Blogs from Wakayama, Japan, Asia

I headed to Koyasan from Nara. As usual, this involved multiple transfers including a cable car ride at the end. Located on an altitude of 1,000 meters, I hadn't heard of Koyasan before reaching Japan, but came across it in a travel magazine and the more I read about, the more interested I got in visiting it. This place was founded by a monk, Kukai, later called Kobu Daishi in 816AD. Kobu Daishi founded Shingon Buddhism in Japan and chose Koyasan as the base probably because of the 8 peaks and basin of Koyasan that resembles a Lotus and hence considered auspicious. As I climbed through the cable car and gained altitude and then stepped into Koyasan, I could immediately feel a sense of calm. The mystical fog was everywhere, the sound of the wooden shoes ... read more

Każdy relaksuje się na swój sposób. Czasami życie uniemożliwia rzeczywisty odpoczynek, czasami sami dokonujemy wyboru spędzenia czasu w sposób, który nie jest w rzeczywistości fizyczną "labą". Mimo, że odległość jaka dzieli Kawaguchiko i Koyasan to ok 476 km, to przyzwyczajeni do faktu, że w Japonii pokonuje się takie trasy Shinkansenami w 2-3 h zupełnie pomineliśmy przy planowaniu czas jaki potrzebny będzie nam na przejechanie z jednej miejscowości do drugiej. Więc wczorajszy dzień miał być dniem zasłużonego odpoczynku po stawianiu czoła tajfunowi na Fuji-san. Niestety nie był. Gdy wieczorem w poniedziałek zaczęliśmy planować nasza podróż za pomocą aplikacji Japan Transit Planner (polecam! ), wyliczyła ona, że podróż zajmie nam około 7,5 h! Sprawdziłem jeszcze raz wprowadzając korektę dotyczącą JR pass i faktu, że nie możemy korzystać z najszybszych Shinkansenów, Nozomi. Wyszło ... read more

Hello my fellow travellers! I slept like a log during the night and the first thing I did when I wok up was to check the status on my camera. Unfortunately it was still taking photos as if I was standing in a fog, I decided to try it out during the day and if necessary switch to my mobile phone which was luckily in good shape. I went down and picked up the hairdryer again and took a photo of them next to each other as to not forget the life-saving (or phone-saving) process. My clothes was all still moist and even my sutra had taken a hit yesterday although it was still readable. As I looked outside the window I could see that the storms had finally subsided even though it was still an ... read more

Hello my fellow travellers! After another night's good sleep I felt fully ready to take on the Kumano Kodō pilgrimage trail. I ate a light breakfast together with Kenichi and Yumiji while we watched the news about the typhoon. It seems like I'm in for a rough walk and the Japanese government are advising people to stay indoors in the Tanabe region. I won't be discouraged by this though, I figure that as long as I keep my wits about me and trek with care I should be fine. We said our goodbyes for this year and I made my way over to the Osaka Tenman-gū to ask about the shuin as a memory of the wonderful and lifesaving time I've spent here with Kenichi and Yumiji. When I arrived at the shrine I made my ... read more

Hello my fellow travellers! (I apologise that it has taken me so long to continue my writings from my last trip to Japan) This morning I woke up feeling a bit more rested after a good night's sleep. I ate a light breakfast, consisting of various fruits, together with Kenichi and Yumiji before they left for work. I decided to go and visit the Osaka Tenman-gū before I went to the train bound for Mount Kōya. My legs was still sore as hell from climbing Mount Fuji over the past two days so my decision to take the cable car rather than hiking up Mount Kōya still remained. Fortunately Kenichi and Yumiji were kind enough to let me leave a large portion of my things at their home. I just brought a change of clothes, my ... read more