Day 6: Bekkaku 3

We woke again at 6:00 a.m., had breakfast at 6:30 and were out the door just after 7:00.

We didn’t have too far to go today as our lodging was just over 10 miles away at Fureai no Sato Sakamoto. However, after dropping our backpacks off, we planned to climb 300 meters to Jigenji (Bekkaku Temple 3). The inn, a schoolhouse turned community center/lodge, had a printed out a page of directions and it would take us a little under two hours to get there, but it was over 400 meters up the side of a mountain.

We made it to Jigenji at around 12:10 p.m., before my originally projected time of 12:30. The reason I wanted to hit it 12:30 was that I wanted visit a sacred waterfall monks use for “waterfall training” (meditation under cold, falling water) and get to the local craft beer brewery and BBQ joint. It was my understanding that they ceased lunch service at 3:00 p.m. and I wanted one of their pulled-pork sandwiches (and a beer).

Already tired from the 400 meter climb, I was having difficulty finding the Hondo. There was the Diashido and a Fudodo, but no Hondo in sight. I walked into the stamp office to inquire as to its location only to be told (in Japanese/English), “Oh, 500 meters away and further up the mountain.” Ugh, and again, ugh. We may not make 2:30 goal to reach the brewery. Nonetheless, I start to climb again.

There was only young couple at the Hondo and they had just complete their sutra recitations and were starting back down. Since there was no one around, I felt comfortable enough to recite the sutras at louder than a whisper. As a pilgrim is supposed to recite the Heart Sutra three times at both the Hondo and the Daishido at each temple, I’m becoming much more fluid in my recitations after 21 temples. My nephew’s step-mom is Buddhist and my brother has more than dabbled in the religion, so he much more adept and finishes them in less than half the time it takes me.

After completing the rituals and buying the juzu (Buddhist “rosary” equivalent) bead from the stamp office. (I’m getting a scroll stamped at each of the main 88 temples and beads to create a juzu from each of the 20 bekkaku temples.) We started our descent to the sacred Kangoga Waterfall. It was a bit of a letdown as the falls are currently more like an afternoon drizzle than waterfall. (I was going to post a picture, but … it’s kinda boring. Just a rock wall and you can’t make out any water falling in front of it.)

We made it to Rise & Win Brewing Co. BBQ & General Store with plenty of time to spare only to find out they weren’t serving lunch. That was unfortunate as the place smelled of BBQ pulled pork throughout. We ordered our drinks and, as the place was currently empty, the waitress and the cook behind the counter working a future batch of BBQ were happy to talk to us.

The hostess was really friendly and eventually I asked if she could help us book our next lodging for tomorrow night. She was happy to oblige, but found our initial choice was already booked full. We discussed our options and she was eventually able to secure us a spot further along the path but a doable hike. Our lodgings are now secure for the next three nights.

Afterward we took a bus back to a 22 minute walking distance from the lodge and were able to our first early evening. There is a non-pilgrimage-related cat temple I would like to see tomorrow, but we’ll see if the extra distance puts an end to that.