Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 53

A lot of jumping around these past 2 days. Yesterday: 70 through 75. Today: 78, 77, 76, 79, 81, and 82, in that order. 80 will come tomorrow.

The strange order is due to these odd things called mountains. They are sometimes in the way.

昨日と今日はばらばら参りでした。昨日は順番で第70～75番でした。今日は第78、77、76、79、81、82番でした、その通りで。第80番は明日に行きます。

ばらばらの理由は、山というおかしいことがあるからです。時々めんどくさいです。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 51

Temple 66 looks scary but it was actually not that hard. Walking to temples 67-69 was actually much harder for me, due to the heat and asphalt. Not to mention finding the place I am staying for the night. It's a free room with air conditioning, a fridge, and a whole kitchen. But super hard to find!

第66番は大変だと思っていましたが、あまり大変じゃなかったです。第67～69番の方が難しかったです、暑いアスファルトなので。泊まるところを探すのも難しかったです。「善根宿」という無料な部屋で、エイコンと冷蔵庫とキッチンもあります。でもめっちゃ探しにくかったですよ。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 50

I took a couple rest days due to soreness but I'm doing better now. Taking a lunch break at Sankakuji, the Triangle Temple! Eating triangular rice balls and doing triangular stuff.

足がいたかったので２日間休みましたが、今ましです。三角寺でお昼ごはんを食べています。三角形のおにぎりを食べたり、三角なことをしています。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 47

Temple 60 (more specifically the mountain it sits on) is a beast. Luckily my spirit animal is Pikachu and he gave me the strength to take it down.

After that, Temples 61 through 64 were a breeze. Still a long day, but not too shabby.

第60番にある山は大変でした。でも、神のピカチュウは助けてくれました。

そのあとの第61～64番はらくでした。今日は長かったけど大丈夫でした。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 46

I joined the morning prayers today at Temple 58. The priest got to practice his English to prepare for his "explaining Buddhism in English" exam, which is a real thing! Then downhill to Temple 57 (backtrack), and back up the hill to 58. Forward once more to 59, and spending the night close to the mountain that leads to 60.

Good news, everyone! I'm more than 3/4 done with the trip, including the return to Temple 1.

今日は第58番で朝の祈りを見に行きました。坊さんは「英語で仏教を説明試験」のために英語を練習しなした。本当の試験ですよ。そのあと下り坂で第57番に行って、もう一度第58番に戻りました。続けて第59番に行って、第60番までの山の下の隣に泊まります。

皆さん、いいニュースです！お遍路は4文の3過ぎました。(第1番に戻る含)

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 45

Temples 54, 55, and 56. Planned to stay at 56, but it was full. So one taxi ride later, I'm in a bomb shelter (or so it seems) at temple 58. Free room and free bath, from the top of a mountain!

第54と55と56番に行きました。第56番に泊まろうと思っていましたがいっぱいでした。タクシーに乗って、第58番の中で防空壕みたいなところに泊まります。お部屋もお風呂も無理で、山の上でも！

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 44

Only two temples today, 52 and 53. But a lot of walking after that, to Asanami station. Went back to stay in Matsuyama after a great Indian dinner!

今日はお寺を２つだけに行きました、第52と53番。でもその後だいぶ歩いて、あさなみ駅まで到着しました。松山へ帰って、おいしいインドの晩ごはんを食べました！

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 43

Another short but hot day, covering temples 48 through 51. Staying in a free room, yet again, at number 51.

This is a special temple for me because it was the first temple on the Shikoku Pilgrimage that I visited. For New Year's 2011, I visited Matsuyama to see Dogo Onsen, and learned about the pilgrimage then. I don't think I imagined back then I would be back doing it for real!

今日は短くて暑いの日でした。第48～51番に行きました。第51番でもう一度通夜堂に泊まります。

ここははじめて行った四国へんろの寺ですので、特別です。2011年のお正月に道後温泉を見に松山へ来て、88八ヶ所について習いました。その時に本当にへんろすることを思っていなかったです。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 42

A little bit of uphill in the morning, then a lot of downhill to temples 46 and 47. Staying in a free room at 47!

