Post

I guess Im a little travel weary because that last post sounded pissy to me. Ive been pounding the pavement pretty much non-stop since May 3rd and it takes a lot of mental energy to stay positive, at least Ive decided on a final destination. I`m going to make it to temple 44 because theres something satifying about completing exactly half of the temples, it just begs for future completion.

Speaking of mental effort I had a mental breakthrough/breakdown a couple days ago. I was walking to temple 39, the furthest distance between temples on the trek, and I began to pick up my pace. I walked faster and faster, my limbs akimbo, my neck straining against the straps. I imagine I resembled a giant lumbering walrus with my 20 pound pack, but I continued. Soon spittle flew from my mouth and I was yelling incoherently for things to burn, decay and die. I wanted no light to reach the earth and for happiness to fade from memory. I felt anger well up inside of me like an oil strike and release in a torrent of black putrid hate. Then, as I was climbing another mountain, the anger began to fade as if it were on a dimmer switch, and then extinguish. Analyzing the episode I realized that I have not been angry in a very long while. To be joyful and accomdating all the time is exhausting, so now that I have had my carnage fix I feel like a million bucks. Onward to glory.

By the way, did anyone hear that my brother just had a kid? I guess that makes me an uncle. Way to go Dan, your boys can swim.

Good

Im all good, about to make it to some other place. After awhile it all runs together. Amazing and beautiful things can become boring. I want some carnage. I think thats why I went to an arcade today.

BOO

I have a cold. I told myself that it was just allergies until my whole head started to fill with goo, now it feels like a leaking balloon. I still managed to walk from temple 28 to temple 30, about 15km, and am now writing this in a cubicle. Japan has these internet cafes where you can rent out the room by the hour or stay the night at a discount price. I think they are made specifically for the hardcore gamer because they also offer food, beverage, showers and restrooms.

I met gaijin henro the other day. The first Ive run into on this trip. He got a grant from his school to study the 88 temple run, speaks great Japanese and was a huge asset for the two days we hiked together. Alas, he is returning home and I am once again without a map or language skills to navigate daily life. Just a couple minutes ago, dribbling snot onto the counter I tried to get the girl behind the counter to let me use the computer without buying a membership card `because,` I said, `I will never come back here again.` She just stared at me, and I at her, until I finally said, Marshmellow pistolwhipping dog muffin and pointed at the card. She took that as confirmation and now I have a membership card to, new new Cafe: for fun relax time.

It was really nice to speak English for awhile, and I think as soon as I started to speak english I became more American. Ill explain. I have to become more Japanese to survive without using language, which means I bow a lot and say the three words I know in Japanese again and again. I hadnt spoken proper English and I hadnt told a joke that anyone understood in two weeks, so as soon as I was understood I unloaded two weeks worth of comedy. Alex was rolling and I again became American. My body language started to loosen up, I nodded up instead of down and started another war in the middle east. It was a breath of fresh air.

Typhoon

A typhoon NARROWLY missed Shikoku last night. Instead of coming on land, it was blown out to sea but a freak cold front. If it had hit I would have been right in its way. I am at temple 24 which is located on the eastern most tip of Shikoku and directly on the ocean. As I speak, I am admiring the view of churning foam, smelling the salt air and listening to the gentle crash of waves from my second story room. Still more wonderful and exciting things have happened, but I will leave the story for another day and another time.

Can someone tell me about Dan and Jo?

Thanks

I want to thank everyone who has shown me support on this trip, every single one of you has been amazing to me. I was wondering if anyone could send me some of their favorite lyrics, because I have this nasty habit of singing when I'm hiking and I keep singing the same five songs over and over again. Which are
1) Across the Sea by Weezer
2) Give me the loot by BIG
3) Various Beatles tunes
4) Fly me to the moon by Ol' Blue Eyes
5) I saw the sign by Ace of Base, (that last one is a joke...sort of)

I started the 88 temple hike a couple days ago, and unknowingly became a religious pilgrim called a henro. It involves wearing a sash, white garments, a ridiculous hat and praying at every single temple while lighting candles, burning incense, and reciting sutras. If you want to learn more go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikoku_Pilgrimage

I have pictures, video, and audio accounts of the trip which I will share with all of you when I see you. Many strange and wonderful things have happened and it would take way to long to write it all down.

I have hiked about 60km, have visited 17 temples, and have 5 blisters on my right foot, but kobo daishi is walking with me, so it's all good. I don't know if I'll be able to finish all of the temples because Yifei wants me to join her in Okinawa, and what kind of gentleman would I be if I turned her down?

Oboke

The 29th was my last day for the japan rail pass, so I was headed to Shikoku to start the 88 temple run when I asked two girls, Red and Naria, where they were headed. They replied white water rafting and canyoning. That sounded like a great idea so I made them give me directions and met up with them in Oboke. It is a beautiful river valley town with houses on stilts set in green hills. The constant sound of water plays out over boulders lodged in the rivers floor and time passes a little more slowly here.

When we arrived we were picked up by Mike, Red already knew him, and were dropped off at a guest house up in the hills looking over the valley. This is the type of view that would cost you a couple hundred dollars a night in American, here, it was a scant twenty five. To the west the hills run into eachother to form a V and to the east are bamboo forests crowding slanted roof homes. Mike came back up after work and we partied a bit with fellow travelers. My thoat started to hurt, so I neglected to partake in the drinking.

The next day we suited up in two wet suits and hopped in a raft to brave the rapids. We surfed some rapids, jumped off towering cliffs, and I rode on the front during one of the smaller ones. It was a great and exhausting day.

I woke up the next day rested and went down to suit up again, but this time it was to jump and repel down waterfalls for half a day. It reminded me of playing outdoors when I was young, jumping in the creek that ran parrallel to my house, except this was big boy playing with forty foot waterfalls instead of one foot creeks.

This morning I packed up my bag, let my clothes dry, and realized I had lost my lonely planet guide book. Now I truly have no idea where I am going and what I am doing. It will make for an interesting couple of months.