Walking in circles?

Today I'm back in Tokushima, at the Dai-ichi Hotel (translates to something like "big one"), a mere week after I left, having plowed through 17 temples in 7 days. I feel like I've been out there a month already! One thing I am getting good at is making reservations in Japanese at inns and boarding houses... sometimes its the only speaking I do in a whole day. Time goes by really slowly when you are just walking... by yourself... you know they say when you are dreaming that your mind goes through an hour of story in only a few minutes? I think my thoughts have gone on like that while walking... I'll ponder something for what seems like hours only to check my watch and realize that it's only been 10 minutes.

Since leaving the mountain, I've missed my GPS gizmo... It fell off my pack on the trail somewhere, with an inaudible thud thanks to the audiobook I was listening to. (A Short History of Nearly Everything -- I got all the way to Einstein's theory of Relativity by the end of the trail!) Without it I can only guestimate where I place my markers on Google Earth, which, if you don't have, you should download for free - GET IT HERE - because it will let you see with amazing satellite detail where exactly I have been hiking. Here are the first three packets of markers, as accurate as possible! >> Temples 1 thru 6, Temples 7 thru 12, and Temples 13 thru 18. What fun!

Hiking has been difficult, but every day finished carries a huge sense of accomplishment, and I'm sure that will compound the further I get. I expect I'll be in better shape soon, too, so the abuse will get a bit easier to take. Getting used to very basic amenities, and literally eating light - anything heavy just means I am carrying more weight on my back! I am going through money a bit faster than I'd hoped, but as I head south along the coast into the warmer climate, there should be more places to shelter for free, and I might be able to make up the difference if I'm careful. Anyone interested may sponsor a day on the trail for the small sacrifice of $60! All my temple chanting for the day will be done in the donor's name, earning you a much better shot at reaching true enlightenment... ;-D (Joking aside, if you really want to help, and I thank you soooo much if you do, there's a totally legit paypal link on my homepage, find it by clicking HERE! You can name the amount at whatever fits. THanKS!)

I am leaving tomorrow morning for Temples 18, 19, and 20. I believe I'll stay at 20 or nearby, then off to 21 and 22 the next morning. It's a longer haul to 23, and that will mark the end of the first of the four segments, this being the Dojo of Awakening Faith (historically, Awa Province - now Tokushima Prefecture). The next one is more of a test... Hope I'm ready! I know my ankles are still getting used to this!

A little background on the structure of the pilgrimage.... The island of 四国 Shikoku (wikipedia with map) is made up of four prefectures. In fact the name, 四-shi 国-koku, means literally “four countries.” The pilgrimage is symbolically and ideologically divided by these four regions, which through history have had very different characters. Some were known for welcoming henro, and some were known otherwise. Tokushima (Awa), the first part of the pilgrimage, is known for its people being very friendly and encouraging toward beginning henro, as I've experienced firsthand: on my second day, three different people pressed ¥1000 bills (about $10) into my hands as O-settai, a gift to a henro that is symbolically an offering to the Daishi himself. I've also been given sweets, pastries, coins, and even a half-full bottle of lemonade!

The second region is Tosa (presently Kochi Prefecture), known as the Dojo of Religious Discipline. Historically, the laws in Tosa have been harsh toward henro, and this combined with the terrain made it challenging indeed. This is where I'll be heading later this week; I believe I'll be finished with Awa by Friday (2/24). The first temple of Tosa is #24, but is over a hundred km down the coastline. The view will be stunning, and I'll have plenty of time to take it in. Cape Muroto is the first goal, also a favorite place for surfer pilgirms searching for that perfect wave...

Iyo Province (now Ehime Prefecture) has the most temples in it, and is the Dojo of Enlightenment (can't wait to see what that is like!) and beyond that, Sanuki Province (Kagawa Prefecture), the Dojo of Nirvana. This last stage brings you back to complete the circle, and you end as you began at Ryozen-ji, Temple 1. I hope I make it this far, but I stopped worrying on maybe the 2nd day... I care less about finishing in one fell swoop than about enjoying the journey, and getting something out of it, or making it to the end of March without running out of dough. Many Japanese don't get much vacation time, so they break the circuit up over several years, doing maybe two weeks at a time each year until they finish... If I don't get to the end, what a good excuse to come back! :-)

Enough for now, I think, but more soon!
Thanks for reading this far!
-Alicia