18.07.2018
Woke up early to take again advantage of the no meals of lodging. While it means no tasty interesting meal it also means more flexibility in wake up and departure. Especially if you pay previous night(it seems to vary a bit based on location do you pay on check in or checkout or sometime during evening after check in).
As it is I ended up starting about same time as the other pilgrim
that was staying in the same lodging so the owner sent us off together.
He however quickly stopped for a konbini maybe to buy lunch. I headed off
toward the Sankakuji temple using the google map to find my way back to the henro
path. Btw for the record google map works fine for cities etc but do
keep in mind it does not contain many of the walker path so it is not
totally reliable, at least if you want the quickest route. But good to figure
out way to get to the official path.
I found out the
path reasonably enough and as there was park nearby there were other
early walkers as well including one old lady with her equally old dog
that reminded me a lot of dog my father's birth place had. Though not
same breed I suspect. I very much doubt finnish dog breeds are likely to be found here in Shikoku :D
There was two options for the
route to take and I was wondering which to take when a person nearby
noted path south is the one "all" take. Well I figured if it's what all
take maybe it's the easier so there I went. For a while I went up by
asphalt sloped paths seeing school kids going down. Kids in japan have
it hard. Getting home means climbing up in the day heat....I would prefer living down and going up for the school! Shortly after
it became mountain road and I was happy to be out of asphalt after a
several days of asphalt walking. The blisters on my feet were killing
me.
Now that's a big henro route marker :D
Took me a while to spot the guide marker showing you to go LEFT. Good thing those things are. Would have been at lost here without it.
Funny smiley face.
Climbing up and stopping at occasional rest spots I
was thoroughly enjoying my day so far. Alas mountain path eventually
ended but final asphalt stint wasn't too bad. Alas it also led to
the bottoms of huge stairway. Gleargh. Climbing up I was exhausted. Took a
trip to toilet and was resting when....the morning pilgrim appeared
looking for the daishi hall. He had clearly arrived shortly after me(or even
shortly before me) and done the main hall. Wow...I thought I had kept good pace on the mountain path.
Anyway I was now at the temple #65, Sankakuji(Triangle temple) that is last temple of the main 88 in Ehime prefecture. Next one would be, well officially anyway, Kagawa prefecture. ACTUALLY next one is located in Tokushima prefecture but for sake of convenience it's counted among temples in Kagawa.
The founding of this temple is, surprise surprise, credited for Gyogi by Emperor Shomu's orders. Kukai later is said to have performed a 21 day Goma of Victory ritual here and carved the honzon of 11 faced Kannon. The temple name comes from the triangular altar for Goma ceremony he used for it.
Temple was rather prosperous up to 16th century with 12 branch temples until it was burned down by Chōsokabe's armies(as usual).
The name of the mountain on which this temple is located is
Yurei-san meaning Ghost Mountain from the legend of ghost that lived around here causing lots of trouble until Kukai drove got rid of it by the Goma ceremony.
This temple is also dedicated to easy childbirth but there is a twist.
The expectant mother is supposed to pretend to break into the temple's kitchen and
steal a ladle, which she then places under her bed. After the delivery,
she brings the ladle back to the temple for someone else to take and
hide...That's an interesting tradition.
I did
my prayers and while going to stamp office there he was. We talked
about the following route and somehow it turned out that both temple staff and
the pilgrim were advising me to not take the mountain path that I had planned to take but instead
circle the mountain around the road not marked as pilgrim path as it seemed
parts of mountain path were dangerous. "Both ways are about 2 hours"
they assured me. Well it's not the time I'm worried but the distance
that looks like double from the mountain path and the asphalt road...still in the end I ended up
tagging along with him partially because...well they DID say it's
dangerous though I have found japanese to be on a cautious side so
wasn't fully convinced but also to give me a company. This was rare
opportunity as even last year I rarely got a chance to walk with somebody
for any distance. Usually paces were too different.
So we walked
and talked. At quite prisk speed as well. I was going faster than I'm
usually walking which meant I ended up wearing my feets quite a bit and
maybe 66%
of way I was feeling slight pain. We took a rest and I took my shoes
off noticing they and the socks were wet. Wow. I don't think my feet had
sweated
this much before. Usually they are dry even when arriving to lodging
owning maybe to me wearing 2 layers of socks(transfering moisture) and
special hiking made expensive as hell socks at that. I decided to change
for 2nd pair of socks and winced
at the sight of my feet. Well mostly they were old blisters though
smallest toe on left feet was coming up with new ones. But feet were
still a
sorry sight.
On the small break unceremoniously on the side of the road(specifically on a corner which was bit wider than others so maybe cars don't run over us :D )
Still the rest gave me new energy and
gulping down bottle of aquarius figuring temple has vending machine we
continued our way.
This part had excelent views of the river along which the
temple
was located. Overall apart from asphalt lovely walk.
We
arrived to the temple which meant more climbs stairs and steep
pathways. Unusually as this temple's honzon is Daishi himself there's
just one hall and that's in the middle of this huge building which meant
going up the stairs and corners and long corridors. Also toilet was after another
long and tricky path. Good thing there were guide markers!
This 13th Bekkaku temple called Senryūji(Hermit Dragon Temple) seems to be counted already for Kagawa prefecture temples despite geography saying it's part of Ehime prefecture. Go figure. Anyway this is popularily called Oku-No-In of temple 65 though I think there's official one for that up in the mountain. It's also called Koyasan for women as there's never been restrictions on women coming here unlike many other temples. Like temple 18 Onzanji where women were forbidden until Kobo Daishi performed long ritual which made temple change rules.