朝はちょっと登り坂で、たくさん下り坂で第46と47番。第47番で通夜堂に泊まります。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 41

I took the bus into Kumakogen, then had a relatively easy couple of days. Temple 44 in a forest, and then Temple 45 built right into a cliff wall! Stayed 2 nights here.

バスで久万高原に行って、楽な２日でした。森のなかの第44番に行って、崖のなかの第45番に行きました。ここで２泊でした。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 39

4 buses and 2 trains later, I am in Ozu City, with Temples 40 - 43 done. It was a logistical nightmare, but what a way to cover 100km!

バス4本と列車2本に乗って、大洲市に来ました。第40～43番のお寺にも行きました。行き方は分かりにくかったけど、楽に100キロ通りました！

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 38

I walked into Kochi 3 weeks ago, and I'll be damned if I wasn't walking out of it. It took a few days rest and a lot of backtracking, but I managed to go over the whole prefecture on foot.

I'm skipping ahead through some long sections of Ehime that have no temples. Since my feet are doing better, I could probably walk the rest of the way, but there's no time to finish. So this will not be an all-walking pilgrimage.

Today was also Temple 39. With the end of Kochi, it also means I'm halfway done!

3週間前には高知県に歩いて入りましたから、歩いて出ないとダメと思っていました。何日間に休んだり、後戻りしたりしましたから、高知県をずっと歩きました。

愛媛県では長い寺がない部分をパスします。足は大丈夫になりましたから、たぶん最後まで歩けますけど、時間がありません。今回は歩くだけのへんろじゃありません。

今日第39番にも行きました。高知県が終わったから、今半分です！

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 37

It's weird. I've been on the road for over a month. When your body has problems, the whole world sucks. When those problems go away, the world is 95% okay. Nearby civilization takes care of the rest. You don't have to ask questions like, "do I really need this junk?" If it helps you walk, you need it. If it doesn't, you don't.

I'm looking forward to hitting a few milestones tomorrow.

おかしいです。お遍路道で１ヶ月以上いています。体は困ったこと時に、世界は悪いです。困ったことがよくなると、世界は95%大丈夫です。人文が近ければ全部オッケーです。「このやつを本当にいるか？」のような質問はありません。もし歩くのが楽になったら、いります。他はいりません。

明日いろんなマイルストーンをすることを楽しみにしています。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 36

I got back to walking yesterday! My blisters seem to be all done blistering, and are just calluses now. Back to temple walking today.

昨日から歩いて続きます。マメは終わってるみたいで、タコになりました。今日からお寺に回ります。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 35

More rest for my blisters today.

今日もマメが直るために休憩します。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 34

I farted around a lot yesterday, then took a bus to Sukumo. No temples, just a lot of rain.

昨日のんびりして、バスで宿毛へ行きました。お寺なくて雨がすごくふりました。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 33

Yesterday I walked without my pack down to Temple 38 at Cape Ashizuri. Ashizuri actually means to drag your feet, which is probably appropriate. :p

The way down was pretty easy, but the foot dragging really started about halfway up the cape on the way back. Stopped at a grocery store and got some dinner (plus cheese and California wine), then took the bus the rest of the way.

昨日荷物なしで足摺岬の第38番へ歩きました。足摺の意味がわかりますか？面白いですね。

行ったのは楽でしたが、帰りの途中で本当にアシズリしてきました。スーパーで晩ごはんとチーズとカリフォルニアのワインを買って、バスで帰りました。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 32

I have broken my streak of walking every step of the henro. I was having serious doubts that I would even finish on this trip. I was thinking I'd stop and just finish the circuit another year.

My body was worn out from the blister pain. They seemed to be multiplying like rabbits. I was feeling defeated, and I went into a roadside cafe for some drinks while I waited for the bus to take me the rest of the way to my inn tonight.

My thinking was, I can't walk any more today. But even after my blisters heal again, the process won't end. I should just quit this trip and come back with better footwear.

I was talking to the cafe worker (his family runs it) and learned his hometown was near Osaka, and he knew the town that I worked in when I taught English. So I started talking about how I was thinking of quitting because I couldn't finish walking the pilgrimage. Walking the whole thing was what gave it meaning to me.

