Ise to Kyoto

We got to sleep in today since our train to Kyoto was not leaving until 10:49 am.  Last evening, we went out for a stroll up to the big shrine, came back down the shopping street and found a nice, small restaurant that had identifiable items.  We chose a salad, shamshima (raw tuna) and seafood pizza.  We were happy to not have twenty different little plates.  We got lost walking back to the hotel and had to do some back tracking.  Since it was early, we watched the latest Mad Max movie on the iPad.  It was not great, but the special effects were amazing.  In fact, the entire movie was special effects and large weird, gas guzzling vehicles in a world without oil or much else.

Our trip to Kyoto on the train went smoothly.  We even saw lots of kudzu.

We arrived at an intermidiate station where we had to change trains at 12:02 pm and caught the outbound train at 12:06 pm.  All trains in this country are on-time.  We arrived in Kyoto at 12:54 pm.  Our hotel for tonight only is across the street from the station.  The train station is huge with lots of shops on multiple levels.  

After checking in, we got our package for the Nakasendo trail and checked it over.  We now have a detailed map and instructions.  We then journeyed out for some lunch and walk around our area.  We bought pastries at a bakery in the train station, two savory and two sweet ones.  The system they use at bakeries is neat - your take a tray and tongs, next, you make selections from large trays using the tongs and placing them on the tray, and then, you pay while they put each item in a small plastic bag.  We made a quick stop at Visitor Information before finding a spot outside to eat.  The Japanese frown on eating or drinking while walking. We got a chance to study the map and decide where to walk. 

We mostly followed a "recommended walk" on the map which took us by a garden (Shosei-en Garden, established in the 1600's), by two temples (Higashi-Honghanji, the largest wooden structure in the world and Nishi-Honghanji, slightly older, smaller and the original one), and the Shimabara Gate (which leads into the former "entertainment area," known for geshas).  The Shimabara is now a residential area because the entertaining area has been moved twice, farther out of city center.  We returned to the hotel for a brief rest and tea, before going out for dinner.

A heron in downtown Kyoto next to a busy street

The garden pond

A mostly black butterfly

The largest wooden structure

Prespective

A rare Gingko tree that growes horizontially instead of upward

The smaller but older temple

We had dinner at "Pastamore" inside the train station mall.  Here was there offerings on display.

We ended the day walking arond the train station to see the shops.  Nearly all cater to women.  Given that men all wear black suits with whte shrts, there aren't many fashion choices or needs for men. 

We returned to our closet size room at the Ibis Styles Hotel.  With the luggage laid on the floor there is only a narrow path to the bathrom in which to stand.  We move to the Hyatt tomorow and begin the "self-guided" Nakasendo Tour, by Oku Japan.

Around Ise, Day 9

Today was our last day on the Kumano Kodo tour, which ended officially around noon.  After breakfast,  the group taxied over to the Inner Shrine area.  

Jamie said this is probably the most holiest ground for the Shinto Practice (you would consider it a religion, but the it is not).  It is a shrine to the Sun God, from who the Imperial family are descedents.  The are a few other shrines to lesser gods.  We first crossed over the river on a bridge that takes one from the real world to the spiritual world.  We walked to the shrine of the Wind God, first, which is one building shrine in the same architectural style as the major shrines.

We then walked over to the main Inner Shrine to the Sun God, which is the third building behind a gate and an intermediate building.  One can't get inside the gate so the view of the main shrine is limited to a part of the roof and its golden trim.  In addition, no photography is allowed.  Jamie says only monks every get to see inside the main shrine, which is suppose to contain the "mirror" used to blind the sun god when she went into hiding in a cave thus darkening the earth.  Legend says that after she was blind, the commoners dragged her out of the cave and restored light to the earth.  Note, all of these shrines are on the same rebuilding cycle described in yesterday's post.

The last photo before going into the "no photography allowed" area.

We left the shrine grounds, crossed back over the bridge and explored the old town, where the faithful partied after their visit to the shrine.  It is a touristy area of small shops and restaurants.  It was crowded but we walked up an down the street ducking into a few shops and looking a the bewildering array of totally unknown eatables.  Some of the group said goodbye and left to catch trains to their departing cities.  Most of us stopped for lunch at a fast food noodle shop. 

Every city has its own manhole cover design, which I have resisted photographing.  But, this one shows pilgrims which is appropriate recognition of our own "just finished" trek.

Nachikatsuura to Ise, Day 8

Today, we were multi-modal.  First, we rode on a water taxi from our hotel back to the mainland, which took 5 minutes.  We walked to the train station after stopping at the world headquarters for tuna wholesaling. 

