Day 29: Don’t Worry, it Won’t Rain

Steps: 40.663 (40,3km)

Temples: None

Everyone knows that time is relative – but today we learned that distance is, too. Whereas yesterday’s 20k felt like a small lifetime, I was very surprised when Jonas told me that we had surpassed 40 today. I didn’t feel at all as tired as some of our other long days (Jonas unfortunately has a double-pinky-blister situation going on, courtesy of his new shoes, so he felt the distance a little more acutely).

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We started the day by walking an hour out of Shimanto along the river, until we got to a Lawson convenience store, where we could buy some breakfast for the road. And who should we run into at the store, but our dynamic father-and-son-duo from two days ago?

They had been camping by the river and were teaching us all the best breakfast foods to get, such as たまごサンド (egg sandwiches) and いちごサンド (strawberry sandwiches – which were more like strawberry cakes if we are being honest, but delicious nonetheless)

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At lunch, we had another memorable encounter. We had just sat down to eat outside yet another Lawson (ask any henrō and they will tell you about the special love/hate relationship you develop over time with the food from this ubiquitous chain store) when two men approached us.

The first gave us each a little osettai of delicious toffees and drove away in his car. The other man, however, took out his phone and used google translate to ask if we were going to eat at the parking lot – we answered yes, and was it okay?

More google translate- would we like to come have lunch at his house instead? It was very near. We were a little pressed on time, so initially declined, but he insisted that it was close and wouldn’t it be nice with a break?

Sure we said, a little hesitantly, and got into his car, very aware that we had just done the one thing that all children’s rhymes tell you not to.

We drove around to the other side of the store (it really was very near) and as soon as we got out of the car we were greeted by his smiling wife – it obviously wasn’t the first time he had dragged home tired henrōs to their house for a break 😅

We were given drinks and a place to eat and rest in the house, and had a chat with them about our trip, before he drove us back to the exact spot he had picked us up. His wife even gave me her messenger contact info and told me to write her anytime if we were in trouble and she would come pick us up.

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I’ll admit, as a Dane, it’s sometimes difficult to know what to do with this abundance of kindness. It’s so easy to become skeptic and question people’s motives, but all we’re achieving by that is cheating ourselves out of connecting with one another.

However cheesy it may sound, we would all do well to care a little more for our proverbial neighbors – at least that’s a lesson I hope to bring back with me when we eventually return to our reserved motherland 😉

We thanked them repeatedly for their kindness and hospitality. “It’s cloudy but don’t worry, it wont rain” were his parting words, as he pointed to the overcast sky above. How’s that for a metaphor.

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By early afternoon we reached Okhi beach, which is one of the places that stands out most clearly in my memory from our last trip to Shikoku. As we walked across it, I remembered reaching the end of the beach and seeing the henrō signs pointing up at the road ahead.

It’s hard to believe we’re back here now, after walking for almost a month, something I honestly would have never believed myself capable of back then.

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By 16.30 we arrived a みかんの家 (mandarin-house) – a wonderful minshoku where we will stay for two nights while making the loop out-and-back to temple 38 at the tip of cape Ashizuri.

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