Ueno-yama

At 7.00, I went to the Buddhist religious service at Fudoin Lodge. There were about 24 worshippers plus two priests. The service was conducted in Japanese and English with some information being projected on to a screen. I joined the other worshippers in burning incense. One of the priests outlined the stages of meditation which we practised for 10 minutes; posture, breathing, and the acceptance of the Buddhist image into your heart.
At 07.50, those of the worshippers who were residents went into breakfast which was Japanese-style and vegetarian.
At 09.00, a taxi collected me for the drive south through the Kii Mountains which reached 1000m and were densely forested with deep gorges. We arrived on the coast at Tanabe by midday, and I went into the Tourist Information Centre at the train station to be given a comprehensive account of the Kumano Kodo with maps, bus timetables, etc. This was part of my Kumano Kodo package arranged by Inside Japan.
I bought a snack lunch from 7-11, one of the 24 hour supermarkets which were very common in Japan, the others being Family Mart and Lawsons. 7-11 had ATMs which accepted foreign credit cards when you neede local currency.
I took a local bus to Takijiri, which was the starting-point of this branch of the Kumano Kodo, and was met by a guide who took me to the Pilgrimage Centre which had a small exhibition about the Kumano Kodo, and also showed by the first shrine on the pilgrimage route.
I was given a shite umbrella at the Centre which I retained for the rest of the holiday although it was used rarely.
Unfortunately, steady rain had begun in mid-morning and I didn't fancy walking for a couple of hours in the rain. Fortunately, the owner of the night's accommodation came and collected us by car to take us to Takahara. The guide showed me the shrine and camphor tree there.
The minshuku (family-run guesthouse) was called Hatago MasaRa. The husband was Japanese and his wife was French. A Japanese couple, who I saw again the following day hiking, were the the other guests. I had a bedroom and lounge.
It was misty and foggy in the mountains.Read more