I know that day's gonna be long so I better start walking. It's some kilometers until temple no. 10, which is located on a hill. What is even worse is that also when you're within the temple, you have to climb up some stairs, and with "some" I mean 333 steps. But still, or maybe because of that, it really is a very nice temple.
Temple no. 11 was located on the other side of the river's valley, so I knew the way between the temples would get longer; but the path between 2 rivers, flanked by vegetables fields, seemed endless.
In Tokyo, every 50m or so you can find a convenient store what might be a bit too much. Here I really wanted to find one, and even though I was also passing through cities it seemed like there invention of convenient stores hasn't made it to Shikoku yet. Finally, around 10, desperately wanting a coffee and some bakery-stuff, I arrived at a vending machine area (maybe 10 vending machines lined up) so I at least got a coffee and also I found a vending machine that sold chocolate filled bread. Better than nothing.
This day was harder than I expected, my shoulders were already hurting due to my quite heavy backpack and somehow I seemed not to get ahead. My telephone rang - the friend of the yakinikuya-san's owner I met the evening before. He asked me where I was and that he has free time so he wants to accompany me for the next temples. I told him "on route no.55 where the vending machines are" what seemed to be enough, so he showed up with his wife and his car. Wait a minute, car? That wasn't the plan, was it? I wanted to... on the other had, if your on the pilgrimage, it is considered bad manner to turn down something that people offered you, so I had my excuse for taking the car to the next temple. ;)
Temple no. 11 was in the mountains, half way up to temple no. 12 which is really a climb. Even from the car it looked steep and exhausting, and the way between the temples stretched further and further: 10km from no. 10 to no. 11, 13km to temple no. 12 (of which 13km where upwards) and 22km to temple no 13.
Even though I really planned to walk all that by foot, I appreciated the drive. Temple no. 14, 15, 16 and 17 were close, so here I would have liked to walk more than being driven. The impression that you get when you reach a temple is so much different when you walk to it or drive to it. Even know, I sill remember every temple I walked to very well but I really have to think about how the temples I was driven too looked like.
At temple no. 17, we separated and I was on my one again. Actually not for long because Klaus found me and, happy to meet another foreigner, began to chat about his travel, buddhism, temples in Japan in general etc. etc. How could he know that I have had company nearly all the day and I would prefer some solitude? Well, I didn't want to be rude and I had time, so finally I also told him the latest Bundesliga (German soccer league) results before he went on, leaving me to a really nice quite temple that invited me to spend some time there, having a small snack, completing my notes and so on.
Temple no. 11
Temple no. 12 - really a climb
Temple no. 14, nice flooring!
Temple no. 15
Temple no. 17 - last for the day!
did you remember the car?
Strange citrus fruit I received as a present at temple 11 - very sweet and tasteful!
I had to cross the city of Tokushima, which wasn't the best hiking part of the trip. Having left the city, continue walking along the route no.55 wasn't really better. Also it was quite late and I was looking for a place to sleep...
Of course, along the street, there were a lot of shops, Pachinco parlors, convention centers and so on. On the left (south) side of the street there were also residential houses, on the right side there were - once again - rice fields. But on the right side there was also something lightened up, on a small hill... curious as I am, I asked the next person I met on the street, and he explained not only that it was a statue of Yoshitsune (who's buddy Benkei had lifted the stone in temple no. 3), he also asked me where I was going, where I was going to sleep and gave me some hints where to find a good place. So I turned into a small path leading towards the statue, stopping to take pictures. The guy who I had asked before must have seen that I was stopping, so he turned, followed me on the path just to make sure that I know where to go... thanks a lot, I appreciate that kindness a lot even though this time it wouldn't have been necessary! :)
I found a nice place in a shrine next to the statue, perfect view and all by myself...
No comments:
Post a Comment