Kumano Kodo

It was an absolute stunner of a day today - completely different to yesterday. After a stonking breakfast I left sharp at 8 to get on my way. Today was the longest day and I'd planned to get a bus at 12.20 to cut off the last 7 kms. The earnest and worthy Americans told me I should climb some hill to get a fantastic view of the Torii Shrine gate at Hongu. I figured I'd be be doing enough climbing without adding in more. And I did. I climbed over several passes and high ridges- up and then down again and then up.

Today, for the first time, I started encountering people. An Italian or German who I bumped into several times, groups of fit looking Japanese hikers, some families and a bewildered looking bus load of Dutch tourists. They strode off in one direction, then came striding back in the other. I think their leader needed to study his maps more.

I missed the first bus but had a relaxing bento lunch - more fish unfortunately and no muffins. I walked another couple of kms, got on the bus and confused the system by standing up and trying to work out my change. One guy asked me if something was wrong and I realised the bus driver couldn't move until I sat down. I'm used to drivers that take off before you reach your seat.

The Torii gate in Hongu was fine - it was large, it was there but what I really wanted was a beer. An Aussie couple were looking for the same thing. I found a little shop, bought a can, some chocolate and a moochi (sticky like Turkish delight, covered in icing sugar and filled with red bean paste). I confounded the poor old shopkeeper by giving her 5000 yen and taking all her change. Holding up the queue again.

I sat down to drink the beer at the bus station amongst some more earnest and worthy Americans. They were eating ice-cream and looking askance at my beer, so I wandered off and sat down on a bench next to a little Japanese family. We got talking through Google Translate and the young woman had a bit of English. She had a very cute little boy with a missing tooth who was 6. She found out where I was going and said "do you want to come in my car?" I don't think her mother was so keen - they had a bit of playful banter about "my car, no my car" but we set off. They set me down right outside my accommodation. Such a nice thing to do.

The accommodation tonight is great. It's right by the river but very peaceful. Its a Japanese style room with tatami mats but the house is bigger and I'm right at the end. Its definitely more soundproof. It has not just 2 but 3 onsen - one of them is a natural one outside under the bridge. Its got that nice sulphur smell. I've already had a dip. The code is that you turn over the block of wood at the top to red to indicate you're there. I explained this to the Aussie teenager who came traipsing down the stairs. I said it's a good thing I wasn't in the pool. He looked faintly appalled at the idea.

I had a second dip after dinner and have set up my futon bed myself. I put all the futons down - 4 of them, the sheet on top and then the duvet. They gave a quaint way of putting a fitted sheet around the duvet . It works quite well. I wonder why we don't do that? After a 5.30 wakeup I'm fading fast.

It was such a pretty today - warm and sunny

The lovely family who gave me a lift from Hongu to Yunomine. They had one of those dinky cars which are surprisingly roomy inside.

View I'd the ridges I climbed over

The natural onsen by the river, in a secret little spot under the bridge

There were some really sheltered little farmlets with gardens. No kitty cats though.

View from.my garden

The enormous breakfast. Kept me going till about 12ish

Fish on the river. They looked a lot like big goldfish to me.

The Torii gate - the biggest one in Japan.