Day 8

Day 8, August 10

I left Bima Ryokan early (the owners packed some onigiri for my breakfast) and visited Iwamotoji right as it opened.  After that, it was a 95km bike ride to the southwest corner of Kochi, to Ashizurimisaki.  The coastline was beautiful as usual, and the blue water kept tempting me for a swim.

Just the Pacific, not the South Pacific

Chiyoe came down from Shiga to spend the night (and to bring some biking shorts which I forgot at the ryokan on day 3, and some new biking gloves) and was due to arrive around 4:00pm.  I made it to temple #38 Kongōfukuji in time to pay my respects at the temple and check into the hotel before she arrived.

Statue of Sea Turtle that let Kobo Daishi ride on his back, per the myth

As this was our anniversary, we were hoping to stay in a nice hot spring, but most of the really nice ones were booked for Obon holiday.  We setted on a minshuku/onsen where the food was good, the service not so good, and the hot spring only so-so (but an ok view).  But even so, it was great to see Chiyoe after a week of biking alone, and spend our anniversary together.