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Monday, May 6, 2019

Southwestern Shikoku



Gordon:  We are currently staying near Temple 38, at the far southwestern point of Shikoku.  It is a wild and beautiful area, with substantial distances between temples.  The walk from Temple 37 to Temple 38 is 82 kms, the longest stage on the 88 Temple pilgrimage.





There are some magnificent beaches in this region, many popular with surfers.  A couple of nights ago we stayed at a campground on a surfing beach.  It showed us a side of Japan that we had not previously experienced.  Most of the other campers were young surfers, many with small children.  Everyone was active, but in a relaxed manner.  And they were keen surfers, many already in the sea at 6:00 in the morning.  I have no idea what a site in the campground cost, because when Ruth asked another camper where she should go to arrange for a site, the camper gave us one of their family’s sites.



Leaving the campground in the morning, we passed an exhibit of T-shirt art.  Hundreds of T-shirts were arranged in uniform rows along the beach.  In the morning light it was a striking scene, attracting dozens of serious photographers burdened with a fortune in camera gear.



We successfully survived “trial by sashimi” this evening at our minshuku.  This traditional inn specializes in sashimi, and we were offered a mountain of it, presented in a visually arresting manner.  In the past Ruth and I have been indifferent to sashimi, finding the tastes muted and relatively indistinguishable.  In Japan we have been eating very fresh sashimi, and we are developing a taste for it.  We particularly enjoy the regional specialty: lightly seared bonito in a sauce of vinegar and raw onions.






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