Day Three 2018

Start: Yoneya Ryokan
Finish: Temple 40
Distance: 20.5 km


Day three was the first of our elevation days, with 300 meters of elevation gain, more or less straight up, and then losing it all again.  Japanese trail makers don't believe in switchbacks.

Our route started the day climbing out of the city, offering some nice views.  This part of Shikoku grows a lot of citrus fruits, especially mikan (a type of mandarin orange), and we passed through several orchards as we walked.

Eventually the trail got serious, but after a bit of sweat we were up and over.  Then it was down, down, down.

Our day ended at Temple 40, with a comfortable room and a nice bath.  Aldin was nice enough to model his inside slippers, which generally come on only one size.

Day Two 2018

Start: Imachan

Finish: Yoneya Ryokan

Distance: 25km

We started the day like we finished it, with a hearty meal.  No boar this time but we did get a slice of cake made with home-made sake for dessert.  Yup, breakfast dessert.

The first part of the day was spent hiking through cedar forests over a low pass.  Being full of energy and low on blisters we took several side trips as we walked, visiting shrines and graves along the way.  

The only temple of the day was Temple 39.  The temple had a very nice garden, including a quality rock.  Among other things the temple boasts an eye washing well said to cure eye disease and a legend about a turtle that showed up in 911 with a bell on its back, as turtles do.

Our destination was a rather run down old inn, but the elderly couple were friendly and happy to see us.  The Mrs greeted us with both a bow and a handshake, and when we left the next day Aldin got a hug, twice.  

Day One 2018

Start: Shinnen-an
End: Minshuku Imachan
Distance: 10km

Today we started our morning in Shimanto, having arrived just before midnight the day before after a long series of flights, bus rides, and a train.  We had breakfast at a cute little cafe where we at an unusual but very tasty breakfast sandwich.  As we sat eating someone gave us our first gift of the trip, a small bag of cookies.

Then when we went to pay for our breakfasts the owner came over and told us it was on the house, so we received two gifts in just one stop.

After breakfast we hopped on a bus for the last bit of mechanical transportation, riding 20 minutes to get where we left off last time.   The weather was pleasant and the views we're nice.  We stopped for lunch at a small rest hut.

 

After lunch we ran into a cute  little snake along the trail.  After doing some research later, it might have been a Mamushi, which are quite poisonus.

Since this first day was so short we made it to our lodging by 2pm.  Unfortunately our land lady was not going to get home until 4pm, so we killed some time playing cards.  Then it was time for a hot bath and an amazing dinner.  Our landlady makes her own sake, a type I've never had before with whole pieces of rice in it.  On top of that we had veggies, rice, river crab, boar, and tempura.  It was a feast.