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Sorry about the poor title pun but I didn't want to write another title bemoaning the weather conditions.
After a 3 hour ferry ride I made it to Matsuyama and I don't think I have ever been on a ferry for that length of time let alone one with no seats. It was quite a pleasant way to spend the journey, sprawled out on my bit of floor and sleeping the journey away like the rest of my fellow passengers.
Matsuyama is home to a castle which overlooks the town and a luxury public bath with different pricing options depending on which bath and which post bathing refreshments you pick (it all sounded very complicated).
The rain continued on and off but did let up for long enough to allow enough time to visit the castle and surrounding area. I decided against taking the ropeway up to the castle as the ski lift type chairs weren't filling me with confidence and the huge safety net underneath just compounded my doubts. I decided instead to take a rather pleasant (but humid) stroll to the top to find myself faced with a rather immaculate castle and grounds bustling with tourists and day trippers.
After a look round the displays about the history of the castle and the city I made my way back down and managed to fit in a brief stop at Ninomaru Shiseki Tei-en to take in the beautiful mixture of old gardens and new water features.
The rain made a return and I headed for shelter in one of the nearby shopping arcades near to the hotel, one of which had a pet shop that only sold puppies and Kittens (a sight I have not seen in the UK since the early 1990s). They were all very cute and also very expensive- maybe that is why they had a sale on!
The next day it was off to Uwajima but the weather had other ideas and wreaked havoc with the transport system again, stopping the trains once more.
Thankfully the station had been prepared and laid on rail replacement buses so I was able to get to my destination with very little stress.
As the day went on the weather deteriorated further with the addition of thunder and lightning into the mix which did mean I didn't get to see much of Uwajima despite my attempts. I did however seen
dozens of Tera Tera Bozu strung up in the shopping precinct. These are charms to herald in better weather or stop a rainy day, I did hope they would start to weave their magic soon.
A quick stopover and then it was on to Kochi and at last to fairer weather (those Tera Tera Bozu clearly did their job!) which made it feel almost tropical and like a holiday again.
Again the main draw here is a castle perched atop a hill, however this is one of only a dozen castles in Japan to have survived with their original keep intact. It was another hot walk to the top but it was all worthwhile as it gave up a good view of the city
Near to the hotel was the famous Harimayabashi bridge which was featured in a scene of a story about a priest from the Godaisan temple and a young woman who would meet in secret to exchange gifts before finally fleeing the city.
The area has been renovated and made to look like it did in the Meji era which made for a very pleasant and picturesque stroll away from the bustle and noise from the nearby
shopping arcades and street markets.
Another day and another town, this time Tokushima and for a change from the usual temples,shrines and castles I decided to visit the Naruto Whirlpools. These are located in the Naruto Strait where the Seto Inland Sea meets the Kii Channel and the difference in tides and speed generates whirlpools (see I learnt something!)
I took a trip across a walkway located under a bridge which puts you 45 m above the water so the whirlpools can be viewed. I decided despite my fear of heights to give it a whirl (boom boom) and sauntered down the rather open feeling promenade. There were glass windows in the floor at regular intervals to provide vantage points down to the water which I did my best to avoid or peer over at a distance.
When I got to the main windows over the maelstrom I got as close as I could without being sick but could not see any of the 20m diameter whirlpools due to the tide times but it was definitely an experience. A not so much fun part of the experience was the fact that the walkway would shake and bounce when a truck
went over the bridge.
I left the walkway in one piece ,and with no drama and suffering only minor palpitations, which was better than I expected, to take the 70 minute bus ride back to Tokushima and to my hotel where I was provided with a comfortable room,toiletries, a bottle of water and a pot noodle
A quick hop on the train to Tatsue to stay at one of the temples on the 88 temple pilgrimage route was next on my itinerary.
On arrival I spotted a handful of pilgrims dressed in traditional clothes and I had to admire them as it was a blazing hot day and the thought of walking more than a short distance in that heat was too much to bear.
My temple lodgings were easy to find (just follow the pilgrims!) but I found I was the only guest again and that I would be taken to a Buddhist ceremony later on.
Come 4.30pm I was taken via a connecting corridor to the temple and sat in front of the altar and told to wait. I waited for other people to arrive and nobody else did, So it was just me and the priest.
This
experience was slightly uncomfortable especially when I was asked to participate and with no one else to take the lead from I just hedged my bets and hoped I did nothing offensive.
I was ushered into another room and I wasn't sure if there was still more of the ceremony or not but after waiting a few minutes I assumed that I was free to leave and off I wandered through the maze of corridors and stairs to find my room.
At night my lodgings were deathly silent and it felt a little creepy and unnerving rattling around the huge empty building on my own
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