Day 17: 88 Temples (37) - Shimanto


This morning I rode the train with the Brazilians and a few other Henro.  Fabiane and her father are walking the whole way and to make today a little shorter ...  probably because she is very organized and realized today would be long and hard, where as I just get up and walk ... they walk 6km to Awa.  Yesterday they walked 6km there intending to take the train back to their Ryokan but the train was an hour wait so they walked back.



Taking the train here seems popular as there is busy suburb/city and then several long tunnels.


Off the train I jumped off to an early lead and started up the first climb.  It was on a goat trail Henro path through the woods.  The trails through the woods are generally very steep.  I don't mind going up - it's just work - but going down hurts and if possible I will take the road.  The climb up was steep and I worked up quite a sweat.  The downhill was more gentle and I made good time.  



In the flat of the valley, just out of the woods, I met two Americans going the other direction.  We chatted for a few minutes.  One of them lives 4 blocks from me in San Francisco.  We compared Camino and Shikoku.  As we were talk the Brazilians passed and I knew I would not catch them again today.



The second climb was bigger and steeper than the first.  It was hard.  Steep with lots of loose rocks.  I kept thinking I had reached the top and then it went up some more.


The downhill was only about half the climb and for the rest of the day it was a gentle grade in the right direction.



I had no accomodations near Temple 37 in Shimanto Town.  Mitchell, the Henro Ambassador, had booked me in the nearest available in Shimanto City.  I could take the train.  Shimanto Town and Shimanto City are 50km apart!  I had hoped to get the 2:56pm limited express which would have gotten me there in 30 minutes.  I really wanted to make that train and I pushed myself to get there.  I had only taken short catch my breath breaks on the climbs and on the flats I took just a few 5 minute breaks to get the shoes off and cool the feet.



I kept trying to figure out my remaining distance and how long it would take.  I didn't give up until I passed the train station and started counting the time it would take to get back to the train station.  Just 15 minutes more and I would have made it.  Those climbs took far longer than I expected.


After Temple 37 I saw I could take a local at 3:30.  That was easy to make but it took over an hour.  The daylight started to fade as I walked to the hotel.



I walked into the hotel I had in my notes and asked for my reservation.  There was a lot of scrambling  and one of the clerks called the more expensive hotel two blocks away.  They had my reservation.  Sorry, bad gaijin.  There was confusion when Mitchell was calling and I matched up the wrong hotel, thought I might've done that


I'm really tired now.  I don't like getting to the hotel (either one) after dark.


I randomly picked a restaurant and I got the last seat in the place, two people were turned away while I sat.  It was a good place.  Probably the best sashimi I've had so far.  Eggplant was very good. 



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