Hongū

This morning, we got an early start and said our goodbyes to Osaka. I wish I could say that we were leaving after JUST having figured out Umeda station, but that would be a lie. It is insanely big, and we definitely still could not reliably pop out of it anywhere near our hotel or find train lines and restaurants without some mid station u-turns. It'll be nice to be somewhere smaller for the next few days. We also tried out the luggage forwarding service for the first time. We packed everything we didn't need for the next 4 days into our big suitcase, and we're crossing our fingers that we're reunited with it in Kyoto!

Our train ride should have been very scenic, following along the ocean once south of Osaka, but unfortunately, it's raining again, and clouds obscure the view. We transfer to a bus that takes us into the heart of the Kumano region.

Our first stop after an unpictured udon lunch is Oyunohara, a massive torii gate at the original site of the Kumano Hongu Taisha, before it was destroyed in a flood. Some ruins of the shrine still exist as well. Also, cherry blossoms! We had seen some on the bus ride in, but this was the first time on this trip we were able to see them up close.

Next stop was the Kumano Hongu Taisha, which after flooding, was moved to the top of a very steep hill. This is the shrine that all branches of the Kumano Kodo lead to. After exploring a bit, we grabbed some delicious mochi and tea while we waited for our bus.

Upon arrival in Yunomine Onsen, we immediately put our names in for Tsuboyu, a UNESCO private onsen that sits in a small shack above the river. It has a 2 hour wait, so we check in and get settled in our hotel while we wait. It was a really neat experience, but so hot even with our frequent cold water additions, so we didn't even last our entire allotted 30mins.

This is our first night in a traditional Japanese style room, so we're sleeping on futons that are directly on a tatami mat floor. Hopefully we both get a good night's sleep, because tomorrow we're hiking an 8 mile stretch of the Kumano Kodo!Read more