We were able to view the wrapping up of the tuna sales for the day.  Second, we boarded a train to Shingu, aobut 20 minutes north along the coast.  

We walked about 4 km, first to the last of the 3 major Kumano Shrines (Kumano Hayatama Taisha) and then up 500 steps to a large onion  stone and shrine, which blocks the entrance to hell, per Japanese legend.

Note the rice rope.

We carefully walked down from "the rock" on uneven, narrow and sometimes very steep steps, passing a brown striped snake (about the only wildlife we saw on the entire trek).  

Betsy is on the steepest part.

We went into town to pick up lunch items at a bakery, hung out at the train station wating for the two-hour train to Ise.  We  rode the train to Ise with one transfer getting off the express and onto a local, smaller train.  

After arriving, Jamie helped each person to buy train tickets to their next destination.  For us that is Kyoto in two days.  The group then walked over the "Outer Shrine" and toured first the museum and then the shrine itself (at least up to the outer gate - no one gets any closer than this except monks).  The museum introduced the importance of rice to this area and provided models of the shrines (there is also an Inner Shrine, which we see tomorrow).  Both shrines are rebuilt every 20 years next to the original one, thereby flipping back and forth between sites.  Jamie said that only about 2 weeks do both side by side shrines exists.  This pattern has been followed for hundreds of years.  The museum described some of the construction, which is Japanese "mortise and tenon joinery times five."  I loved seeing the various chisels, saws and mallets.  This schedule of re-construction is followed because the cypress wood used to build the shrine is not treated and is degraded in 20 years.  It must keep local craftsmen busy.  The last rebuild was in 2013.  The wood we saw today is already gray and losing some of its luster.  

We walked to our hotel, stopping for beers at a tasting room.  We had dinner in the hotel and talked mostly about the trek that we just finished and whether it was appropriately graded.  Some in the group felt it should be rated more difficult than what was given by Walk Japan.  For Betsy and I, our next hike on the Nakasendo Trail is one level less difficult than the Kumano Kodo.  The main difference iis the uneven terrain on the path, with the main rocks, tree routes and natural steps as opposed to flat paths.

Koguchi to Nachi Waterfall, Day 7

Today was the biggest hike of the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage route.  It was 14.5 km, which sounds like a lot, but in miles it is only about 8.8 miles, not a huge amount, except that we had to climb over 3,500 feet in elevation.  We were up at 5:30 am, breakfast at 6:00 am, departed the inn/old middle school at 6:45 am.  We stopped by a convenience store for some snacks and begn a steady climb up.  I told Betsy it was like climbing Dog Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge.  Although, by the end of the day it felt considerably harder.  The uphill portions were hard work but the stepping was easy over tree roots and rocks.  

The downhill portions were more strenous, stressful and required concentration.  The rocks were frequently moss covered, slippery and laid flat to a very steep angle.  Jamie said these "paving" like areas were provided to give traction for horses and a way to avoid deep mud in days past.  We haven't seen a horse and they are no longer used on the trail.  

The other notable trail side sighting were egg shaped rocks which are remanents of volcanic action called "onion stones."

By mid-afternoon we arrived at the second of the 3 major shrines (Kumano Nachi Taisha) which is located next to the highest waterfall in Japan.  

We walked an additional 2 km around the site visiting the temple, the shrine, numerous other buildings and then down to a taxi stand.  

We took a taxi to the main sea coast town of Nachikatsuura; then caught a water taxi to our hotel (Hotel Nakanoshima) which is located just off shore on a small island.  The onsen has 3 outdoor pools of slightly different temperatures.  The hottest pool is directly fed by a bubbling, burping underground spring of heated water.  We took baths and a soak before dinner.  The men's side was quite nice with a view of the night sky.  Of course, one has to get accustomed to walking around and lounging in the pools naked.  This is preceeded by a complete wash down sitting in a small stool.  One must be clean before entering the communal or shared waters.  Dinner was enjoyable with a full range of small plates and samples of things.  The food is healthy and nourishing.

Yunomine Onsen to Koguchi, Day 6

Today's walk was described as "a big up, followed by undulations and ending with a big down."  Total length was billed as 13 km, and I recorded 13.24 km on my GPS system - very consistent.  You can probably guess what big up and big down means, but let me say "big" means very steep with lots of round rock and tree roots.  As it turns out the grade up was easy and quite doable, even enjoyable.  The down was a bit more challenging.  We have been experiencing these types of trail conditions every day and fortunately the path has been dry.  In rainy or wet conditions, the rock would be very slippery.

