So one day I went for a walk...

This morning I set out south from my hostel with the intent of visiting Shorin-Ji temple, as I had heard that they have a very nice garden within their walls and unique Goshuin for those who visit. It was a short walk, approximately 3km, and was nestled into a neighborhood like so many temples and shrines throughout Japanese cities.  Were I not looking specifically for it, it would have been easy to miss. Nearly all temples and shrines have a small fountain with wooden laddles for performing a cleansing ritual before you enter. By now I have becomes quite accustomed to this step, but I was happily surprised when finding the fountain in this temple to be filled with vibrant flowers. I quietly washed my hands and mouth, following the bow familiar ritual, and proceeded further in to the grounds. Like most urban temples and shrines, the grounds were not massive, but they were immaculately kept.  I slowly strode along the path admiring the carpet of moss and stones that ...

Today I have been under the weather, an upset stomach leaving me lightheaded and with low energy.  So today I don't have a story of a new adventure, but small stream of consciousness about a part of my time here so far. By and large I receive two reactions from Japanese people I pass on the streets; I am either politely ignored, as though I do not exist, or I am greeted with bug-eyed stares and/or slacken-jaw amazement. The later of those two reactions is entirely the domain of the very young and very old.  Most of the time these looks of shock are with eyes filled with curiosity, but rarely I also see negativity in their eyes. Neither of these reactions bother me, I expected them before arriving.  I did not have any illusions of blending in here.  You don't show up as a white dude with freckles and a large, unusual red beard hanging off your face and think you will pass unnoticed. Very rarely however, there is a third sort of reaction I get, one of friendlin...

Tonight is my third night in Kyoto, and I am feeling quiet relaxed here, and the weather continues its decline towards a proper autumn. The narrow street my guest house is on. This ease and relaxation I feel here is certainly in part from simply being in Japan long enough that the stress of everyday things has largely waned. But I also feel a difference in style and tone here that also helps set me at ease. Today, despite a sore foot (a story for another time), I was able to casually wander the streets near my guest house and explore nearby temples and shops. I received my first two-page Goshuin from Hozoji temple. Kyoto is less dense, less crowded and very visually more traditional in style than Osaka. Life here feels just one step slower that it did in Osaka, and I appreciate that subtle difference. My stay here has also been made very welcoming with the discovery of a bustling and happy guest house, which I feel very lucky to have booked. In stark comparison to m...

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 thi...

After 55km of walking I have arrived at my guest house in Kyoto: the Hanakanzashi Gion. Frankly, I'm too tired to tell you much about the past few days, as today was very exhausting. But the upside is that was able to walk much further than I expected with my full pack on my back, and now I am in my cozy bunk for the night. Tomorrow I will take a lazy day, so I will fill you in on all the detail then. For now... Sleep. Goodnight.

I am going to be staying in a lot of guest houses, so I am going to get the hang of how they work eventually, but I was surprised when I arrived at my second guest house called 'Sai'. After a good walk of about 11km I arrived at Sai in the late afternoon.  Tired and in need of a break, it was a well timed arrival. I approached trode up to the front door, modern glass and metal, and it slid aside for me.  The lobby small, clean and stylish... and completely empty. This feels like some sort of point and click adventure game. On the desk a sign in Japanese and English says that there are no staff present, and to call the number below. My SIM card for Japan is a tourist SIM, meaning it does not have a phone number attached to it, nor can it make calls.  So, I set my pack to the side and sit on the front desk and relax.  I figure someone is bound to come by eventually. About 20 minutes later an automated email arrives in my inbox with instructions.  I ...

I am sitting in the common room of banana hammock now, my bag repacked, water reservoir topped up and stomach full. Today won't be an extremely challenging walk.  I will take the train downtown to the start of the Tokaido road in Osaka.  From there it will be 9-10km to my next guest house, and Kyoto in 3 days. Once there I will stay for a week to explore before setting out on the next leg to Nagoya. I am once again walking.  We will see where this new route takes me.

Today was my last idle day on Osaka. The weather is slowly falling, and the intense humidity that strangled the city, making 32C feel like 42C, is subsiding. I have enjoyed my time in Osaka immensely, and made a great friend in Takanori in the process.  But I can't stay forever.  I still plan to reach Tokyo by foot before the end of November, just not on the route I originally and painstakingly researched. Instead, I have chosen to alter my route to trace the Edo era road that connected Osaka and Tokyo (then called Edo) that runs predominantly through lowlands and the southern coast. This new route is about 2/3rds the length of my previous one, clocking in at about 600km, and will follow far more urban routes, with less stints into the wilderness than originally planned. This change in route is a response to the condition on my right knee, strained before I left Canada, and further aggravated in the mountains outside of Osaka.  I could have chosen to stubbornly th...

Despite the weather returning to form and it feeling like the middle of summer again today, I attend an autumn harvest festival. Takanori was kind enough to offer to take me to this festival, as it took place near his home.  Without his suggestion I would never have known of this festival, let alone found my way to it. For today's trip Takanori, Pak (a Korean guest at the Banana Hammock) and myself all woke up early to make the journey south.  It was a short walk to the train, then a ride on a local train that took us the rest of the way. Left to right: Pak, Takanori and myself standing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the Mozuhachimangu shrine. As we arrived, things were already well under way, and thousands of people were all throughout the grounds of the shine. The shrine grounds had additions for the festival in the way of large "parking spots" built from scaffolding like tubing and festooned with decorations that related to each town involved, m...

Today was unusual in many ways.  Not bad mind you, just unusual. Last night the rain started at one in the morning and continued without break until noon, having two important effects; The rain itself leeched out a great deal of stored heat energy from the city.  This city has been so hot the last few weeks that leaning on the outer walls of buildings, even late into the night, filled you with the heat of the day all over again.  The city has been bathed in heat, and a nights rain drew so much of that out and let it rundown the drain. The cloud cover itself stopped the sun from penetrating down to the asphalt and starting the convection cycle over again, giving the city a chance to linger in this cool period. By noon the city was only 25 celcius and cloudy. Despite the rain spiking the humidity, the city felt a relaxed shady cool for the entire day.  With this I set off down the road from my HQ in the south of Osaka to visit the natural history museum....