Day 15 Japan Oct 26th 2015 Yunomine to Hongu
Pretenders, that’s what we were for a little of today. Two beautiful walks on the Kumano Kodo – following the path of pilgrims but for us, without the distance.
After a delicious and entertaining breakfast, at Minshuku Yamane, as our host animatedly explained, in rapid Japanese, sprinkled with the odd English word, how to eat the tray of food in front of us. The vegetables in the Miso soup – and we think the mushrooms – or maybe the Soybean – came from her garden and were organic. The small seaweed sheets, by demonstration, were dipped lightly in soy sauce then placed on top of the bowl of rice, finally folded in with chopsticks and scooped up like a rice ball.
The pickles, pickled plum, fine dried seaweed salty flakes all could be added to the rice, to taste.
The hard boiled egg was cooked in the Onsen – the bubbling sulphur smelling river below us has a special wooden structure for cooking food – from what we saw mostly bags of eggs.
On the side a salad. If all that was not enough – a selection of fruit, and yoghurt and berries to finish.
Luckily we had a good walk ahead of us – up and over the mountain to Hongu to walk off some of this feast.
What a walk – steep incline at first through sun streaked trees and root covered path. Monkeys in the distance quickly swinging out of our way. Peaceful walk with small shrines along the way, and a sense it had been walked by many, many pilgrims of the past.
Chris did bump into a Pit Viper along the way, basking in the sun in the middle of the path. Neither he nor the Viper came into close contact.
Then down into Hongu. Following the short piece of the Kumano Kodo trail we were walking.
First stop a repeat of the coffee we had, had at a cute little café yesterday. We were asked by a young man sitting next to us if he could practice his English. I think in the end we were the ones learning. He explained he was improving his English to enable him to travel to India “and get a paper for meditation”. This turned out to be much less formal than we are used to but as part of the conversation Chris asked him what WabiSabi was.
Like Mamiko at Nara he suggested we needed to attend a tea ceremony to begin to understand Wabi Sabi. A complex and endless learning. We did glean that the tea ceremony is a “process” beginning with being – and ending with nothing.
Then across the road to the shrine Kumano Hongu Taisha. Moved from the site we had visited yesterday to a place high on a hill. Entered up a steep stone staircase lined with flags the shrine. One of the 3 grand shrines, comprising Kumano Sanzan, and the second we have visited.
As with each temple – unique yet with familiar structures – the smaller shrines surrounding it, thick thatched rooves, gold leaf adorning roof decoration, and multi level roofs. Outside the temple were three small shrines – part of a group of 7 that included ones down at the original site.
Visitors moved through each of the shrines in order, each following the ritual of prayer at each. The big taiko drum began sounding and melodic chanting could be heard. I moved to the outside of the small temple like structure where the sound was coming from and stood listening and watching the steady stream of visitors worshipping at the shrines.
One man fascinated me and I followed him as he moved through the shrines, praying for a lengthy time as people came and went in front of one small shrine. Then to various devotion points and finally to the small temple for a private ceremony.
I built up a range of possible stories for his seeming focussed devotion and apparent lack of awareness of the physical world around him. We will never know but both agreed he appeared to be a young man in distress.
We spent quite a time listening, watching and soaking up the life of a visitor at the shrine.
Finally decided hunger was winning and we headed to Café Hongu over the road from the shrine. A change from Udon – Thai curry – I was very happy to succumb to.
We had had an email for our Kayak leader saying he would be at this particular café in the afternoon. A tour leader arrived with a group and I asked him if he was Katsu – no. I got talking to another guide outside who had an UNSW cap on he showed no recognition.
By 2pm we decided we should begin our walk back. As I waited for Chris to use the exceptional amenities in the Heritage Centre I looked up a photo of Katsu on his website. When I showed Chris he remarked that it was the café owner. Not entirely sure about this we decided to go back and ask. Sure enough this was our guide.
After a quick chat we headed off to walk back to Yunomine.
The walk back was tougher than the morning, a longer, steeper climb up from Hongu. Along the way we met a young woman from the Heritage Centre researching the route for a group she was guiding along it later in the week. We kept crossing paths – very useful as she provided history and story of the route.
A beautiful late afternoon walk with a clear blue sky, cool day and sun filtering through the trees as we reaching the top. 3.4km later we arrived back in Yunomine. As we looked around for a thirst quenching beer!!! A young woman came up and asked if she could practice her English. It was the day for it!
Sat on a bench in the main street of the lovely little town and had a long chat. For a young woman never out of Yunomine – no that’s not right – for a young woman for whom English was her second language it was incredible. Despite this she kept apologising.
We did learn that the café near the shrine supports the shrine and is special for tea. It also has a cake that the region is famous for. Missed that one as cautious tourists that we are – we figured by the look that it was too expensive!!
A quick Onsen before dinner – perfect temperature in the womens’ Onsen tonight. Chris still came back looking like a red beet saying it was very hot in the mens.
Another incredible dinner – even more Oisha carta. Oh that’s my new word of the day bloody delicious!
