Tetsujin, that is a fascinating story. I am in awe. And I have so many questions!

fHow did you choose that particular leg of the pilgrimage?

Since you weren't prepared for this trek to last several days, what did you do about food and water?

What did you wear?

What was the weather like?

How do you feel now?

 

okay, ziggy too. .

I've been immersed in the Japanese culture since a graduate student exchange year in 1966 when my family didn't even want me to go over it was so post-war. They relented though and I did, immediately falling in love with all the hundreds of kinds of seafood products available to a fish-lover's stomach, to say nothing of going-on nearly 50 years of spousal appreciation too.

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Fortunately, knowing the language makes it easy to experience any of the aspects of the culture of interest but walking the 1,400 km around Shikoku Island has never been one of them.  However, with several members of the Japan 100-Marathon Joyful Running Club having done the circuit one-or-more times in their retirements, I thought that, since I've become such a walker anyway, I might as well give it a try when the free time unexpectedly became available..

With no guarantee again of the time needed for the 7-8 hour train ride over to Shikoku to say nothing of the trekking time needed to do it once there, I opted for the longest section instead of choosing more popular, shorter ones, and subsequently wishing I would have had a chance to the Big One too.

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The 90K route between shrine nos. 37 and 38 tracks highways 56, 321, and 27 so 7-11 style convenience stores were abundant enough to provide sustenance at least every three-or-four hours.  However, accommodations were few and far between along the way so I slept in a sleeping bag style sleeping blanket for the two nights needed in a roadside rice field and a mountain road bus stop, respectively. Needless to say, I'm not a fussy sleeper.

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weather: first day was mostly sunny and I had to buy a 1,000 yen ($10) tube of sun block.

second day was off-and-on sprinkles that had me buying a 600 yen plastic poncho and 1,200 yen collapsible umbrella at one of the convenience stores.

third day was rainy with several short-lived deluges that needed the umbrella to keep me relatively dry.  Fortunately, was a warm rain and clearing skies in the afternoon got me all dried out and warm by the time I arrived at shrine no. 38 at 3:30 pm.

Now, four days afterwards, my quads are still sore and feet still swollen and red but only a little slightly annoying, abrasion where one of the hanae geta straps started rubbing a little too much.  However, I'll either be wearing Japanese waraji straw sandals or barefoot for Sunday's Portland Marathon with 17 members of the 100-Marathon Joyful Running Club so it doesn't matter.

If circumstances again permit, I'd like to do a more forested part of 120 km or so (and 5-6 days) involving about four shrines going over a mountain peak and maybe another long seaside stretch (~70K).  I guess I'd like to do the whole thing but, unfortunately, no chance for that for now.  However, thanks for the incentive of something to look forward to if it ever works out,

ps leslie - how did your friend do around Mt. Fuji?  The Joyfuls have one up-and-down Mt. Fuji every August that one member who got lost now has bragging rights to the group's slowest marathon:in their 30-year history:  21 hours.

Tet, I have been lurking here for a few days, since I have been following B Hearn's fantastic ultra in Greece last week.  I thought I might find a race report from him here.  Anyway, I loved your long walk story.  Bravo, but next time do a safer one!   Best of luck in Portland tomorrow.  Wish I could be there to cheer you on at the finish.

Thanks for that, Tet.

Somebody should make your life into a movie. I bet it would be poetic and gorgeous, and exciting to boot.

 

I would go watch that movie.

Absolutely ~