He told me that walking the whole pilgrimage is just one part of the experience. The purpose is to visit all 88 temples, in any way possible. To quit without visiting all has no meaning. But to visit them all, even if I don't walk, has meaning.

So I decided to take that bus down to the inn, but also to keep walking... when I can. If I can walk tomorrow I will; if I can't, I'll take the bus; if I feel so horrible, I'll wait a few days and see. But I am going to finish the pilgrimage in any way I can.

ずっと歩きへんろの有卦をおわりました。今回最後まで行けるかなと思っていました。今年ストップして未来に続けようと思っていました。

マメの痛みでしんどくなりました。マメはウサギのようにふえりそうです。負けるの感じを感じて、民宿に行けるバスの時間まであのカフェに入りました。

思いでは今日はもう終わった。そして、マメが直っても、すぐもっとマメができます。お遍路をやめてもっといい靴で続こうと思っていました。

カフェの店員さんと話しました。彼の両親はオーナーです。大阪府できて、僕が住んでいた町を知ってることをならってきました。やめようの思いでを教えました。ずっと歩くのが一番大切なことだといいました。

彼は「歩くのは一文です。大切のは88八ヶ所に全部行くのです。どうやってでもいいです。やめたら意味がないです。バスでも、
電車でも、なんでも、全部に行くと、それは意味です。」

あのバスで民宿まで来ました。でも、もし歩ければ歩きます。歩けなければ、バスか電車で行きます。もししんどければ、休憩します。でも絶対にお遍路を最後まで回ります。

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 31

The blisters are still there, but with a lighter pack I managed to do 30km today with no issues. Staying at a country club not far from a great beach!

(Going to start doing Japanese too for all my posts from today.)

今日から日本語でも書きます。お待たせしました。

足でマメがまだありますが、リュックサックがもっと軽くなったので今日30キロ歩きました。ビーチの近くカントリークラブに泊まります！

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 30

Blisters doing better but I've learned not to trust the buggers. I lightened my pack by 3kg (6.5 pounds!) which should put it just under 10kg, with no food or water.

The lighter weight makes a big difference not only in how my body feels carrying it, but in the impact on my feet. I'm going to see if these blisters continue to heal and not get worse by walking on them.

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 29

The blister saga never ends. Today I started off feeling fine, but by the end I was hobbling with my walking stick. I'm staying with Dan Herbison at Temple 37. Tomorrow will probably be a rest day.

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 28

Short day today, only 17 km or so. I stopped early enough to catch the end of a fish market in Nakatosa. I'm staying at an inn near a sake brewery - though sadly the brewery closed minutes after I got into town.

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 27

Temple 36 is called Shoryuji, but all I could think of was the shoryuken move from Street Fighter. After I delivered a finishing blow to that temple... I went down the Yokonami peninsula and ate at a restaurant that floats in the bay! I'm camping out at a roadside hut tonight, outside of Susaki.

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 26

What a long day. I'm seriously done with these over 30km days (20 miles for the Metrically challenged).

First, Temple 34. An awesome Japanese lady let me drop my big bag off in town, so I went up the hill to #35 with my day pack. Then across a bridge to a hotel on top of a mountain, near #36. I was too late for visiting #36 but I'll do that first thing tomorrow.

Even though I wasn't carrying my full pack all day, and my blisters are almost healed, it was still exhausting. I'm really going to stick to 20-25km from now on.

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 25

Last night I went to Temples 31, 32, and 33. 33 has a free room for walking pilgrims so I stayed there. No shower though.

I took a side trip over an insane bridge to see the "beach" of Katsurahama. The waves were so crazy that no one went into the water, but a lot of people went right up to the edge.

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 24

I took a rest day in Kochi City while my feet are healing. I went to the botanical garden, only to find out I'm going that way anyway since it's directly on the pilgrim trail! But I also managed to see Kochi Castle and the Hirome indoor market. I wouldn't have gone if it hadn't been for the rest day.

Shikoku Pilgrimage Day 23

Temples 29 and 30 are done. Then I had to reward my legs with a long-awaited hot spring visit.

People have many things to say about Kochi Prefecture as it relates to the pilgrimage. This may be the wine and blister cream talking, but I'm just going to say this: Kochi is Hell, and Kochi is Heaven.