Exploring the world’s great walks and pilgrimage trails
Recently I hiked the Kumano Kodo, a UNESCO registered pilgrimage trail across the south east peninsular of Honshu, the main island of Japan with my mother. We completed the Kumano Kodo walk over 5 days and 4 nights staying in traditional Japanese ‘Minshuku’ guest houses along the way in the villages we passed. Getting to …
Continue reading "Kumano Kodo Day 1; Shin Osaka to Kii Tanabe to Takijira"
The second day of our Kumano Kodo hike started with the traditional Japanese breakfast spread at the small hotel we'd stayed overnight. Breakfast included various Japanese pickles, miso soup, steamed rice, a kind of dried fish, Japanese green tea, and quite likely a few other small nibbles. Each served in their own unique bowl or …
Continue reading "Kumano Kodo Day 2; Takehara to Chikatsuya"
Day 3. The BIG one! Some of our fellow walkers who we'd met along the walk so far had opted in advance to skipping this day and instead replacing the 24km odd days hiking with a taxi ride to the Kumano Hongu Taisha temple and a rest day and early arrival in Yuonomine Onsen, or …
Continue reading "Kumano Kodo Day 3; Chikatsuyu to Yuonomine Onsen"
On the fourth day of our Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail walk, we started the day at Yuonomine Onsen where we'd stayed the previous night in a local Minshuku. Like many of the days, the day started with a traditional Japanese breakfast at the lodge within with which we'd stayed. After breakfast and checking out, we …