Anyway, the walk today was in forest with several mountaintop views to the south and west.  We could even visualize the walk tomorrow, which is billed as the toughest of the trek (14.5 km and 3,800 ft elevation gain).  But we are all getting "trail fit."  Not much more to say about today's walk.  There were few shrines (a few Jizos - miscellaneous gods/guardian angels for the path and its pilgrims), two abandoned tea house sites, one of which where we ate lunch, some indigenous ferns and a few blue flowers.

We arrive into Koguchi and are staying in a converted school house.

Tsugizakura to Yunomine Onsen, Day 5

We had a big day today with a 18.5 km walk with 600 meters in three climbs.  We left the inn by taxi, driving 5 miles beyond our end point yesterday and avoiding a boring road section.  We immediately started on the first climb up through a forest to a pass honoring rice straw sandals.  The pilgrims would change out to new sandals at this point on the trail; such sandals only lasted for a day or so.  We then did a steep downhill which required considerable concentration.  After a while, picking one's way downhill becomes memorizing and requires constant attention to prevent a slip.  Steep downs are almost always the toughest part of a hike.  We had a second climb which took us through open hillsides with low shrubs, wild flowers and views across the valley. 

By the time I reached the high point, the sun was cresting and highlighting the slope with strips of sunlight.  

We descended to a river and then climb briefly up to our third pass and to a shrine where we had lunch in a picnic/restroom shelter. The inn provided three rice cakes, fish sausages and pickles wrapped in a banana leaf.  We descended again to another river valley passing an abandoned village site and a huge, stabilized land slide.  We following the river downstream passing multiple dams/weirs built to help control typhoon floods.  The river would flow, then disappear into the gravel behind a dam and then reappear below the dam.  We turned off the route at a monument to fishing, complete with a wooden boat and "undulated" through several mountain villages toward Hongu Taisha shrine.  This shrine is one of three major ones along the pilgrimage.  Four gods of the Shinto religion are honored here.  We arrived just before dark but still got to see the major builidings, pretty much alone. 

We walked to a "Tori" Gate on an island that commerated the original shrine before it was wiped out by a flood in 1898.  Four gods out of the original 12 were "rescued" by monks before being lost.  We were picked by taxi and driven to our to Yunonime Onsen.  This is a rather grand inn, with many rooms and an indoor and outdoor onsen (heated pool).  Betsy and I immediately went to our respective bathing areas, showered (again seated) and soaked in the pool.  Dinner was traditional and involved aobut 20 different items including beef slices that we cooked ourselves for 5 seconds, 3 varities of raw fish, seaweed, a puff pastry over mushroom broth, taro soup, salted, grilled fish, homemeade soy which is spiced with salt (a great idea), and a few more items that I am not sure how to describe.  

All in all, a long day but most satisfying.  Tomorrow will be a little shorter - we get to sleep in until around seven, as compared to six on prior days.

Takahara to Chikatsuyu to Tsugizkura, Day 4

Today, we walked over 14 km from Takahara through forest land, mostly uphill to our lunch stop at Gyuba-doji guchi bus stop, post 23.  Note the trail is very well posted with numbered markers every 500 meters.  We started at post 0 and yesterday walked to near post 8 or 4 km.  Thus the distance walked in the morning today was ((23-8)/2) or 7.5 km.  The inn gave us bagged lunchs and we bought drinks, cookies and plum ice cream from a shop at the picnic area at the bus stop.  After lunch, we had a little more forest walking before crossing a major river (used for cleansing the soul) and arriving at the village of Chitatsuyu-oji.  This translates as "blood or dew."  It relates to a story about a nobleman who while traveling needed some chopsticks for eating.  A companion brought some sticks that were somewhat red in color and the master asked if the red was blood or dew, so they named the village after that question.

We left the village and for most of the rest of the walk today, we were on paved back roads.  Our major afternoon stop was te Hidehira-zakura cherry tree, a historical location that was reknown for cherry trees gratfed on cedar trees, at post number 33.  While this is not scientifically possible, that is the story and there are some impressive trees at the site of this "oji" (pronounced ogee). 

It is called Tsurizakura-oji and has 700 year old trees that about 20 feet in circumference or so.  There is a nice shrine at the top of a stone staircase with the trees bordering the stairs.  

We walked down to the village of Tsurizakura, past a holy spring and to our inn for the night.  We showered and soaked, had beers in the "lobby," then had a very nice array of local delicacies for dinner.  There were a number of mushrooms, vegatables, fish and the like, with a special of thin slices of wild boar meat. 

Koya-san to Takahara, Day 3

Today started early with a Buddhist early morning prayers (we knelled while two monks recited/chanted sutras), a fire ceremony (to send prayers to ancestors), and then breakfast.  

