One of the best things about travelling alone is being able set the pace. After three long days of travel, today I allowed myself to take it slow. I had to get up early to Skype about a possible volunteer position but after that I took a nice, long, slow morning. I enjoyed talking with Barb and Drew over breakfast and then dawdled over the computer for awhile. When I finally stepped out to head to Miyajima I felt very happy to give myself permission to take it slow. I am glad I decided to stay here so many days. It changes everything to not have to move or worry about carrying my backpack. I also like having the time to get to know the area I am in, so that it feels familiar and I am able to walk around without a map.
I already feel so satisfied by my trip to Japan, I have very little agenda this time around, or I am quickly relaxing around the agenda I do have. I headed to Miyajima, which I had heard from many people would be very nice. I did not worry about trying to get everywhere or climb to the top of Mt. Misen (3-4hrs round trip) but strolled through the whole day. I strolled through the shopping area, tasting some of the local snacks, which included little leaf-shaped cakes filled with different things. I tried a chocolate filled one, pretty good (but not as good as the chocolate filled pancakes) and a green tea one---DISGUSTING! i was pretty disapointed. i was hungry for something that wasn`t dessert so I tried what was translated as `fish cake`, i picked the one with spring onion and hot pink ginger. I would call these an octopus stick maybe and while they were not fried in the traditional sense, it glisened with grease and afterwards thinking about it made me feel a little quesey.
After that I strolled along the coast snapping numerous pictures of the 16m Famous Floating Torri and the headed to the Itsukshima shrine that lies inland of the Torri Gate. This is also a `floating shrine` built into the ocean so that the water ebbs and flows beneath it. It was a beautiful sunny day to be walking temples. After temple overload in Kyoto, today I felt like I had been a long time away from Japan`s incredible temples and felt glad to be back at one. I reflected on the spiritual prescense in Japan and how much I appreciated how ubiquitous the temples are, even if I did not share the same exact faith. I enjoy leaving my offerings and prayers and thanks for safe travels all the same and just being apart of such a rich tradition.
Next I headed to Daisho-In Temple recommended to be by Barb. I loved it. I think I can easily say this was my favorite temple visit. I entered the complex for free through a beautiful gate and a long steep staircase. In the middle were the 600 sutras that you touched as you walked up. Along the way up I diverted down a path to walk among the 500 little statues of disciples each with a unique expression and holding a unique item such as a feather, instrument or book. As I walked among the little disciples, the strong scent of inscense burning from above wafted down along with the loud chants of the monks (which were being played on a loud speaker throughout the complex). At the top there was so much to explore. The whole place felt so active, with brightly dressed monks walking to and fro. The buildings were nestled among the mountain and this whole temple complex was filled with unique and interesting features. I was so mad at myself for not charging my camera, when my battery died almost immediately after reaching the main complex. One of the most interesting things I did there was go through a dark passageway underneath one of the temple halls. I went down at first and thought surely I wasn:t supposed to be in there since it was pitch dark after entering but when i came up a man with a Japanese spouse explained what to do. So I reentered keeping my hand on the left hand wall and walking along the edge. Then began to appear beautiful little gold Buddhist images each with a bright color behind its head. Looking ahead you could only see one or maybe two at a time and looking back on the last one. I looped my way around the temple, only getting scared once, and felt very proud of myself when I came out!
After taking a long time at Daishi-in, I walked slowly down back towards the town and came upon the 5-story pagoda I had seen from afar earlier. I entered the EMMENSE unfinished temple hall that went along with the pagoda. The open ceiling and walls were spectacular to observe, each post holding up the roof was an entire HUGE tree trunk (which I have seen at other large temple and gates and awes me each time). The open walls framed the rolling tree covered mountains behind it so beautifully I just sat and looked at them for a long while before finally heading back to the ferry.
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