Steps: 12.038 (8,7km)
Temples: None
Jonas is 44 today! (pretty poetic timing, given we are now halfway to temple 88)
As planned we spent the whole day resting up in Sukumo, moving as little as possible.
I love planning fun things to do … Read more
Day 32: Halfway There and Nowhere Near Done
Steps: 30.027 (27,4km)
Temples: 39
It is 9 in the evening and we are bathed, fed, and have a hotel booked for Tuesday (we try to book 3 days ahead, that seems to work for us).
I have picked up Jonas new shoes from the Lawson across the street, and almost made a young employee implode in the process, when … Read more
Day 31: Feet Down, Palms Up
Steps: 34.280 (32,6km)
Temples: None
Today was hard for Jonas. 32 kilometers with two giant blisters is no joke. After 10k he was just about ready to quit, and the remaining 20 was a sheer force of will.
I did my best to provide moral and nutritional support (I think we sat a new snack … Read more
Day 30: Backwards, Blisters and Birthday Presents
Steps: 38.651 (31,1km)
Temples: 38
There is no one right way to do the Shikoku pilgrimage. Some walk, some cycle, some take buses or trains. Others drive or are driven around in busses or taxis.
For some it takes 45 days. For others, 45 years or a lifetime.
Most visit the temples in ascending order, from number 1 to 88. … Read more
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 … Read more
Day 28: Bikes, Dragonflies and Leveling Up
Steps: 23.358 (22,1km)
Temples: None
We fell right asleep after dinner last night and didn’t get up again for 10 hours. Still, the 16km to Shimanto felt longer than usual, but we managed with a diet consisting of curry, ice cream and technicolor drinks.
Day 27: Lucky Bastards
Steps: 39.317 (38,1km)
Temples: 37
I decided to break in my new shoes today. I figured since the old pair I brought as a spare have lasted now for almost half the trip, a brand new pair ought to be able to do the rest. Also, 400 grams may not seem like much, but the load off from my backpack … Read more
Day 26: The Toughest Henrō on the Trail
Steps: 36.909 (33,9km)
Temples: None
Another day of sleeping in until 8, to let the worst of the rain fizzle out. On the way out the door we met the smallest henrō, eight-year-old Aita and his dad, who are doing the Kochi section together. Quite impressive for an eight-year-old, and even more so considering that his backpack-to-body ratio was roughly … Read more
Day 25: Karma and Comfort Food
Steps: 27.434 (25,8km)
Temples: None
One of my favorite things about Buddhism is the law of karma, which states that everything you put out into the universe, be it good or bad, will come back to you. Some also call it “the law of attraction” or say things like “You reap what you sow”, “where attention goes, energy flows”, “be … Read more
Day 24: Snakes and Lizards
Steps: 26.119 (22,5km)
Temples: 36
A cloudy, humid morning turned into a beautiful sunny day, as we climbed from Tosa through the forest via the Shōryūji trail, to arrive at Usa bay on the other side. The trail featured many small waterfalls and our very first snake spotting!
Once at the bay, we left our backpacks at … Read more