Kochi City

Yesterday we walked to three temples and 15 miles, the last temple located on top of a hill just to make sure we got really tired. We then took a taxi, yes you read it right, we took a air conditioned taxi to Kochi City to stay at a civilized hotel. We are going to rest for one day to give our weary bodies a chance to recover and heal. Then we'll take another taxi back to the place where we left off...that way, no cheating.

We spent the morning walking around looking for a shoe shop so that Emi could buy a new pair of boots. It was either that or cut of some toes. The sales lady said that if Emi had some orthotic arch supports there would have been less pressure on her toes. I bring up this subject, because I told Emi to get a pair before we left and she ignored me as usual. After all my words of wisdom is not...according to her. And talk about walking around, it was like walking in a sauna in Kochi. We were dying and we didn't even have our packs or our henro jackets on. I don't know how we do it, but I guess you just do what you have to.

I must tell you that Japan has such a Hawaiian connection. For one, the people are Japanese, and it makes you feel like you're back in McKinley High School in Honolulu, aka Tokyo High, where the student body is predominantly Japanese. Then there's the weather. It's like Hawaii in summer without the trade winds. And so many of the plants are right out of Hawaii: hibiscus, uluhe ferns, ginger, and even pineapple. Surprisingly, I even saw two places offering lomo lomi massage. Plus the popularity of hula is astounding. I did tell you that La'ia halau has hundreds of students? I even saw a short hula lesson on TV. And then there was “Moana Market.” When I first saw the sign I thought that I must have been seeing things, misreading something like Maruwa Market. My mind reels in wonder what Hawaii would be like today had Japan won the war.