Swashbuckling
You know when you read a map and the destination seems closer than it really is, but it’s still not close at all? This is where our map reading skills seemed to be today. Yup, bring on todays fun mantra, “It’s just around the bend”, or not.
Finishing Temple 23 means leaving Tokushima, one of the four prefectures of Shikoku. It also means that we won’t see another temple for 76 kilometers. That’s the 3 walking days. It will be awhile before Temple 24 is “just around the bend”.
Shortly after crossing the Hiwasa town border this morning we broke off busy Route 55 to follow the less traveled nature path. We stayed on it most of the day, hardly seeing another car or person. The curvy road hugged the seashore. It took us through lush green mountains. At one point a small landslide closed the path. We had three options: go back, go around, or go through the blockage. Navigating our way around the slippery mud and rocks felt a bit swashbuckling.
Unlike yesterday mornings torrent of rain, today we were accompanied by friendly showers, wet but nice to you. Some temples back, our fellow Pilgrim Ruth had passed along a Swedish saying to us “There is no bad weather, only bad clothing”. Today our clothing and weather were both good.
Matt’s enthusiasm and desire to take the long way is not always easy. Still, it is appreciated. The decision to take our first extended nature trail through Mugi town added hours to our walking, but it left a big impression on both of us.
On most days lunch involves picking up food in the morning at either a grocery or convenience store located along the path. Lawson’s being a favorite. Carrying our food adds weight to the packs, but it allows us to stop wherever we like. Henro huts, park benches, and seaside walls have all become picnic areas. Getting out of the rain, today we ate our onigiri (rice balls) under the eve of a local shrine.
Camping was on the agenda for this evening. However, with mild rain still coming down late afternoon, we tentatively reserved a room at a minshuku, just in case. A few hours later the sky opened up. Camping was certainly out of the question now. Our path had been set.
Our lodging, Uchizuma-so, is on a small bay with a sandy beach. The outside appearance is shabby and the inside possesses a run-down charm. Holes in the shojis-door, mismatched cushions and towels, and carpet of various patterns all welcomed us. Regardless, the food was plentiful and the family hosting us kind. Our Japanese style room on the second floor overlooked the water.
A perk of staying in Japanese style lodging is the Ofuro, (bath). Ofuros differ from onsens whose waters come from natural hot springs. Although the facilities tend to be similar, Ofuros use ordinary hot water. With it’s teal walls and out of date bath tub, the ofuru at Uchizuma-so carried a similar vibe as the rest of the property. As a 5 foot 11 inch pilgrim, fitting into a standard Japanese bathtub took some maneuvering. Sitting sideways in the luke warm water for a long time my muscles started to relax. I began to reminisce about the last few weeks, the beauty of the scenery, meeting other pilgrims, and the kindness of others. This pilgrimage is where everyone can fit in. There are no outsiders on the 88 Temples of Shikoku.
