Day 19: The walk to Kyoto

I am sitting in back corner of the common area of my new guest house, listening to a Frenchman teach an American woman Japanese words as I think back over the last few days of walking.

The trip to Kyoto was the first of 5 legs of my trip, and was the first time back up and moving since my calamitous first attempt.  And while I regret having to abandon my initial route, I am happy to now be moving again.

The temperature during the past few days was warm, but manageable, hovering around 31C at the height of each day.  This, combined with a less vertical route meant a more achievable goal.

I remember on the first attempt, in that first day, I drank 5L of water and barely urinated.  I was soaked, literally, in sweat, and exhausted after about 10km.  I saw this to illustrate the difference, as each day on this new attempt I was able to comfortably manage with ~2L per day.  

The reduction in heat and humidity has made all the difference, taking things from "serious concerns for my health" to "a manageable challenge". 

Taking time to let the weather change and plan a new route was the right choice. But it left me a little gun-shy about starting again after two weeks of downtime.

The first day, was a short section about 12km, starting from the last station of the Tokaido road in Osaka, and ending at the (weirdly empty) Sai guest house. Carrying my pack again was tiring, but also gave me confidence upon arriving at Sai and not feeling like I was about to collapse, as I had previously on the mountain.

My plan for the second day was to leave Sai, and walk to the next lodging, but there was nothing really affordable or accessible anywhere along the route.  So instead I booked a two-night stay at Sai, with the intention of walking that section then returning by train in the evening. 

With this plan, and 22km to cover, I left my full pack and took my small day bag with only the essentials; water, rain gear, GPS and battery.  For whatever reason I omitted the first aid kit for the first time.

This walk was the first long, uninterrupted walk I'd taken since arriving in Japan, so I was curious to see how my feet and legs would feel. 

Leaving from Sai made for easy navigation.  As I stepped out the front door I turned right and from there only had to walk for the next 22km. 

The road from the from of the hostel would lead to, and gently merge into, the pathway that traced the Yodogawa river. My goal for the day was to follow it upstream to the delta that split it into three smaller rivers.

From here I walked the high outer bank for kilometres, with the density of Osaka on my right contrasted by the seemingly endless quiet green spaces on my left.

The river itself was much larger that Google Maps had impressed upon me, but despite its size, there was a noticeable absence of any development outside the parks breaking up the fallow, wildly growing fields along the banks.

After a while I dipped down to the lower paths to pass under the many bridges, and in doing so found myself nearly unable to detect the city noise any longer. Those high banks, probably 25 feet high, protected the city from flooding, but also protected this river space from the flood of noise that permeates the city.

Here I walked most of the rest of my journey, and as I followed the river pathway the foliage became ever denser.  But no matter how isolated the path felt, there was always a hint of the urban sprawl I was still truly surround by. 

About halfway through the day I took a spill while crossing some shallow water.  The sudden tumble put me on my back in the water, and I quickly scrambled up, concerned for the electronics I was carrying.  Thankfully fully none of my gear was damaged, but the slick concrete took its toll on my body.

Thankfully however my feet and legs were left unharmed.

While you are already aware that I had forgotten to pack my first aid kit, it was only dawning on me that it wasn't where I usually put it.  I rinsed out the cuts and scrapes as best I could and used my buff as a temporary bandage to stop the bleeding.

If it weren't for this injury, this would have been a refreshing splash midway through the walk.  But now, without a way to properly clean and dress my elbow, I was left with a stinging wound that I felt with the constant breeze the sunset brought.

Thankfully, this was the only event to take place, and I eventually made my way to Hasimoto train station.  

There is something... perverse about walking for hours only to get to the end, get on a train and watch out the window as it is all undone in a matter of minutes.  But at that point I was to tired to contemplate the strange humour of it, I just wanted to go lay down.

As I returned to Sai, aching and tired, I was concerned for the last step towards Kyoto. Almost as long, at 21km, but I would not be able to avoid carrying my pack.

I tried to sleep, but despite my weariness, it was difficult to get comfortable.  I am still not entirely adjusted to Japanese style hostel sleeping. A thin mat on a slightly padded floor is a difficult for my old western body to adjust to.

Waking early the next day, packed up, and self checked-out from the hostel. My entire time there I never encountered a single staff member. I quietly departed.

My phone had not charged over night, so I walked to a nearby McDonald's and bought a breakfast so I could sit and charge my phone.  My large pack odd among the collection of office workers and briefcases.

Eventually I set out, back to the train, and picked up where I left off the day before, pack and all.

My legs were surprisingly energetic, and I returned to the heavily green river path.  But where the previous day was dominated by quiet, cool river breezes, the transition from Osaka to Kyoto was a trek industrial noise and concrete.

Passing by the power plant signaled the industrial change that was to come.

A great deal of yesterday was dominated by the warehouses and large trucks that populated the landscape between the two cities.  But despite the predominantly industrialized feel, Japan's extremely relaxed approach to zoning meant that the monotony would be broken by an unexpected block of flats or small farmer's field.

Right between a warehouse and an autobody shop.

Knowing I had not walked this distance with this pack fully loaded before, I was strict about breaking the distance into thirds and taking breaks to recover my legs, even when it felt unnecessary at the first breakpoint.

This insistence on taking breaks was likely the main reason I was able to make the distance despite the extra 12kg of weight.  That, and music.

Last week I bought a cheap pair of wireless earphones to watch Netflix after lights out in the dorms, but their true value has been while walking.    

At the end of the day's it's the mental exhaustion that urges me to give in to the physical exhaustion. In the last few kilometres of my walk, through the heart of Kyoto, as the sun was setting, my legs began to run out of steam.

With 5km left to go, I popped my earphones in, put on some music with a good tempo, and let that rhythm carry me those last painful kilometres. Music helps break up the mental exhaustion for me, gives my mind new energy and helps me to quiet the pain and exhaustion on my body.

Here again as I loved through Kyoto I followed a river, and as dusk fell, the insects sprung up. But I was left unmolested thanks to the bats that also took to the skies over the river by the hundreds.  Flapping and wheeling around only feet overhead, the bats flew air support for the last leg of my walk into Kyoto, and I enjoyed the airshow as darkness fell. 

As I arrived at the guesthouse, I was pleased to have made it, but my legs were decidedly stone. Going through the check-in process I patiently did my best not to collapse in a heap at any random point in the building. 

Shown to my bunk, I set my things down, grabbed a change of clothes and a towel, and showered while I could still stand. 

Afterwards I was thrilled to realize my bunk was one with a comfortable foam mattress to rest my weary body on.  I slept my best sleep since arriving in Japan.

This leg was 55km, and certainly not the longest.  Covering that distance isn't a big deal for hardcore hiker, but for a fat guy with a partially crippled left leg and 15 years behind a desk to work off, I am happy to have completed it.

This morning I was surprised to discover that my legs were in a comfortable state, with little in the way of ache.  In part due to the stretching and elevating them before sleeping, but also I can feel them responding positively to the work.  It gives me confidence that the longer sections will be something my legs and my body will be able to tackle. 

But before the next 550km of walking, I am staying in Kyoto for a week to explore. With luck I will find new things worth reporting back about.