Hiya
21 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
I'm out of shape (physically and mentally) but - we're back baby! I've come to Japan to become a dual pilgrim. The Kumano Kodo is linked with Camino de Santiago as UNESCO recognised ways to fart aboutЧитать далее
Steep innit
21 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
A measly four kilometres of walking today, which I've spent the last few months quietly writing off without ever having looked at the map. Quite a bit of elevation in the first kilometre it turns out.Читать далее
Vapes only
21 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C
Outside Takahara
21 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
With not much left to go we came out of the woods into rural back roads, sweetly adorned and with incredible views of the valley. At the edge of our destination town, a lovely shrine.
Rest stop
21 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Made it! This is the rest stop in Takahara, it has a vending machine, toilet, pay phone, little stall shop, and most critically, cat. Also has views out the wazoo. We got a cold drink and relaxed inЧитать далее
Full board
21 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Dinner, breakfast and lunch included, Guest House Noko Noko is topping off a pretty unbelievable day. I'm so knackered I might just have a little kip on my keyboard. More as it happens my loves, rollЧитать далее
Ohayo gozaimasu
22 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Clocked a cat within three metres of the door on our morning walk, VERY good start, you can see him there crouching in the garden - didn't want a bar of us but then maybe he'd just got up and who canЧитать далее
Takahara to Chikatsuyu
22 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We had to do a bit of planning before this trip, but I'd emphasise that it focused on logistics rather than experience, leaving lots of room for surprise and delight.
Amongst the logistics was anЧитать далее
Pocari sweat time
22 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We got into town at 1.30, and couldn't check in until 3 but mooched happily down to the little shop zone and river, which the woman running Noko Noko said was beautiful and she's right.
The river
22 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
Absolutely lousy with dragonflies! We sat on the rocks with our feet in the water and read their Wikipedia page. They're territorial apparently, but they weren't bothered by us.
Happiness Annex #3
23 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
We carved up the dates and booked half each, so the first few nights are a complete surprise to James and I'll get that joy later on. I'm starting off WELL, just quietly. We soaked ourselves in aЧитать далее
Breakfast and some paper
23 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
Included in our accommodation was a voucher for breakfast and a lunchbox at a nearby cafe, the latter particularly useful when you're walking through the forest. It was charming and cluttered and weЧитать далее
Chikatsuyu to Hongu pt.1
23 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
Big'un today, so we got cracking after only one (1) nervous wee each. Started with three kilometres to T-oji that we would have walked yesterday had there been any accommodation available, andЧитать далее
Chikatsuyu to Hongu pt.2
23 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
The plod continued.
ПутешественникYes thought of you often, there were bits that had me going like you down my stairs at home
Mountain crab et. al.
23 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Snake. Monkey. Hornet. Frog. Dog. Spider. Snail. All seen today, all photographed at extremely close range by the 8 year old boy I'm travelling with (except monkey). Yet nothing prepared us - nothingЧитать далее
Bear based friendship
23 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
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.Читать далее
Chikatsuyu to Hongu pt.3
23 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
After crab shrine (this trip might turn into BC and AC) it was rural roads then very sandy trails until reaching Hongu. Some clever people had set out the very roadside stalls selling drinks etc I'dЧитать далее
ПутешественникAlmost exactly divide by 100 so that's handy. So these things were ~$2 each
Hongu Taisha
23 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
This is the first of the three major shrines that make up the Kumano Kodo, it's very impressive. Please google it. Coming into town a man pulled his Audi over (unusual to see European cars here, muchЧитать далее
Blue Sky Guest House
23 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
More goals kicked by L. Magill. She's looking good for the Brownlow. Stool in the shower got a workout, we were cooked.
Dual pilgrim
24 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
The Camino in Spain and the Kumano Kodo in Japan are really chummy. That relationship is way more pronounced on this end, where the opportunity to be a dual pilgrim is made clear from the outset. DualЧитать далее
ПутешественникSuch a special privilege, go you! Well done and so proud xx
Hongu to Yunomine Onsen
24 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
To allow for a sleep in, breakfast, dual pilgrimage registration, looking properly at the main shrine, and a bit of recovery, today's walk was a mere 2.5km to nearby spa town Yunomine Onsen. Turns outЧитать далее
Путешественник
It's insanely steep, you did well not to stumble! Is it different walking this pilgrimage? Physically I mean.
ПутешественникVery - shorter distances but far more elevation, it's properly hiking.
First noodles of trip
24 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Today is the first day we're on our own for lunch and haven't we done well here. Two bowls of udon, mine with an egg and fish cakes, James' with ume (salted plum) which just about blew his ears off.
Onsen tamago
24 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
There's a little hut in the middle of the hot spring river here, and it houses the Tsubo-yu, the only UNESCO listed bathhouse in the world. It fits one or two people, the water is up to 91 degrees andЧитать далее
ПутешественникHow lucky were you! It looks so special, especially at night and I love the rocks holding the roof on. So where do you cook the food in there?
Yunomine Onsen
24 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
Rest of the town absolutely fuggo, isn't it. It absolutely has a scent though. Worryingly, we can't notice it as much as before, which must mean we have taken it on and reek of egg.
Путешественник
Love the sandals and socks. Nothing better than just hanging out and watching
Pardon
24 сентября 2025 г., Япония ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
We're staying at a Minshuku tonight, which are a type of family-run bed and breakfast common in rural/coastal areas and spa towns.
It's a big house essentially, and it has three guestrooms, occupiedЧитать далее
Путешественник
WOW! Did you eat the fish, tuna is it, raw? Just as well you work up an appetite!!
ПутешественникYes sashimi, two different types I'm not sure what kind though!
Путешественник
Chuckle 🤭
ПутешественникCan't wait to follow this pilgrimage, love your writing Lexie 😍
ПутешественникOkay I am starting here at the beginning and am definitely not viewing on work-time! Prepare for many notifications!
Путешественник🥰🥰🥰🥰