Neither of us slept very well last night, perhaps because we were both feeling a slight concern about today's walk. Yesterday was definitely hard yakka and we were not keen on another the same so soon. However, we needn't have worried because, although it was a similar mileage today, the terrain was a lot more gradual, except for a few parts of the last 4km.
We very much enjoyed wandering along gentle paths and country lanes, past rice paddies again and through cedar forests with the odd cherry and beech tree thrown in. It was really weird to encounter lots of wild camellias, because in NZ they are essentially a garden plant. You know when you pass them by the red flowers under your feet.
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| Lovely gentle track |
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| Cut logs stacked up for growing shitake mushrooms |
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| Said mushrooms |
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| Typical steps to a shrine |
The other two couples in our tour group opted to skip the first 2km up the valley, and start at the trailhead up to a shrine on the crest of a ridge, but we met up again an hour after John and I set off.
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| All six of us |
Many of the shrines and temples we are seeing on this tour are small, old and rustic. Their upkeep is in the hands of the local community, which is why some are in some sadly need a little TLC. The local communities here are running low on population, and we pass by many houses that appear to have been abandoned.
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| Small shrine |
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| Walking through cedars |
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| Bamboo sprouts everywhere, some enormous |
Another shrine then a descent down to a large dam, beside which was a little eatery which was the designated place for lunch. Simple soba noodles with duck went down very quickly, as did multiple cups of tea. Tea is always served free wherever you eat, and it is typically bottomless. The eatery was run by two little old women, as have been many of the places we have eaten.
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| We came across this very large animal trap. There are bears around here? Possibly for a boar. |
It was a bit of haul to climb up a hill on a tummy laden with soup, especially when I got the stitch. However it was all worthwhile when we crested the hill and arrived at Choan-Ji Temple. This is set in a gorgeous garden on a hillside and is the first place we have come to where the azaleas were in full flower. Up until now there have been plants budding, or partly in flower, but for the first time we were in the right place at the right time. It was simply gorgeous. The range of colours, along with assorted maples, camellias and rhododendrons, made for a splendid sight indeed. This was one of the major reasons for coming to Japan in April, and hopefully the azaleas will be coming into full blossom as we head northwards in a few days' time. We are very much looking forward to viewing the large public gardens we saw at Takamatsu and Kanazawa in 2019.
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| Gardens at Choan-ji Temple ground |
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| Choan-ji Temple |
Choan-ji temple was an important training ground for over 1000 Buddhist monks at a time and was at the height of its power in the 8th-13th centuries. It supervised over 100 local subtemples. We saw a couple of monks when we were there today.
With a steepish 2km descent back down to the valley floor, our tour-mates again decided to get a taxi direct to our accommodation for the night. After John and I emerged from the forest and hit the valley floor, it was just a short wander to Tennan-ji Temple.
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| Ripening rice waving in the breeze |
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| Rice |
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| Tennan-ji Temple |
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| Many of the shrines and temples have been set into rock walls that have been heavily cut back |
Arriving at 2.30pm we had almost two hours to wait until the pre-arranged pick-up time by taxi to take us to our accommodation. We handled it rather well - a wee eatery was on tap. With a cold beer in hand, and two local Japanese guys plus the woman owner keen to 'chat' with us, we spent quite some time with Google Translate working hard. It was fun.
The taxi arrived a bit early and we were whisked the 20-minute ride to Spaland Matama, quite a large hotel for our night's accommodation. As soon as possible we changed into our yukata (evening robe which is always provided) and popped downstairs to the onsen. The water was quite a lot hotter than last night's onsen and very relaxing. It worked well to loosen up the joints and muscles.
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| Our room. Futons are laid out for sleeping later in the evening. |
Different was in a different league again. It was unbelievable. I queried our tour-group friends if they typically made this for dinner themselves. They assured me - no. Pictures say 1000 words .....
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| The table setting as we arrived for dinner. First course. Many different types of seafood. |
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| Tempura added |
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| Miso custard added |
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| Soba noodles and dipping sauce |
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| Rice, miso and mushroom soup |
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| Mousse for dessert |
Need I say, it was a wonderful meal. John ordered sake (heartedly approved of by our Asian friends) and I ordered my first glass of wine in nearly three weeks!To top it off, we all gathered together for a group photo. The other woman thought I should stand a little down the ramp so they didn't appear too short...
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| John, Karen, Cindy, Ben, Ai, Meng |
