last night and didn’t want to disturb anyone sleeping in the hut. How very thoughtful of him. He’s about 20 years younger than us. We thought Mika would be somewhere ahead of us at this point in the pilgrimage, but everyone’s pilgrimage is their own. It keeps no schedule. There are no rules. The three of us walked together for a few hours, catching up. Physically, he has many of the same symptoms as us, painful knees, a couple of blisters and overall soreness. However, this morning my legs seem to carry me with a little less effort.
Walking gives you the opportunity to notice details and to participate. We stopped to watch some workers cutting lumber. The grain in the long thick pieces they were sawing was beautiful. Later we witnessed an old man preparing to sow his rice field. He was driving a machine, which to me, looked like a science experiment. The realization came to me that I didn’t know that I didn’t know how rice was planted. Stopping at a rest stop for lunch, an older lady gave me a 1000 yen bill as o-settai. She didn’t even blink an eye as she opened the coin section of her wallet to discover it was empty. She simply reached for the bill and handed it over with a smile. As she was leaving she gave me a high-five goodbye.
The climb to Temple 20 was as remembered but also newly difficult. Wind and cool air were companions on the steep grade. With it’s subtle power, Shikoku’s spring winds makes me feel my mom. This pilgrimage, like the last, is giving me memories of my mamusia. Memories of me being my mothers daughter. The idea to make a short edit about wind is playing in my mind.
The crooked aqua blue Naka River was our companion most of the way to Temple 21. We left her only for the remaining 1.6 km steep (think stair master on the highest setting) ascent. The final 400 meters felt like a 45 degree angle. Finishing it was expected but the feeling of accomplishment was most rewarding.
Perhaps a cheat (remember there are no rules) we took the Tairyuji Ropeway down the mountain. The effortless journey downward through blue skies and a vivid green carpet of pines was the perfect way to end the walking day. The ropeway dropped us at the doorsteps of Michinoyado Sowaka, a hotel/onsen (Japanese bath). Tonight would be our first time overnighting in this type of lodging. Every onsen is different. Some provide all the toiletries, towels, etc., while others except you to bring your own. Tonight the assumption was made that everything would be provided. Needless to say, clothes were used as towels this evening. Some day the total onsen combination will be set to memory, but not tonight.
We kept following an an older male Japanese pilgrim today. Our timing was the same and we saw him at all the temples. He seemed standoffish. I wonder about his story.
We settle in for sleep, our bodies wrapped into Yukatas (Japanese sleepwear), celebrating the day and the rewards our bodies gave us.
April 15, 2016 - Temples 20 & 21
