A Walk Around Shodoshima Day 3 The Mito Peninsula Part II Sat Dec 26 Coming downwards the hillside I speedily brand it at a small, white shrine, the
okunoin of temple lay out 29,
Kazaana-An, which I honor non far below. It is high on the hillside in addition to downwards below I tin consider the line-fishing hamlet I would cause got come upward through if I had taken the coast route around. I would cause got been disheartened to honor a large climb upward to hither thence i time once again I'm glad I chose to follow the pilgrim footpath. Just every bit I brand it I consider a couple of immature women heading downwards to the car green below. The outset pilgrims I cause got seen since
starting this walk 3 days ago. As I larn to the route I run into a fellow only arriving yesteryear bicycle. I piece of job on bumping into him during the day. In such hilly terrain walking in addition to cycling cause got a similar pace. My route at i time heads upward the due west coast of the peninsula, a much to a greater extent than populated side amongst farming villages every bit good every bit line-fishing villages, in addition to quite a few larger temples.
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| Giant sago palm at Seigantoji, Shodoshima |
Around the corner in addition to over the rise, the side yesteryear side hamlet is called Yoshino in addition to is ready inwards a minor valley amongst rice paddies. The side yesteryear side temple,
Shohoji, lay out 30, is a fairly criterion rural temple. There is a priest's house, but no-one is home. Back to the coast route in addition to i time once again to a greater extent than or less in addition to over to the side yesteryear side picayune hamlet in addition to valley, Hamaminami, in addition to temple 31,
Seigantoji. This is a picayune to a greater extent than substantial, amongst a gate amongst a bell, in addition to inwards the forecourt a really massive Cycad, a Sago Palm. Claimed to locomote over a G years old, it's non the biggest inwards
Japan, but is good known every bit i of the biggest. The original hall is on peak of a rising higher upward a stone garden. Not the sort of raked sand stone garden, rather the gradient is a collection of boulders amongst a few plants inwards between. I sit down nether the gate for a picayune remainder in addition to inwards the minor chapel inwards front end of the gate a grouping of chattering sometime ladies are busy sweeping in addition to cleaning. One insists I cause got a tea. I'm non likewise fond of dark-green tea but it would locomote impolite to reject every bit it is
osettai, a gift to a pilgrim.
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| Shodoshima somen |
Carrying on upward the coast, i time to a greater extent than to a greater extent or less in addition to over into Muro. The pilgrim trail passes yesteryear 2 minor hermitages, i of which,
Hojuji-an, is lay out 34. Now I'm entering a to a greater extent than touristy area. Up on peak of the headland are 2 large hotels, in addition to underneath, yesteryear the side of the road, is a "road station." I halt inwards for some lunch. I produce upward one's heed to endeavour the local
somen, a speciality of the island, a real sparse noodle somewhat akin to vermicelli. It's ok. The side yesteryear side temple is on the hillside upward a steep flying of steps.
Aizenji, lay out 32, is a prissy surprise. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fairly substantial temple amongst prissy landscaping. There is a big, sometime Juniper tree in addition to a prissy rocky hillside garden. Most interesting of all for me was the regain of an
onigawara inwards the shape of a
kappa, the outset I cause got e'er seen. One to a greater extent than curvature in addition to i to a greater extent than rising to cross in addition to I am looking downwards over Ikeda, some other of the towns of the island. Once I larn downwards to body of body of water level, I see a rather odd construction only inland from the beach. It's called a
sajiki, looking similar
castle walls, its a serial of terraces made out of stone that provided seating for watching the festival of the nearby shrine. At to the lowest degree that is what the locals believe. They don't know just when it was built either.
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| Ikeda sajiki |
Behind the
sajiki on the hillside is
Choshoji, in addition to it is yesteryear far the biggest in addition to grandest of the temples thence far. Set on 3 levels amongst massive stone retaining walls amongst lines of steps leading up, many of the buildings are relatively new. There is evidently coin here. The grounds also cause got some real prissy raked sand gardens amongst picayune "islands" topped amongst pruned pino trees. Down the colina is the major shrine of the area, Kameyama Hachimangu, in addition to on my agency upward the driveway the priest of the shrine returns to his identify in addition to nosotros chat for a while. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few minutes afterward spell I am exploring the shrine he comes running upward to me amongst a English linguistic communication language
guide to Shodoshima. He asks where I am staying this evening in addition to thence offers to crusade me in that place but I politely decline every bit I yet cause got 2 to a greater extent than temples to visit. The terminal 2 temples of the day, lay out 36,
Shaka-do, in addition to 37,
Myoji, are correct side yesteryear side door to each other in addition to percentage the same grounds. Both temples cause got some prissy Fudo Myo statues which is a prissy agency to terminate a long day. Nearby on the original route is a charabanc halt from where the charabanc volition cause got me dorsum to Furue. Today I cause got visited xv temples. With 88 to see inwards eight days, that is non a bad day. At the terminate of the 3rd hateful solar daytime I i time once again experience that this has been a surprisingly interesting 3 days of walking in addition to exploring, in addition to I wonder whether the side yesteryear side 5 days volition locomote only every bit good
Jake Davies A Walk Around Shodoshima Day 3 A Walk Around Mito Day 4 © JapanVisitor.com Sumber https://japanvisitor.blogspot.com/