Temple 1 appeared very different from when I had first visited over a month ago. Physically it looked different, today was a much sunnier day and the blossom is now in full bloom. The temple had been all but deserted on the 2nd March, but this morning it was bustling with families and couples, as well as three coach parties of Henro. I would have found these crowds daunting on my first day, but I felt experienced today, now that I had completed the 88 Temples, and I just about understood where to go, how/when to ring the temple bell, where to pay, where to stand, what to to do, what to say, how to chant my prayers, where to light the candles and incense etc.
There is a separate page in the Noukyouchou - the stamp book - for re-visiting your first Temple, and the shaven headed Nun smiled and said "Ah saigo, omedetou!" as she took my book to stamp it.
(Ah the end, congratulations!)
- Distance walked today = 13km
- Distance walked so far = 818.2km
- Temples visited today = Temple 1 again; Ryouzenji.
- Kouban visited today = nil
- Accommodation = Hotel and breakfast ￥6090, Hotel Asutoria, Tokusima-shi, Tokushima-ken 〒770-0833
- Expenditure today = bottle of cold tea and can of hot coffee ￥270, train from Hiketa Station - walking distance from last night`s hotel - to Bandou Station near Temple 1 ￥350, train from Bandou Station into Tokushima City ￥260, rental of laptop ￥500, toilettries ￥2276, Japanese vegetable curry and lager ￥1600, one temple stamp￥300, other food/snacks/drinks ￥1377.
- Settai = the Nun who stamped my book at Temple 1 gave me an English language leaflet guide to Koyasan, and recommended a Temple lodging to visit.
Omedetou gozaimasu! \\^O^//
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