Tuesday, 30 June 2009

• Currently HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I By Michael Jackson see related

  Kochi--Ehime!

  Ok, going back to where I left off.  Walking back up from the Ashizuri Cape, I saw this beach.

  

  Not exactly a place you would want to lay out,but the rock formations were so cool.  Like some sort of geography nerd, I took about 1,000 photos.

  

  Shortly after that, I relearned the glory that is going to the toilet outdoors.  Even when there is no bathroom, there are always vending machines.  Even in the middle of nowhere.....  which, if you think about it, sort of lends itself to the no toilet problem, eh?

  

  I stayed in a pretty gross inn that night.  A bunch of loud, drinking construction workers were staying there too for some reason (family?)  I kept my door locked....  I was also served dinner in my room for the first time.  I think that was as lonely as I've ever felt during this walk.  To my horror, a giant slug and a human hand-sized spider were there to keep me company in the toilet that reeked so strongly of urine, I could smell it down the hall.  Where's the bathroom.... just follow your nose! 

  

  However, this was the view from my room. 

  

  I museum of storts where you can look at life in the sea.  I got there way too early to go in, which is all the better because I probably would have spent money on it.

  

  More trail markers with cool Kobo Daishi paintings on them.

  

  The whole area was awesome with the ocean crashing on the rocks.

  

  more really interesting rock formations on the coast. 

  

  About to turn the corner

  had to laugh

  

  some orange and blue for my gator fans

  

  Random, man-made scene from the road.

  

  Number #38 (i think) is famous for the legend of a turtle crawling up the the ocean with a bell on its back.  Hence this statue at the gate.

  

  For whatever reason, my competitive side got the better of me and I was determined to make it to #39 before 5 pm.  I was staying nearby and could have just gone the next day, but no.... I had to run at full strength the last kilometer up this hill after having walked over 30k that day.  I am crazy.  My high school cross country coach would have been proud at my perseverance and stamina though.  I got there in time!  At the top, a priest bought me this Aquarius.  I felt special (and sore and sweaty)

  

  I liked the handmade look of this sign.

  I had a terrible time on this mountain.  I was cussing and sighing and moaning the whole way up.  Every time I thought it would end, it just kept going up.  All of a sudden, it peaked and I was in Ehime Prefecture!

  

  Me, in another tunnel.  I was so happy with myself.  I was going to post something like "don't I look like MJ" yeah......  not so much anymore

  

  

  construction workers had free masks out for people to use.  How thoughtful!

  

  ha ha

  

  ha ha, this says "tea house and karaoke HUSTLER" ha ha ha, love the name

   

  Question:  what is better than a big scary dog to keep buglers and the mail man away from your door?

  

  A giant scary BULL!  WTF!  Just tied up in someone's front yard on a major highway.  I was later told that this was probably a bull used in the famous bull fights of the next town I was going to. Oooh, of course!  Bull fights, what was I thinking.  I swear, Kochi is the weirdest place on earth.

  

  Hooray, another inn with a room that looks out on the beach.

  

  The dinner was all caught right there that day.

  

  

  The shells are actually all these pretty colors naturally.

  

  View from my room.  Red sky at night, sailors delight.  Heaven, right?  WRONG!!! 

  This turned out to be the scariest, dirtiest inn I've stayed at so far.  It was almost like a cartoon or something.  Flies and bugs swarming over the toilets, old bandaids, dead bugs, etc etc in the shower.  I thought the mirrors were just fogged, but no, it was grime.  I was afraid to touch anything because it was covered in mold.  In the room, I could see and HEAR bugs jumping all around.  I tried to spray the perimeter of my futon, but to no avail.  They were flying around me, landing on me.  I saw a big lizard crawling up the wall, INSIDE.  I was too terrified to turn off the light.  I only got about 90 min. of deeply troubled sleep that night.  My skin was still crawling when I left.  It was hard to choke down my food--appetite gone. 

  right after I left, Kyohei called to tell me that my hero, Michael Jackson had died.  First Paul Newman and now MJ?  Gwen Stefani is BANNED from riding a plane or crossing the street for the rest of the year. 

  I was heartbroken.  Then I had to walk through another treacherous mountain pass with bugs landing on me.  I really wanted to give up.  How could I handle these slippery stones on this steep mountain when I had NO SLEEP and MJ died!  I couldn't!  I screamed and spat angrily on the moutain.  Could I just get 30 damn seconds without a bug on me!!!!

   This was so deep blue, it was amazing.

  

  Then, right after I took this picture of a rest hut for pilgrims, I dropped my camera and broke the zoom. great!

  

  Then I had to walk through the longest tunnel yet. perfect.

  

  That was the f-ing worst day ever.

  at least the people at a Toyota shop pulled me off the road to give me free iced coffee.  Ten minutes in the AC with coffee and a clean toilet was like heaven at that point.  Despite the broken camera.

  One thing was for sure.  As soon as my legs could carry me to the next town, I was not going anywhere near anymore of these family run inns.  Enough is enough.

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