Shimanto Town to Ariigawa, 28.6 km
Yet another sunny day in an area known for its very wet rainy season. As our accommodation didn’t do meals, the first stop was a convenience store for breakfast and morning tea! Nit at the same time mind you, but to pack for later consumption! We have yet to go to a convenience store that wasn’t busy, so clearly we’re adapting to Japanese culture quite quickly. Our day started out with a rather grim section alongside a very busy highway, but once the traffic turned off to use the new Kochi freeway, it was the same highway minus the traffic. Our path deviated away from the road, where was a short, sharp descent through the forest, confirming that Shimanto Town was indeed on a plateau. The trail was quite rough, so we’re coming to the conclusion that the number of pilgrims who actually walk the route is quite low. We rejoined the quiet highway, but it was not to last, as the freeway is still under construction. Not pleasant walking.
One pleasant, but short diversion, was up a narrow valley that gave the impression that a stiff climb was in front of us. However, after about 3 stories worth of stairs, we popped out onto an old roadway with a fantastic old tunnel designed to make henros smile:
We had hoped to stay in the town of Saga, but the limited accommodation was full, so we continued around the coast for a few more kilometers and were rewarded with a budget hotel on the ‘beach’ and a room with a view!
