So one day I went for a walk...

Yesterday was all kinds of depressing. But it is amazing the difference a good night's sleep can make. I know it will take a week or two for the temperature to start to fall to a safer, more manageable level for me to start the hike again. And while the waiting could be a source of frustration, I am determined to make the best of it. My host Takanori gave me good advice on many things to see and do nearby.  I am extremely happy to be staying in Takanori's guest house, as he has made me feel very welcome, and our conversations have been very enjoyable. Takanori and me! Today the first order of business is to go to the local supermarkets, once they open, and take a good long time really figuring out trail food. I didn't discuss my food selection in a previous post, but it was an added source of consternation during those first two hard days on the trail. The morning of my first hiking day I had stopped at a supermarket near the trailhead to find supplies.  The

There aren't many times I get into the shower fully clothed.  But I am getting ahead of myself. This morning I was on top of a mountain just outside Osaka, laying in tent, listening to the forest.  A hundreds of insects sprung to life at the first hint of dawn. What little sleep I had managed in the warm night was over and it was time to return to Osaka to regroup. The humidity meant that none of my clothes had dried from the previous day's hike. Still soaked in sweat, and the unmistakable aroma of ammonia. Funny thing when you drink 5 litres of water and hardly pee, your body has other ways of removing waste. So I put back on my wet, stinky clothes, broke camp, ate a depressing meal, and headed back down the mountain. The last 2.5km of the hike up the mountain to the top where I camped for the night was all stairs.  And I wish I was exaggerating.  It was brutal. Going back down was a welcome change in that regard, but not much easier on tired legs. Any