Origin is said to come from hermit from India called Hodo(long o's) setting up house here. Later Kukai is said to have come here in 815 receiving the ground from the hermit. Kukai performed 21 day long Goma ceremony here to drive off evil and insects. After completion he then carved statue of himself. This statue is called "warding of evil Daishi".
I bid farewell here for a
while(though we would be staying in same lodging so knew we would meet again) as I wanted to take a rest here. I rested for a while, went for the toilet
and started looking for a vending machine. Nope. Not here. Gulp. This was
not good. I checked my backbag water level. 1.5 litre. I also had
partially drank bottle of tea so maybe 1.8l total. Might not sound that
bad but 11km to the next temple....
Somehow asking for
priest for water didn't cross to mind so I left deciding I need to
conserve drinks so took quite rigorous system when and how much to
drink.
Leg had recovered so was making good pace and wanting to minimize
time on low drinks wasn't taking breaks so what happened is I
actually
caught up and went ahead of the other pilgrim though he joined up soon.
He
wasn't too happy with his drink situation though drinks less than I do. I
was hoping that the huge tunnel ahead would have a vending machine.
Shortly before meeting I had
even contemplated of stealing drinks left to roadside shrine. Would
locals be offended? But gritting my teeth avoided that temptation.
We
arrived to the tunnel and nope. No vending machine. But there's rest
spot on other side. Maybe there's something so we went in and through
this maybe almost 2km long tunnel that's without doubt longest I have
ever walked. It was actually blessed cool inside which was nice and with
thirst occupying mind wasn't paying
attention to the usual tunnel discomforts(noisy, smelly, claustrophobic).
We arrived to rest
spot and...nothing there. He then said maybe on next rest spot not far
but I waved him to leave ahead as I needed to rest my feet here. Over 5km or so
without breaks was enough for me. Needed one.
Eventually I left and continued down on a spiraling road. And then finally arriving
to the rest spot I found myself a vending machine! BLESS YOU! I could
have elevated person who set it up here to a godhood. I wouldn't have
minded even if drinks were 1000 yen each. I was soooo going to buy those bottles.
Approaching rest spot I had already been thinking how to explain to a
taxi where I am in case there's no vending machine as I was pretty much out
of drinks.
Having drank and refilled my supplies I left
toward the next bekkaku temple and admitted already that's as far as I
can do today and from there it's taxi for me.
Finally
arrived to the top of hill overlooking small town. Going down school boy was
going up(as said japanese kids have it hard. No wonder they stay
slim!). He was less spooked out by being greeted by foreigner than the
insect catching boy. Albeit older as well.
I arrived to the temple without too much of a trouble except slight overwalking in the end so had to backtrace a bit.
This bekkaku temple 14 Tsubakidō(Camellia hall), or the more official name Jōfukuji(Temple of Endless Good Fortune) was set up by Kobo Daishi. And shows another example of how Shintoism/Buddhism used to be basically merged. This temple shows clear roots of nature worshipping of Shintoism. Unsurprisingly thousands of years ago Japanese people were praying for gods for things to help basic living. Food, safety from disaster and...babies. So this one has been one for wishing good luck in the fertility department. To that end there's certain...rather raunchy statues though covered by clothing. Won't be putting photos of non-covered in case any minor is reading this. Sorry! ;-)
Anyway temple is said to have set by priest called Hochikoji carving statue of Jizo Bosatsu. Later in 815 Kukai, while walking around Shikoku, heard this place was suffering from high fever issue. He is said to have driven that under ground with his staff. Camellia is said to have grown from the staff in ground from which the name "Camellia hall" comes from.
Jofuku temple seems to have been different temple located next to a shrine slightly below but after fire was built in present location. Later in 1761 it got burned down AGAIN. Here the Jofuku temple and Camelia hall merged together.
In 1859 the temple burned down yet more. Present Camelia tree sprung up again from the ruins of the burned down temple.
Present main hall was reconstructed in 1984 and Daishi hall in 2005.
After doing my prayers and taking photos I called in taxi, waited for it to arrive and sat the last 7km or so. I couldn't have done the last 7km on foot today. Feet were at the limits. I saw the other pilgrim on route, got quite far already so wouldn't be arriving to the lodging that much later than I.
Arriving to the minshuku Okada
which is likely rather popular due to being on close to the next temple
Unpenji. Might be hard to get a room in spring. Took a bath, did
laundry, rested and
around 6pm the dinner I had been looking forward started. I had read
David Turkington's account of dinner and description fit very well. We
3(the pilgrim from Minshuku Suzu from earlier was there also today) sat in
table with Okada himself(who I at one point noticed from photos in walls had
enjoyed his 88th birthday almost 2 years ago so in another 2 months
he'll turn 90!) sat on table king's seat so to speak but not eating. Instead he took part and listened pilgrims conversation. Then as meals were about
eaten he started this long VERY detailed description of what would wait
for each of us tomorrow and further away showing maps, photos and small
notes giving us very clear view of next day or two(day for the 3rd
pilgrim who wouldn't go to bekkaku temple, 2 for me and the pilgrim I had
walked with today who also would go the Bekkaku temple 15 like I do).
Mr. Okada hearing my
country mentioned the finnish person who has pretty much naturalized
to Japan and was in Japan's parliament for a while. That person has
also walked this it seems and has stayed here and the host also owns his
book(got to get myself a copy of that).
With food and explanation it took us 2 hours or so to get it through. Rest of night writing this and resting.
Walked 28,39km, total 200,56km.
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