Day 2

Thursday, August 4
Planned on getting an early start this morning, but when I went to load my packs on my bike, found out I had a flat tire.  Just the start of an interesting day...

The owners of Michi Shirube, where I stayed the first night

Things didn't start to get hard until Temple #10 Kirihataji (切幡寺). There are two levels of steps to get up to the top, 33 steps and 234 steps, after a climb to the parking lot.  After climbing to the top, visiting the main temple and the temple to Kobo Daishi I realized I forgot my wallet in my pack on my bicycle.  So I had the opportunity to take those 267 steps again, so I could pay my contribution and get my book signed by the temple.  I did ask a guy at the top if he would lend me 300 yen and I'd pay him back at the bottom.  But he declined.  To be fair, I wouldn't have lent myself that 300 yen...

2nd level of 234 steps--that I got to do twice

From temple #11, Fujiidera (藤井寺) , to Temple 12, Shōzanji (焼山寺)  you need to cross a mountain, then climb up another.  I had prepared for this by getting a reservation at at ryokan called Sakuraya Ryokan that is in the valley below Shozanji. If I crapped out on the mountain, I could call it a day and climb to Shozanji (700m) the next day.

My bike, halfway up the mountain before the Shozanji mountain

It turns out climbing the 400m mountain with my packs on my bike came close to killing me so I thought I would tackle Shozanji the next morning.  I found Sakuraya Ryokan without too much trouble, but when I showed up, they said I didn't have a reservation.  It turns out, in my haste I called a different lodge, Sakura Ryokan (no "ya" at the end of Sakura) back near temple 11 the other day.  That was back on the other side of the mountain...no hope or desire to cross that again.  Luckily Sakuraya Ryokan had an empty room (good point about doing the pilgrimage during the low season), but they couldn't give me dinner since it was too late.  Another night of convenience-store bentos.  I called the owner of the first Sakura Ryokan and explained my screw-up.  He said it was no problem to cancel, so no harm no foul (he was probably just being nice...)

No internet, early to bed, early to rise for Shozanji.

Sunset in Kamiyama-cho