October 2

October 2
“What's wrong with you?”
“What's wrong with me? Are you talking about me?”
“I don't see any other fool walking around here.”
“I resent that. I'm no fool, not always right, but not a fool.”
“Then tell me this, are you having a good time yet?”
“The walk is not exactly about having fun.”
“Then what's the point...exactly?”
“There's a lot of things that man does that may not be considered fun but still valid.
“Like what?”
“Well...there's jogging, learning a language, climbing a mountain, going to the gym, the list is endless.”
“I get your point, but in each of those endeavors there is a particular goal or achievement that one is aiming for, don't you agree?”
“I suppose.”
“So what's yours in walking the henro michi?”
“To understand the sound of one hand clapping.”
This is only a small fragment of my wandering thoughts as I walk and walk and walk and....Most of it not making any sense at all.

Yesterday we walked 20 mi course he didn't have an elevator. I have a sneaky suspicion that there are no elevators anywhere on Shikouku. By the time we got there we were both hurting from dehydration. Lesson learned again.

So today we walked only 18 miles. It was much more pleasant. As walks go, it was fairly nice, no freeways with narrow walking paths, no hot sun without shade or breeze, no mountain paths with slippery rocks and pesky mosquitoes. Best of all close to the end we actually had fun. We stopped at a takoyaki (fried octopus) shop and ended up talking to the only customer. She was a nurse and this was her day off and this was her hang out where she stays from noon to four and then picks up her child. Oh, did I tell you that she drinks beer and smokes the entire time. So we ended up eating the takoyaki, seasoned eggplant, and drinking beer, because our host assured us that the minshiku was only a 10 minute walk. We actually had fun eating, drinking, and talking. The nurse was so bubbly she made champagne look flat. She bought the beer and poured like it was for free, and it was for us. After a while she would ask yotteru (Drunk yet?); the restaurant owner supplied the eggplant, All was osettai (gift for the henro). We all had great fun. Later the nurse stopped by the minshiku to introduce us to her kids. It was a nice gesture.