Day 24: 88 Temples (40) - Ainan

It rained all night and was still raining pretty hard when I had breakfast with Alistair at 7am.

It let up by the time I started walking at 9:30.  Very light rain kept the ground wet but there were not a lot of big puddles.  It is very hard to use the phone and glasses but fortunately today had the best marked trail of the trip.

After a Family Mart stop for a litre of tea and some rice balls a few blocks later I was out of the city.  Started climbing immediately and the road was soon in the woods.  I knew I was supposed to turn off onto a path.  It felt wrong and I checked the map which required a lot of glasses wiping and phone drying.  I had missed the path.  Backtracking I couldn't see how, it was very well marked.

Today was a great walk even with the light on and off rain.  Lots of forest paths, little hamlets and farms.  There were some steep bit but near the top but not long compared to earlier climbs.

I reached the peak expecting a hut for shelter I saw on a map lower down.  I saw only a bench and a restroom .  Disappointed, I took a bench in front of an amazing view and ate lunch as it started to rain a little harder.  The hut was 30 meters further.

So far I had been walking for over two hours and was only about 5km done.  I had quite a bit of distance to cover still.  Coming down the grade was gentle enough I could walk faster and the kilometers started clicking down.

As I started to get to houses and then suburbs it felt this area was a little more prosperous.  There were more new houses and the cars were all new and one driveway had a big Audi sitting in it.

At Lawsons I ordered a latte at the register but put my cup in the no milk machine before realizing I used the wrong machine.  Their lattes are pretty good but I would not have one today.

The rest of the way to the temple was suburban with a few forest paths.  After not raining hard all day it came down hard for about 15 minutes.  It soaked me and made puddles that got in my shoes.  To this point I had been fairly dry.

The last few kilometers was along the levy beside the river.  I came to a Henro hut and stopped for a minute.  I didn't want to take long because I was nearly there.  Taking the pack off for a few minutes felt good.  Then a guy popped up out of nowhere and handed me a can of hot coffee.  I watch him walk back to his car parked in front of a vending machine across the street and drive off.  Osettai.

Walking the levy path I got startled and nearly jumped in front of a guy on a bike.  We both apologized and had a good laugh about what to do coming up on pedestrians: make noise or be silent.  It is a difficult decision sometimes.  His English was pretty good.

Then I was at the temple. Manicured but nothing special.  I got my stamp and looked at my map for my hotel.  It was very close and I as I was walking I saw my friend on the bike.  We had another chat and I said I was done for the day and pointed to my hotel.  He knew it so I asked if there were any good restaurants near by.  He recommended one right near the hotel and that's where I ate.