Number 2144
Day 44 – 11:05 – Temple 88
On the way up to 88 is a henro centre where they give you a cup of tea, some sweets and a certificate commemorating your completion of the pilgrimage. I am the 2144th person to finish walking the 88 temples this year.
The climb up to the top of the mountain on the trail to 88 was a bit of a beast. This temple was one of the first to abolish the rule that women are not allowed to climb mountains leading to sacred sites which is fitting because by far the fastest person I’ve met so far was Ayaka.
She is a 28 year old nurse from Tokyo. She’s done the trip in 2 stages but basically this is her 29th day which is insanely fast. Somebody was telling me that she did 50 km the other day. I didn’t believe them but then she caught me, steaming up the mountain, and I wasn’t exactly going slowly. Being as mature as I am, the competitive spirit kicked in and I wasn’t going to be beaten to the finishing line by a young lady so I upped my pace.
So, it would seem that, in terms of spiritual enlightenment, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t force it to drink 
The view of the mountains behind temple 88 was fantastic. I had a last lunch and coffee with Sawai-san and we said our goodbyes. I told him that he has to learn English, then he can come and visit me in NZ. I wonder what his wife will make of his beard – it’s the first time he’s grown one. I told him that he needs to think more in terms of jazz cat rather than salaryman now that he’s retired.
The final day approaches, as tomorrow I will make my way back to Temple 1. I was starting to feel a little bit emotional at Temple 88 but I think the real impact will come over the next few weeks when I look back and think about all the people I’ve met, places I’ve been and things that I’ve seen. Right now, I’m looking forward to reading a book, drinking a smoothie and watching a film …