We left the inn for a short walk up through town to the Shingon Temple and three pagodas.  Some of the group went in the temple for a 45-minute mediation session.  

I and others chose to walk around town, getting a coffee and viewing a few more sights.  The group met up in time for a 2 1/2 hour taxi ride to start of the Kumano Pilgrimage Trail.  After about an hour of the ride we stop for lunch at a high elevation viewpoint  on the winding, twisting road.  There was a watch tower which provided a 360 degree view of the tree covered mountains.   One interesting note, the forest managers want to replace the softwood evergreen trees with hardwood decidous trees along the ridge lines to reduce ground slumping, as the following photo indicates.  This area is subject to tyhoons that dump 1/3 of the annual rainfall in a single storm.

We rode the rest of the way to the start point, got a brief orientation at a visitor center before walking the 4.4 kilometers to a mountaintop inn in Takahara.  The view from our room is  below.

The trail is mostly up twice rising to 375 and 350 meters.  We saw a troop of monkeys high in the trees.  No photos were possible.  After a bit of a wait, we were able to get into our respective communal baths for a thorough cleaning and soak.  We enjoye another great meal of Japanese delicacies including crab, a 4-inch long trout, beef slices, mushrooms, and according to Jamie, various foods "found along the roadside."

Osaka to Koya-San, Day 2

Today we traveled from Osaka south to Koya-san on the 9:00 am, express limited.  We are now two of a group of ten plus guide, Jamie.  There are 2 couples from Australia, a couple and single women from San Francisco (friends) and another single woman from South Africa, Stellenbosch wine area.  We meet the others at 6:30 pm last night, immediately went to a "lively izakaya restaurant" for a dinner of snacks, rice and fininshing with coffee jelly.  Then snacks included eggplant chunks in broth, grape tomato with mozarella, pumpkin cube, little seashell meat, fish chunks and green peppers, raw fish with salt, chicken balls and Japanese radish, and grilled chicken with more peppers.  According to Jamie, rice is the main part of the meal and i served last; the rice was topped with seaweed and baby sardines.  After dinner, a few of us walked through the main "eat till you drop" section of Osaka, that was a buzz with young locals.  Jamie explained that this is area where the Mafia operate (though they avoid anything to do with foreigners) and where women (escorts) try to lure men into drinking high priced whiskey in bars.  The women "wipe the sweat off the patron's whiskey glass" and converse.

After breakfast and sending our luggage two days ahead, we rode the train for an hour and half to Koya-san.  It is a village town high in the mountains (3,000 ft) that is a sacred site for Buddists.  It includes the mausoleum to Kobo-Daishi, the founder of the Shingon Buddist sect.  Offerings are still made to him 1,200 years after his passing.  After arriving on the train, we along with hundreds of others got on a cable car that took us up another couple hundred of feet to a bus stop. 

We then rode a bus for few miles to an entry point to the village.  It was also the cloest point women could come to the site for most of its history.   So, the women made a trail that encircled the village, thereby allowing them to view ithe sacred area and to pray without actually entering.  We hiked this trail around the village today, pausing partway for lunch.  We ended up at a large cemetery/memorial park in which the founders mausoleum sets.  We walked up past thousands of what looked like gravesites, but are actually memorials to families, famous, wealthy and otherwise.  Today, memorials continue to be built but by large companies, such as Nissan, Panasonic and the like that honor employees who have died.  

The site includes Buddist temples, statues, and other dieties, all of which have certain specific rituals for the faithful.  The entire site is shaded by 400 to 700 year old Japanese cedar trees, which are kin to sequoias.  They are massive.

We walked through the temple, around the outside (past the mausoleum) and down into the basement.  No photography was allowed.  In the basement, there 50,000 2-inch high Budda statues, given in memory of someone.  We walked the length of the site to the center of the village and on to our inn for the night.  It is a Buddist Monastery, called Ekoin (http://ekoin.jp/  -- check it out).  We have a 12-foot square room with sliding wooden doors and paper covering.  

We will be sleeping on a tatami mat floor, on 2-inch thick futons and a "bean bag" for a pillow.  We had dinner of Buddist vegetarian fare, whcih was good, while sitting on the floor.  Betsy and I shared a hot sake.  

We then each got to join other members of our same sex for communal bathing and soaking in a heated pool ("onsens" - natural hot spring fed pools).  The pool here is naturally heated water but is pumped up from below ground to the pool, possibly not a true onsen.  Before entering the onsen/pool, one "showers" sitting on a stool - another first.  No photos of these activities.