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- Thursday 10 October 2013
- Weather: Hot & Humid, 30⁰C
- Temples: 18-19, (Onzanji, Tatsueji) 28.5 km
- Accommodation: Tent behind a services stop (Hinanosato Katsuura), free
We were up at 6am this morning to try and beat the heat, but incredibly it was already sticky and hot!
We had a long walk along a main road (12km) before arriving at Temple 18 which was a lovely temple in the hills and approached by an ancient path covered in moss. We were both really tired today after quite a few nights with little sleep and even though we thought we had perfected the temple procedure, we forgot or did everything backwards at this temple! I think it also has something to do with walking in 30+ degree heat all day long!
On the way to Temple 18
Temple 18, Onzanji
Temple 18, Onzanji
Temple 18, Onzanji
Temple 18, Onzanji
Walking through a bamboo forest on the way to Temple 19
There was a scenic stretch of walk through a bamboo forest to Temple 19 then past farms and mandarin orchards.
Temple 19, Tatsueji
Temple 19, Tatsueji
Tired and with a sore back, I actually fell asleep on this concrete barrier!
We had originally wanted to try and make it to Temple 20 today which was up on a mountain, but we had been stopping every chance we had to refill with water and rest and it didn’t seem like we were going to make it before sunset… We agreed it wasn’t smart to be walking in the mountains in the dark.
We checked the guidebook and found a services stop (car park and shops for cars and trucks) and decided to camp there for the night. We arrived at about 5:30pm and found a patch of grass behind the toilets. We took off our bags and were thinking how wonderful a spot it was because there was a bathroom, running water, vending machines and grass to set the tent on when an employee from the shop in the services came out and asked us if we were planning to camp. I said yes, hoping that she wouldn’t say it wasn’t permitted. Instead, she told us of a bathhouse 2km down the road and that it was forecast to rain so we better put the tent up under the roof of the shop instead of on the grass (after it closed at 6:30pm). We were stoked to be able to have a bath after yet another hot and sticky day!
Dinner was pasta from the convenience store up the road, after our relaxing bath and massage in the electric massage chairs… This is camping!
We’ve now walked 100km and have only ~1100km to go 🙂
The Hinanosato services stop where we camped the night
Spaghetti bolognese for dinner from the convenience store!
Resting while waiting to put up our tent, I’m exhausted!
Camping under the awning of a shop at Hinanosato services stop
A Henro hut in the carpark of Hinanosato services stop, toilets and shops
Day 5, Temples 18-19
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