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- Sunday 17 November, 2013
- Weather: Sunny, 17⁰C
- Temples: 1 (Ryozenji), 18km
- Accommodation: Toyoko Inn, Tokushima, 088-657-1045, ¥4,350
I slept in and left the Minshuku at 9am. I was expecting an easy 18km day walking back to temple 1 because I hadn’t looked at the elevation plot!! As I was walking with the sea to my left, the mountain range in front of me was getting closer and I started to get a horrible feeling that I was going to have to go up and over it… I was right 😦 So much for my easy day, I went up and over the Osaka pass (Osaka means large slope/hill), then down, only to go up again. It was hot and I was sweating and it took 2 hours longer than I had anticipated! I stopped to have lunch at a hut on the pass and I had a lovely, almost 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains, villages and sea.
The shelter on top where I had lunch
Osaka Pass
Osaka Pass
On the second steep hill when I was walking along the road, a lady drove past me, stopped and offered me a ride, but I kindly refused and said I needed to walk.
I arrived at Temple 1 and even though I was only there 43 days ago, it felt much longer and the temple seemed smaller now. I chanted the heart sutra and gave thanks to Kobo Daishi for looking after me during the pilgrimage and allowing me to finish. Then I went into the temple shop to buy a book to keep all the slips I received at each temple – I saw it on day 1 but didn’t want to carry it! The shop lady asked if I had received my last stamp yet and I didn’t even realize I was supposed to get another one at this temple – lucky she asked! My stamp book is now complete except for the one I’ll get from Koyasan.
Henro chanting at Temple 1, Ryozenji
I asked the same lady about the timetable for the trains back to Tokushima – I remembered it was a very infrequent service and being a Sunday it would be even more infrequent. There was a train in 15 minutes and if I missed this one I would need to wait 1.5hr so the lady offered to drive me because I wouldn’t make it in time if I walked. Another wonderful act of kindness and she got me to the station just in time for me to buy a ticket before the train arrived.
Back in Tokushima I had booked the same hotel I stayed at the night before I started walking and when I checked in I changed my reservation to 2 nights instead of 1 so I could relax tomorrow and check out the sights of Tokushima. I also needed to figure out how to get to Koyasan and where to stay when I’m there! I had a long bath then went out for yakiniku (BBQ) to celebrate making it back to temple 1 and walking 1331 km around Shikoku!
Day 43, Back to Temple 1
followingthearrows 
A friend recommended your blog, knowing full well that I would become addicted. I read a lot of kinda stuff but yours is exceptional. We share the same passions, but with one big difference, that being that I started the Camino game late, (age 58) but have most of the ones you did on my list! I started on the trails and roads of North America in the nineties. So you are now where I started, and I am walking each year in Europe. Meanwhile I will keep reading. I have no idea where you are on the PCT but I have a friend in Lake Tahoe. She accompanies me on parts of my Camino each year. Let me know if you want to stay at her place.
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Hi Bob, thanks for your comment. I’m having a great time out here on the PCT, I’m now in Washington about 400 miles from the end of the trail but already looking forward to my next camino – the via de la plata 🙂 maybe I’ll see you in Santiago some time? 🙂
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