Off the Beaten Path
Summary
We spent the week exploring the Kii Peninsula, which is just south of Kyoto and Osaka. From Kyoto, we took the train to a small mountain town called Koyasan. From there, we spent 4 days hiking an old pilgrimage route called the Kumano Kodo Kohechi from Koyasan to Hongu Taisha. Then, we took the bus to a small fishing town on the coast called Katsuura, before making our way back to Kyoto.
Highlights
Kumano Kodo
Hiking the Kumano Kodo was a really unique experience! It is not a very popular route, so we barely saw anyone else on the trail (in 4 days, we only passed one other group that was going the other way). Each day, you hike up and over a pass, and then stay the night in a guesthouse in the valley below.
The trail connects Koyasan, where Shingon Buddhism was founded to Hongu Taisha, where the head of the 3 grand shrines in the region is located. Along the way, there were some really interesting signs explaining the history and significance of the trail.
We got very variable weather along the route, which is best shown with some photos!
Friday was super nice, sunny and clear skies!
Sunday was overcast and mild, perfect hiking temperature.We got to see some neat views of the valley and the mountains, walked through bamboo groves, saw a lot of frogs and some wild monkeys, and much more! Overall, it was a really great experience.
Monkeys!
Guesthouse Experiences
Another neat experience of the hike was staying in guesthouses each night. Most of them were run by a single family, in these tiny mountain villages.
In particular, the second night of the hike we stayed in a house in this tiny town (not even really a town, just a cluster of a few houses). The house was run by this young 60ish year old man. His mother also lived there, and his sister and brother-in-law happened to be visiting as well. We slept in his “living room”, and I guess his sister took his bedroom because when I went to go the washroom at night, I almost stepped on him because he was sleeping in the dining area!
It was fun seeing what people typically eat for dinner (lots of little dishes) and experiencing what it was like for them to live in a remote part of Japan. He even showed us a TV feature of him and his mom running the guesthouse from 10 years ago. Unfortunately it was a little more rundown than on the TV programme but it was still a cool experience.
A lot of the spots we stayed at also had onsens, or natural hot springs! It was really nice being able to soak after a day of hiking. In particular, the place we stayed at on the third night had these private onsens overlooking the river valley, which were super nice! We even picked the cheapest place to stay of the options, so it’s hard to imagine what the nicer places would have been like.
Katsuura
After the hike, we spent a day on the coast exploring. Katsuura is a really quiet and peaceful fishing town which was super beautiful.
Food Review
Hotpot
Two of the guesthouses we stayed at served hotpot for dinner! It was some of the best food so far, and the perfect post-hike meal. Warm, filling, and good salty broth to replenish the sweat from the day.
Japanese breakfast
The guesthouses all served a Japanese-style breakfast, which often has a lot of small dishes and lots of fish, rice, and pickles. It took a bit to get used to eating fish for breakfast, but it was very filling and good for a day of hiking!
Other Photos
Wow, glad you guys enjoyed the 4 day hike! What beautiful views and delicious food you had. The guesthouses and onsens sound like great experiences.
ReplyDeleteI like the typical Japanese meals and love all the pictures on the hike!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great hike. Looks like quite the range in weather. Glad you’re getting some nice days. The food!!!! Looks so good!!
ReplyDelete