Day 10

We got up, got out, and caught a train to Miyajima, known as one of one of Japans three scenic spots. It's most famous for its floating Torii, however we had been warned in advance that it is under reconstruction:

Closed for business

Ah well. Still it was scorching again today and the ferry ride over to the island of itskushima was bliss. Getting over to the other side we first investigated the Itsukushima shrine itself. The shrine is gorgeous and it would be an incredible place to meditate if it wasn't filled with tourists. It stands as a boardwalk suspended above the sea when the tide is in.

one side of the Itsukushima shrine

So we didn't hang around for long; we quickly investigated the nearby 'treasure hall' (museum) and moved on to begin the toughest hiking path on the free maps. Incidentally, the route recommended that you "Take a cane for climbing safely (and to keep away the vipers)". Another sign had a similar warning:

Great! I'll just 'beware' and everything will be okay.

 So we set off, eyes and ears peeled for any unusual movement or sounds. The route was a little over 3km and the Komagabayashi peak was 509m above sea level. The trek was tough; rows of steep stone steps were interspersed between patches of dry soil and broken boulders strewn with leaves.

looking back at what we just climbed it's hard to see how we got here

The forest was bursting with insects and birds singing their chorus as we ascended the hillside. We did encounter a snake, though luckily it fled rather quickly. I don't think we found any hornets. Most of all, we simply had to be careful with our feet. We climbed steep ascents on a winding path that zig-zagged back and forth. Climbing thigh and waist high breaks in the boulders and steps, leaping over small gaps, and repositioning my weight was the constant battle required to ascend. When we neared the summit we found a cave. Inside were memorial shrines decorated with candles, flowers, coins, and bottles of sake.

A gorgeous little cave full of shrines

Spiders' webs entrapped hanging leaves, ants and termites paraded the floors, and colourful flys buzzed noisily around my face. The forest here contains a lot of conifers and other, more temperate, vegetation. It is quite unusual for sub tropical climates. Wild deers even live in the lower areas close to the pier.

We reached the peak and took some time to drink in the view. A giant granite boulder seems to rise above the the trees giving a view that spans all of Miyajima and the surrounding seas. The edges of the granite are sheer drops, and though standing near these edges I am conscious of the immediate and inevitable doom which would befall me there is no sense of fear because the dry and rough granite grips my climbing shoes so well. The air carries a hint of citrus and the cool and gentle sea breeze helps relieve the heat of the climb. Butterflys flutter in circles, careful not to land too close, and birds sweep sweetly through tones. So high up, it seems like all sounds come from so far away that if I close my eyes and relax, I might not even remember to notice them.

The greatest serenity occurs when most remote

When we finally moved on, we headed across to the next peak: the summit of Mt. Misen. We got distracted along the way and took various detours towards shrines and temples, though they were generally fairly small and (in relative terms) unimpressive.

We eventually caught the ropeway (cable cars) back down to the main street, which somehow felt much less safe to me than the sheer drops at the mountain peak. Before leaving we stopped to investigate the local foods (of course!) and I took the opportunity to try both the grilled oysters (which were meaty and delicious) and the age momiji. Age momiji is deep fried momiji manju, which is a kind of sweet made from flour, sugar, red bean, and maple syrup (which is local believe it or not). The Age momiji tasted very familiar, kind of like a fried pancake, though I can't think where I would have had such a thing. Oishii desu ne!!!

The sun was starting to set when we headed back towards the Ferry. It's really no wonder that this place is so famous for its beauty.

Sun down at Miyajima island.

We caught the ferry back and headed back to Hiroshima. Quickly investigating a pachinko parlour at the first floor of 'Full Focus' (since I had yet to visit one), I confirmed that they are indeed absurdly noisy and smokey inside. We left immediately and ascended to the 6th floor to look for an Okonomiyaki dinner. The floor is entirely filled with Okonomiyaki restaurants vying for business. We sat down at a bar at the back and, so impressed was I with the previous oysters, I ordered the Oyster special!

Anyway, short one today! Tomorrow we travel to Kudoyama, a small town just outside Koyasan and stay at our first Shukubo (temple lodgings). It'll probably be a restful day now that we're getting so close to the 12th and our mission to hike the pilgrimage of the 180 stone marker path.

That's all folks!