No Matter The Order
Things were all backwards.
Yesterdays train ride into Imabari City passed Temple 54 (Emmei-ji), but we needed go the opposite direction to reach our first temple. All the makers on the path would be behind us. In certain years, it is considered good luck to walk the entire 88 Temple route gyaku-uchi, or in the reverse order.
It’s definitely harder and we are definitely intrigued.
The grounds at Temple 54 were under construction. After visiting the Main and Daishi halls we would need to visit the makeshift office to get our book stamped. The cluttered temporary trailer all but swallowed up the older lady giving stamps. Her patterned, brightly colored jacket camouflaged her in her chaotic surrounding. Although her physical appearance seemed fragile, her calligraphy in Matt’s book was focused and solid as a rock. Beautiful work.
Typically the stamp office personal are not very talkative. They perform their duties efficiently and move from pilgrim to pilgrim. That’s why we were so surprised when the stamp person at Temple 55 (Nankōbō) kept talking to us for several minutes. A few blocks from the main gate of the temple a car hastily pulls up next to us. At first we thought it might someone offering us o-settai. It was not. A middle-aged, gray-haired, slightly annoyed, man gets out of his car, walks up to us, flips out a wallet and presents it to us.
It was Matt’s wallet!
He must have left it behind at the office after paying for our stamps. We were both so shocked we didn’t have time to express how truly grateful we were to the man. As fast as he pulled up to us, he drove away faster.
Still dumbfounded by the forgotten billfold incident we walked to the train station for breakfast at a bakery. Just making the 11am cut-off for the morning special of the sweetest, gooiest, warmest fresh breads, was our luck. Our window seat allowed us front row view of the square.
The energy of a train station is infectious. People coming, going, meeting others. This particular small town station had a family atmosphere. Flower vendors, people on bikes stopping to talk to neighbors, walking dogs, groups of children in school uniforms cluttering together and giggling. Busy but familiar.
Fueled by carbs we took on the remaining day’s temples. However, we misjudged the distance to Temple 59 (Kokubun-ji). It was not 0.6 kilometres away as we thought, but it 2.5. Convinced the book, not us, was wrong we walked the extra kilometres indignant.
From mountains to the seaside our final six kilometres would lead us to our camping site for the evening. We could have taken a shorter route but opted to have the Seto Sea as our companion instead of heavy traffic.
The last two kilometres were extremely difficult for me. Matt ran ahead to confirm the location was indeed the camping area. It was, but we would have to walk along the sea wall to get to it. Balancing with the extra weight of dinner and breakfast supplies did not inspire confidence. Walking along side the wall was more my tempo. The final stretch would require climbing the wall. It was tearful. Our eyes watering in laughter as I tried to haul myself over.
We set up camp next to the sea and watched the sun go down. A hard but rewarding day.
I long to do it again, no matter the order.
May 11, 2016 - Temples 54-59
