So one day I went for a walk...

These last few days in Tokyo have been extremely restful, but also challenging in the pursuit of that rest. It seems that walking constantly for a few straight months sets a subconscious rhythm, one that even when the music has stopped my body wants to keep moving to. Despite my many pains, and a desire to rest for their sake, I have found it hard to actually do so. Each morning I tell myself I am going to just stay in bed that day, relax and do as little as possible.  By the end of the day I have walked at least 12km. In part Japanese cities and walking go together like government and corruption, you can't have one without the other it would seem.  So even just the act of going somewhere nearby typically can draw me into more walking than I planned on. But also, I am simply fighting to feel comfortable not being constantly on the move. Even when I was taking off days on the trail, I was still exploring the place I found myself extensively. I would walk nearly as much...

Today I leave Kyoto.  I have probably stayed longer than should, and certainly longer than necessary, but I have enjoyed my time here and have grown from it. My last few days have been peaceful, quiet and relaxing.  The city is filled with things to see and do, but I haven't felt their draw for a while, so instead I have spent my time enjoying the quiet space here. As when I left Osaka, saying goodbye to Takanori and his Banana Hammock guest house, I will be sad to put behind me Noeli & Maca and the Hanakanzashi.  Leaving the warmth and friendship shown to me by Takanori was much harder than I had expected it to be, and I know this will be very true here as well. These two women have been kind and friendly to me, and I have enjoyed being able to spend time in their company immensely.  It is certainly a big part of why I chose to stay as long as I did. But this journey isn't about sitting still, and I have done enough of that for now. It is time once again...

On the road to Kyoto I learned that walking with the day bag packed with only what I need for the day certainly preferably.  Walking with my full pack, now weighed down with nearly useless camping gear, only makes the whole process a lot harder and slower. With this knowledge I've been planning at the road forward.  The next major stop is Nagoya, which is about 135km from Kyoto.  The biggest challenge in all of this is actually having confidence that I will have a place to sleep each night.  Now that I am following a mostly urban route, there is practically no options for legal camping.  Frustratingly though, there are very limited options for hostels or hotels either.  Despite being urban, much of the path is through small towns, and the options become extremely sparse.  So I have decided to try a large version of the strategy that I used to get from Osaka, using Kyoto as my HQ for the entire walk to Nagoya.  I have extended my stay at...