Celebrate walking the Kumano Sanzan with raw fish, sushi. Incredibly delicious. I’ve learned not to ask what I am eating until I’ve cleaned my plate…eel. Now home to watch the LA Dodgers play Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome on TV. So Japanese.
Climbing 500 brutally steep and irregular shaped stone steps to hopefully our last shrine of the day has mustard all my willpower.
Having walked 55 arduous miles, we have arrived at our last Kumano Sanzan, the trio of the three great Kumano shrines.
These aren’t the California surfing waves of the Pacific Ocean. Surfing season is typhoon season August to October.
Whale watchers from this look out point sent smoke signals immediately after detecting a whale to inform people on the beach and fleet where the whales were. Can you imagine traditionally people got in the water to harpoon whales?
OVERVIEW
Bullet dodged as the mountain pass we crossed yesterday is now snow covered. Fortunately much of today’s walk is at sea level yet wind gusts of 40mph present a hardship.
It has been said as pilgrims descend from Funami-toge Pass, they may see a figure coming towards them. As the figure approaches the pilgrim recognizes it as a deceased friend or relative. When the pilgrim begins to speak, the figure vanishes. Namiyo hopes she will meet her father.
OVERVIEW
In 1201 the famous poet Fujiware Teika wrote in his diary, “This route is very rough and difficult; it is impossible to describe precisely how tough it is.” I couldn’t express it better.
This Japanese woman epitomized the friendliness and manners of its people. Even masked her eyes dances with joy. I had to bow to my knees to show her more respect than what she showed me.
Today’s clearer skies reveal Kumano Kodo’s mountains. I thought I was finally getting stronger walking legs until I discovered the mileage, ascent, and time were a fraction of the past days. Wishful thinking has thoughts of lower mountains, stronger legs.
