Steps: 25.273 (21,5km)
Temples: 56 + 57 + 58 + 59
It’s been a while since we have seen this many temples in one day. Starting out at Imabari station, temples 56-59 lay equidistant over a 15 kilometer stretch.
58 is a little higher up than the others and was a joy to visit (I always like the … Read more
Steps: 30.508 (23,4km)
Temples: 46
Today we got up at the ass crack of dawn to descend the mountain and get to rest hut Sakamotoya before the rain set in.
It … almost worked. We still got some rain on the way there, but thanks to Jonas’ ingenious (and slightly inappropriate) new use of the walking stick, our shoes only … Read more
Steps: 34.982 (28,0km)
Temples: 44 + 45
Today we had breakfast at temple 44. It was early so we had the place to ourselves as we puttered around and lit the first incense sticks of the day.
The temple and its surroundings are impressive. In the main gate hangs the biggest pair of straw sandals you ever saw (which are … Read more
Steps: 23.492 (17,6km)
Temples: None
“This is really testing my patience”, I said to Jonas as we climbed upwards at what felt to me like a glacial pace. Determined to at least not worsen my ankle condition, I carefully placed my foot each time, making sure it was somewhat level before pressing off.
Steps: 28.668 (25,7km)
Temples: None
We got a late start this morning as we wanted to have breakfast with our new friends from yesterday, before they hopped on a train to Matsuyama. This also meant that we could buy provisions in some of the bigger stores that didn’t open until 9am (since we’re heading into the mountains, we won’t come … Read more
Steps: 46.289 (38,4km)
Temples: 8 (one of the “extra” temples)
So I had a little cry when I bumped by head into the headboard of a henrō hut this morning – not because it hurt that much, but because my foot keeps hurting and the head thing was just the drop that made the proverbial cup run over.
Steps: 36.691 (29,7km)
Temples: 41 + 42 + 43
As any experienced hiker will tell you, walking for extended periods of time alters your bodies relationship to food. Food is no longer just pleasure, calories become a necessity and almost no matter how many of them you consume, it won’t be enough to cover your expenditure.
Jonas is down to … Read more
Steps: close to zero
Temples: None
We are not a on a tight budget for this trip and most days we’re not even close to reaching our daily spending’s limit.
The only times we get close, are rainy days like today, when we are staying put in a big city with eight extra hours on hand and nothing to do … Read more
Steps: 27.272 (21,2km)
Temples: None
We didn’t have long to walk today, but decided to get going early anyway, since the rain was set to start around noon.
We made it to Uwajima without much hassle and went straight to Tenshaen garden, which has been designated by the government as one of the most beautiful places in Japan.
The garden … Read more
Steps: 35.162 (27,2km)
Temples: None
Just a quick picture update for today – a day consisting of walking 10k, grabbing a quick breakfast at a convenience store, climbing 500m of elevation (in less than an hour 💪), snapping a few shots at the top and tumblin’ back down again …
