Author Archives: Bill

We had at least two temples on our schedule today. It was a matter of what time we would reach our lodging for the evening. We reached our first temple around 8:45 a.m. We tend to like the larger mountain temples. They’re just more temple-y. While I was waiting for Connor to finish taking photographs,Continue reading “Day 43: Main Temple 65, Bekkaku Temples 13 and 14”

Today was a short, one-temple day. We are heading back into the interior of Shikoku tomorrow to reach Bekkaku Temples 13, 14 and 15 and there are not a lot of inns back there behind the mountains. I had wanted to get to a lodge called Moriso today, however I had delayed booking it asContinue reading “Day 42: Bekkaku Temple 12”

Since we had stopped by Temple 63 yesterday, we had only one temple on our schedule for today. It was a fairly straightforward 45 minute walk from our previous evening’s lodge. After leaving the temple just before 10:00 a.m., we had a 23 kilometer walk to our next place. You’d think our feet would beContinue reading “Day 41: Temple 64”

Not a lot of pictures today. It was raining most of the day and, as we were on mountain paths most of the morning, we were in full rain gear. It’s a pain pulling out my iPhone camera from a pant’s pocket under a pair of rain pants under a poncho and then have toContinue reading “Day 40: Temples 60 and 63”

Connor and I decided to the save Temple 60 until tomorrow. It had rained early this morning and we were concerned about the condition of the mountain paths as we wouldn’t be descending them until late in the day. Last week two foreign pilgrims got lost on the way down as it was getting darkContinue reading “Day 39: Bekkaku Temples 10 and 11, Main Temples 61 and 62”

Long day today, so short write up and many pictures. Shooting the documentary footage yesterday had put us one temple behind in our schedule and today was already scheduled to be a long day. It was another of those no lodging located in the exactly “right” spot. Everything was either too short or very longContinue reading “Day 38: Temples 55, 56, 57, 58 and 59”

So this may become interesting. There were eight guests at the hostel last night – 6 Americans and 2 Japanese men. Of the Americans, there were two couples – one bicycling through Shikoku for several days before visiting the son stationed down in Okinawa and the other a pair of documentary filmmakers. The documentarians hadContinue reading “Day 37: Temple 54”

Connor and I decided to part ways today. At least for the day. Yesterday, back at Temple 48, we ran into a Frenchman named Terry we had met way back in Hiwasa on Day 8 or Day 9. He was very friendly and we both had a opportunity to talk with him while taking careContinue reading “Day 36: Temples 52 and 53”

Yes, we visited 7 temples today. However, for the next 36 hours we are on pilgrimage break. We are in Matsuyama, about to have some chicken before attending the opening weekend of “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” on IMAX (in English with Japanese subtitles). I’ll post pictures from today and tomorrow soon. Signing out!Continue reading “Day 34: Temples 46, 47, Bekkaku Temple 9, 48, 49, 50, 51”