Bear based friendship

A few hours into the day we pulled over to yield to a tiny woman motoring up behind us at alarming pace, bear bell tinkling at her hip. We'd seen her earlier at a shrine, and were on smiling terms. Rather than pass, she shuffled the bagS (plural) she was carrying and asked us if she could walk with us "because I am scared of bears".

We both immediately puffed our chests up and assumed responsibility for literally any harm that might come her way. I debated piggybacking her. Shes from Taiwan and it's her first time on Kumano Kodo. She's about 4 and a half foot tall.

We went together for most of the rest of the day, resting until we heard her bell again whenever we stretched out too far in front or the trail took a turn, to make sure she made it. We figured any change in the bell pitch or beat would indicate she was being thrashed about in something's jaws and we could run back.

The crab shrine was the end of the deeply forested bit of the day and she thanked us and peeled off then but not before airdropping us some photos she'd taken of us (attached) and getting a selfie together, naturally. We ran into her later that day again and she nearly fell over waving. We will try to legally adopt her once we find some wifi.Read more