Today was a long day

I walked nearly 29,000 steps. Most of it up or downhill. Some of it was paved, but a lot of it was steep and barely more than a deer trail or a dried up creek bed. I missed the snow and hail, luckily because it was cold and I did not want to be cold and wet.

I kept on walking even when I was tired or my feet and back hurt, because any break I took, I lost body heat. So, most of that 29,000 steps were continuous.

I made it to Temple 60 – Yokomineji in about 2 and a half hours from where I got dropped off. I gave myself 4 hours to do it so I made good time.

740 meters up, it was founded in 651, it fell into disuse and was restored in 1909.

There was a bus that takes you up and down,  but I needed a walking day to clear my head.

When I’m walking through towns or on roads, I listen to old books to have something, keeping a part of my mind busy. When I am in nature, I listen to the quiet wind rustling through the trees, the babbling brooks coming from cold springs, and the sounds of birds telling me to go away. It allows me to think.

I walked down a different path, intending to catch the train back to my hotel.

Coming down, I found the inner sanctum of Temple 61, or at least that what my translator gave me from a monk working there.

I continued down to the main temple 61 – Kōonji.

Before I made it to Temple 61, I came across a Shinto Temple. Takagamo Shrine.

I made it down to Temple 61, and it was huge. I didn’t take a picture of the outside because it looked like a giant building, but when I went inside.

Temple was founded in the 6th century. When Kūkai came to the temple, he found a pregnant woman in pain. He lit incense and prayed for her. A boy was safely born, and this Temple is widely known as “Koyasu Daishi” Dashi of protecting children. There were pictures of babies on the back and side walls. So that makes more sense now.

Trying to catch the bus, this is the first time Google either got it wrong or the bus drivers didn’t understand where I was heading. So I walked to the train and on the way there, I found Temple 62 – Hōjuji.

During the 8th century, this Temple was built according to the wish of Emperor Shōmu. Due to a was in 1585, the Temple fell into ruin but was restored in 1638 and moved to its current location in 1921 for the railway.