KK Day 4 to Hongu

We set off into the forest in the rain. At the heart of these sacred mountains, Kumano was said to be the entrance to the land of Yomi, the ‘other world’ which spirits travelled to in Japanese mythology. Uphill, it was hard navigating rocks and roots then downhill very careful on every single steep wet step. The ‘Choux’ pastry shop was a wonderful surprise at the end of the trail into Hongu - a delicious cream choux pastry, chai latte and mandarin juice - so smiley, very enterprising indeed!

We passed a Lee Ufan style rock sculpture of the 3 clawed KK crow motif beside Japan’s largest torri gate. Unfortunately the Spring Festival, where fathers and their young sons purify themselves in the Yunomino waters before walking the Dainichi-goe section we had just completed, had been cancelled due to rain.Читать далее