4th of September 2019 – After a good night’s rest I am wide awake at 5:30 AM. The sun is already rising, the light throwing rays across the coast. I get up, get dressed, and put my things in my backpack. Around 6:15 I arrive at the breakfast buffet. The buffet is on a different floor from the restaurant. I am free to choose what I scoop onto my serving tray. This morning, I choose a mix of European and Japanese.
Around fifteen minutes to seven I check out, put on my backpack, and leave the hotel. The weather is amazing, and I get back on the route. I first go back a little the way I came yesterday. In Hiwasa, I buy my lunch and drink some coffee. Then, I take a turn and walk onto route <55>. Another thirty kilometres to go until Pavilion Surf!
Walking, walking down the coast
Today, there will be no temples for me to visit. I am alone with the asphalt, coast, and myself. I walk, and the thoughts flow freely. This first prefecture throws you back into your past. That means that I am revisiting all kinds of people and situations from my childhood. I think about my playmates from primary school, Erwin and Machiel, take some time for my experience of secondary school, and re-experience all kinds of challenges from my work. Walking should have meditative properties. So far, though, that has definitely not been the case!
Bike-henro
At one of my breaks, I encounter a henro on a bike. You need to have courage to attempt that. On this throughway the cars pick up quite some speed. And as cyclist, you are also driving down that road. As a hiker, I can still dive into the berm when a car drives too fast, and I consciously choose to walk in the opposing direction of traffic. By giving a friendly greeting to a driver, cars generally move aside for me as pilgrim. On a bike, this does not work.
Local supermarket
When I walk into a town, I see a local supermarket. There, I go look for some milk. Lovely, cool and refreshing, and it’s good to get some extra protein in me. I am bewildered as I look around the store at the immense variety of products they have managed to squeeze into such a small shop.
Mugi
About halfway lies Mugi, a small spot along the coast. I want to take a rest here in a Henro hut, to escape the scorching sun. Sadly, I miss the hut, and I still have no idea where it was. This is why I stop at a Lawson’s Konbini to drink an ice-coffee. To make one, you buy a cup with cubes of ice. You put that under one of the coffee machines and then you pour warm coffee over it. The result is ice cold coffee, with every now and then a half molten ice cube. That cools me down nicely!
My head under the garden hose
In the vicinity of Asakawa, I find a Henro-hut right next to a karaoke bar, Café Fukunaga. I take off my backpack, and as I go to sit down the proprietress of the café comes outside. She gestures to me that I should walk with her to the small pool next to the Café. There, she grabs a garden hose, turns on the water, and in no uncertain language signs to me that I should bend my head forward. After I do just that, BAM! I get the cool stream of water aimed at my head. After my head, she soaks my arms and gestures at me to sit down. I meekly do so.
Ice-cold water
She goes inside only to return immediately with a glass mug filled with ice cubes and a tiny amount of water. Atsui desu! She says. She asks me if I want to eat something. I am a little overwhelmed and I say no before I realize I could have sat inside of the airconditioned café. I have not yet grasped the fact that the people here all wish me nothing but the best. Thankfully, I packed lunch, and while I drink the ice water, I eat my rice balls for lunch.
And then we go back to that d**ned route <55>
By now, I am pretty tired of this road that doesn’t seem to ever end. The heat is immense. Every once in a while, a cloud passes in front of the sun, taking away the sunshine, but the heat and humidity remain high. While walking, I can’t really get rid of my own heat. The kilometres weigh on my backpack, increasing the perceived weight with every step. This does keep me in the here and now; I complain to myself, and not for the last time, I curse myself for departing so early in the season.
In 2024 I revisited this same spot on my second henro. It had transferred into a great place to stay. Now it was called Haryugetsu Guest House and is part of the henro house network.
The last bit along the coast
On the little maps in the Route Guide, it seems quite doable. Two pages contain the part that I need to hike today. Today I find out, that the book used different scales, that I could have recognized from the colours that were used for the page numbers. The first page is 1:30.000. the second page is 1:60.000. and on that last map, the route runs diagonally across both pages, and there is even a cutout of the remainder of the route in the upper left corner. 30 kilometres is a long way, I have been fooled, because it seemed to only be two maps. I will not forget that lesson soon!
Pavilion Surf – A paradise for surfers along the coast
Around half past two I arrive at Shishikui. This small village is renowned as little Hawaii. The waves off the coast are gorgeous. This is why surfers from all over Japan travel to this place to surf. And I will be sleeping in a room next to a surf shop!
The hostess speaks fine English. She hands me the key to room and gives me a short tour. There is a lovely veranda here where you can sit and relax. On the seaside there is a very nice spot with a hammock where you can look out over the sea.
High humidity means rust
I had seen before that my belt buckle was rusting. Today, I see that my trousers have rust spots underneath where my belt sits. Time for a new belt… from the surf shop! Of course, there was a very good belt for sale in the shop. For 10 euro in Yen, with the current exchange rate, I leave the shop with a new Quicksilver-belt. The old one gets thrown in the bin.
Contact with the home front and with the rest of the world
I take an afternoon nap on a ‘real’ bed, take a refreshing shower, and chat with the homefront. I send some pictures to them from my iPhone. Then, I see that my membership to the English-speaking Shikoku o-henro-san group has been verified. A few days ago. I had asked for access, so I could post photo’s. Now I can! (English Shikoku o-henro-san group)
And where will I sleep tomorrow?
I plan my trip for tomorrow. That turns out to be quite tough, because there aren’t that many possibilities to spend the night somewhere. I’m glad to find out that the hostess here is willing to see what she can arrange. She succeeds in reserving a stay at Lodge Ozaki. That is about 24 kilometres from here. Tomorrow is an acceptable walking distance. She immediately tells me that I can only hand in the keys to the room at 7:00. I guess I can sleep in tomorrow!
Dinner at the neighbours
Around half past six, I go out to eat – under advisement from the hostess – at the neighbours in the Izakaya. By now it has started to drizzle outside. You can tell that they’re open, because there is an orange alarm light in front of the door. And 1/3 of a curtain hangs in front of that same door. Inside, a pubescent boy greets me, and he guides me to a table. He puts a menu down next to me.
Ordering one cource at the time
I order an alcohol-free beer and a dish with beef strips. I have no clue what it is, but according to what the server said the cook was inspired by Korean cuisine. The dish arrives, without any rice or any other side dishes. A rookie mistake! I should have ordered that alongside the dish. In a second round, I ask for another beer, some rice, and a salad. When I finish, my belly is round, I had a great dinner and have gained another experience. Around nine, I get back to my cabin. I chat with Katja, brush my teeth, and fall asleep. Unfortunately, the walls turn out to be very thin, because in the middle of the night, my neighbours come home and wake me with a fright. Otherwise, I sleep great, in a European bed!