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Saturday 12 April 2014

Temple 46-Joruriji; Temple 47-Yasakaji; Temple 48-Sairinji; Temple 49-Jodoji; Temple 50-Hantaji; Temple 51-Ishiteii

Today the temples are relatively close, from 0.9 km to 4.6 km being the longest from temple 46. So my plan is to try and do them all by 5 pm, which is when the temple closes.
However, the weather forecast is for rain all day. So looks like another wet one.
I am planning on staying at the Gen Guesthouse, which is suppose to have WiFi and the owners speak English.
RAIN, RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY......
What can I say, it rained steady all day, so that everything was wet to one degree or another. What I found interesting, was to see people riding their bikes with these large clear umbrellas. Amazing how they manage.
I managed to take some pictures. They are not the best, as I could only take them from under shelters.
Picture 1: Temple 46 - Buddha Hall
Picture 2: Temple 47 - Buddha Hall
Picture 3: Temple 47 - turtle statue
Picture 4: Temple 48 - Bell Tower
Picture 5: Temple 49 - rainy picture
Picture 6: Temple 49
Picture 7: Temple 50 - Buddha Hall
Picture 8: Temple 50 - Footprints
Picture 9: Temple 50 - Un-gyo
Picture 10: Temple 50 - A-gyo
Picture 11: Temple 51 -Kukai Hall inside
Picture 12: Temple 51 - Buddha Hall
Picture 13: Temple 51 - Pagoda
I was never so glad to find the place I was staying at. Even though I had rain gear on, the problem is you sweat and feel damp. When I arrived at the Gen Guesthouse at 3 pm, the owner who is American married to a Japanese woman and who speaks good English, said check-in wasn't til 4 pm. I said, "I am soaked" as the water dripped from my sedge hat. "Is there any place close by where I can dry out while I wait?". As well, a guy arrived on a motorcycle. He was soaked as well. The owner said let me get you a towel and said we both could check in early. It was nice to get out of the wet clothes and put them in a dryer and feel human again.
My walks between temples was going well until trying to go to 49. I was following these signs, which I thought was for the pilgrimage. It took me to a shrine and I couldn't find where to go from there. I stopped at a garage station to ask for directions. The poor garage attendant could see I was soaked and lost. He didn't know where the temple was. Finally, I asked him to call a taxi. He said it would be there in 6 minutes. Well, it was the longest 6 minutes in my life, as everyone looked at the soaking wet ohenro. Finally the taxi arrived and couldn't figure out where the temple was. I thought now I am in trouble. I showed him my Guide Book and finally he figured it out and I was on my way. I was never so happy to see a temple on all my life when we arrived. To this day I am not sure what markers I was following, they weren't red arrows but were white circles with a picture of the pilgrim walker on it and green arrows. I thought they were taking me on the green dotted path but I was wrong. Oh well, I survive, and learned a valuable lesson to follow the Route Guide and not to blindly follow the markers.
Sorry the pictures aren't the best. Hope to get a good nights sleep and off to an early start tomorrow.

1 comment:

  1. Rain is good for your mind to train to remember it is just temporary like all things.

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