In Tokyo
I made it back from Shodoshima, my feet cursing me, however, and my shoulder muscles having painful twinges from bearing a rucksack all week. That’s aside from all the mosquito bites and fatigue. I completed it though, all 88 temples in the circuit and an extra 8 not necessary, but along the route. I did have a little help on some days from other pilgrims who offered to take me part of the way in their car and countless o-settai (small gifts given to pilgrims to symbolise the giver partaking in the journey). I walked about 147km and did 34km by car, usually at the end of the day when I would have otherwise had to walk to my accommodation for the night.
I’ll likely write more about it when I’m back in England. Right now, I’m in the same internet cafe I stayed at before in Tokyo, approaching 11am (I bought a short 3-hour pack as I arrived really early this morning via night bus.) I’ve just finished watching ‘Secret Window’, with Johnny Deep (so-so) and soon I’ll be off to spend the rest of today an tomorrow doing some final shopping and whatnot. And then, that’s it! I’ve said goodbye to the staff an residents at Shiso and soon to Sumiko-san, whom I’m staying with today and tomorrow. I can’t really comprehend that I’m coming home. After 11 months, I’ve settled down. Packing up everything from my apartment was a nightmare - my bags are still over the weight limit for the airline despite sending two huge boxes home! I hope I get by without incurring a charge…
Well then. I guess I’ll be seeing some of you in August sometime. We’ll arrange a sleepover at my house, or I’ll come and visit individually if it’s impossible to agree on a date.
Sorry for not writing letters for so long. It’ll be nice catching up ^_^
じゃ、すぐね！
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Filed under: English, Japan, Japan-eng, Livejournal (old) by Mike on Tuesday, July 26th 2005 @ 8:43 am | Trackback |
See you soon! :D
If you get this:
See you soon too! I wont be able to see you for about a week or so because i’m up in Newcastle working. I’ll be back down soon though :) I think 7th/8th Aug or sometime around that.
Dave
I think a trip out is due :)
See u soon Michael
Love
Mum & Dad xx
I hope you’re having a great, fantastic time and taking care out there!
Thanks all ^_^. I’ll try to keep my recovery period as short as possible before starting to arrange things.
Sumiko-san and I just weighed everything last night - It came to about 38kg!! I’m only allowed 20kg baggage and a further 6 hand luggage. o.O;;; What to do..? I might have to send *another* box home and plead to them that I’m a very special case because I’m an ex-volunteer and recently lost some weight walking around as a pilgrim ^^;.
I hear Virgin are very strict though… *gulp*
Solution: Wear all of your clothes! Thus, the weight you’ve lost, is transferred back onto your person. Plus they wouldnt stop an overweight person from getting on. Its the ultimate way round it!
Haha, actually, thats what i did. I wore as much as I could and then stuffed it into a bag on the plane. I stuck all my heavy stuff like my Hard drive and some big books *inside* my coat. And i was still over!
PS. They are much more lienient on the Japan side, and i *also* got away with my guitar!!
Dave
be good to have you back brother downey. have a safe journey home.