Shikoku holy site tour abandoned, aka we fail at pilgrimaging

Creepy faces side-by-side with kittens and flowers on the ceiling.

Cold and with a forecast of yet more heavy rain we make use of free temple lodging for the first time. A garage, featuring a wailing shutter-of-the-damned and the occasional cockroach is to become our home for the next two days. Both nights walking pilgrims share the space, though a couple more with tents opt to camp nearby instead.
We spend most of the time in a nearby library. 火の鳥 (Phoenix) is apparently a manga magnum opus of some reknown, but I struggled to remain interested through the first volume. I think I'm spoilt by the skill and artistry of modern storytelling. Even the best of 1967 seems clumsy and dated in ways I can't overlook.

With rain still pouring down on the third day we decided another night in the garage wasn't an option and suited up in our inadequate $3 raincoats. The holy site tour abandoned, we headed toward Hirosaki and one last temple. #58 features decent cockroach-free lodging  and an on-site hot spring!

The ride was as miserable as expected, especially since our boots are no longer waterproof. The rain let up and we'd dried off somewhat by the time we hit Imabari (今治市) and our goal: 10 yen sushi. Yup, that's right, each one of the 25 pieces of sushi on that plate cost 10 yen each (~10 cents). Not so tasty, but hey, 10 yen!

Some mix-up at the temple left us unable to stay in the tsuyado (free lodging), but we were gracefully offered a room in the 4000 yen a night inn for free! I suppose it's not normally in use since it was right below the karate dojo. Anyway, that and the free hot spring made us (well, Hozumi) feel a bit criminal since we had no intention of continuing our 'pilgrimage'.

We were expected to attend the 6am morning service (1000 yen to inn guests, again free for us) and did so. I enjoyed the resonant bass of the heavy-set monk to the right and the all too brief drumming session performed by the monk on the right. You could definitely hit a trance state if you kept up that chanting long enough.

The abbot's speech afterward was tiresome, hitting all the expected bases: People should come to temples more, people think it's all about money, a mum unable to come because she's busy changing nappies is 'fleeing her responsibilities', videogame violence, kids wanting to become football stars for the money. Seriously now, what do these closeted priestly codgers know of life beyond their own calling? It's no wonder the myth of learned wise men is dying out (in some parts of the world, anyway).

Anyway, although our holy site tour ended on a sour note we met so many interesting characters on the way that it's hard not to recommend it to anyone who's interested, religious or not. Plenty of people out there beating the track for all kinds of reasons, and a wealth of hospitality and support from people along the way. If we hadn't been so hampered by the rain I would have loved to see it through to the end and collect all 88 photos.