A True Treasure of Shikoku

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For some reason I'm not feeling rested at all after a 4 day weekend...Maybe it was the late night run, or the long Culture Day at school on Saturday. I think it must have been the mountain climb on Sunday and the Monday shopping spree. Dinner at Handa sensei's house Monday night did help to revive the senes, though. She served a huge meal of sashimi, seaweed and cucumber salad, roasted potatoes with beef, a traditional vegetable soup, rice, and of course what is a meal without steamed broccoli and spaghetti? One would think by looking at the size of most Japanese that Handa sensei's husband and thin daughter only nibbled at their plates. But they completely cleared their plates! So I had to follow suit. I almost couldn't, but her husband joked that I must not like broccoli (ha, to think!) so I finished mine off, too. Then dessert of botchan mochi (more rice product) and little pancakes filled with sweet beans that I brought from my shopping spree. Needless to say it was an absolutely wonderful meal. Handa sensei and her husband were very talkative, speaking nearly flawless English. It was a great nice and a nice break from English with the JETs all the time.

Back to the mountain. Sunday I caught a train before the sun peeked over the mountains to the northern town of Saijo. From there it was a bus ride along a mountain river gorge away from the city and into nature. The bus dropped me at the ropeway base. A short ride up to Joju shrine where many spectators and pilgrims make their first stop. The path up the mountain was generally just that; a beaten down path through the fall colors. Not too strenuous but a beautiful sight. Reaching the base of the mountain the path morphs into steep wooden steps and staircases. Luckily the day turned out to be perfect. Not a cloud in the sky and the sun peaking through the valleys. A brisk chill in the air kept me from sweating too much; more like the Japanese climbers.

At the top I happened to run into who else but my fellow travelblog.org bloggers from Ehime prefecture. Also met a Japanese couple who wanted a photo shoot with the gaijin. Feeling a little silly we were all good sports and made our best peace signs for them. Later they repayed us with some food from their picnic. Definitely worth it. The climb down was a bit faster and much less strenuous, of course. By the time I made it back to Hojo on the express train I was destroyed. Fell asleep at 8pm.

Monday I visited the Ehime Prefectural Art Museum with a friend from Matsuyama. Nothing spectacular, but the tickets were free from an Elementary school principal. Afterwards came the shopping spree. I finally bought a couch for my flat! No more hanging out on the floor. Well, at least in a week no more hanging out on the floor. I am waiting for an interesting phone call from the delivery service when I get to test my Japanese abilities...yes. On to another adventure.

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Photos

Top of the chains
Climbing those chains you don't get any ropes...but the view is worth it

Almost there...
Passing a Torii gate on my way up the mountain.

Summit
My fellow bloggers and a random Japanese hiker at the top of the Mount Ishizuchi

A look back
From the summit, looking back at picnickers and the shrine at the top of the stairs.