Ruth: Thank goodness for these henro huts that are sprinkled along the route. As I write this I am sitting in one watching the first of the colossal monsoon rains sweep through. The news this morning said that Shikoku would receive up to 200 mm of rain today and I am...
Ruth: I would like to think that the reason I feel calmer and more serene is that my efforts on this pilgrimage are having an effect, that the hours of slowly pedalling around this beautiful island have helped me to stay present in the moment and let other...
Gordon: Temple 12 was unfinished business for Ruth. It is the first significant challenge on the Shikoku pilgrimage, and Ruth had been obsessively strategizing about it for weeks before we arrived in Japan. In the end, she and Geraldine took a taxi to it on our...
Description Ryōzenji , temple number one on the Shikoku pilgrimage, is the beginning, end, and now the beginning for us. Unlike all the other pilgrimages I have done, Shikoku is a circle and people can start and finish anywhere, with the goal simply to visit all of...
The view from the ridge Gord climbed Ruth: Yesterday Gord and I climbed from the seashore to the Temple 88 on the Shikoku pilgrimage. I cycled on the road while Gord took a trail that climbed much higher. Before the big climb we met at the Henro Museum where we were...
Gordon: Despite its industrialization and massive cities, Japan still has a rich diversity of vegetation harbouring a lot of wildlife. Some of the animals we regularly spot include carp, egrets, herons and cormorants. Some days I have also seen...
Ruth: I saw a t-shirt at a temple that simply said “Life is Henro,” and I am beginning to agree. It’s hard not to compare our experiences on the various Camino routes with the Shikoku 88 temple Henro. Visiting Japan, even without doing the Henro, is so...
Gordon: Last night we spent the night at Minshuku Okada, located between Temples 65 and 66. The proprietor, Akira Okada, is in many respects a very interesting fellow. To begin with, he is 91 years old, though like many Japanese he looks much...
Ruth: I knew in advance that most of the 350 meter climb up to Temple 65 occurred in the last few steep kilometres. I taped my knees, loaded up on more sugary treats than normal, and started the day full of confidence. After stopping at a lovely henro hut for second...
Gordon: We are spending two nights at a business ryokan near Temple 62. This has permitted us to enjoy an unladen day doing a return trip to Temple 60. Visiting this temple involves a henro-korogashi (pilgrim falls down) climb to 750 metres. Like...
Ruth: There are relatively few foreigners on the Shikoku pilgrimage route, so we tend to spend our time with the Japanese that we meet. As the lovely temples begin to blur together, what stands out more for me each day are the wonderful interactions we have with...
Ruth: There are moments everyday when I am struck by just how different Japan is from any other country I have visited. It goes beyond their resistance to global trends like chairs and beds, and the interesting coexistence of modernity and ancient traditions. Take...