Koyasan is da bombe.
Left
Hotel Taiyo about 9:30 to walk to the Nankai Line Shinimamiya station
which is about 300 metres from the JR Shinimamiya station. You know what
it's like when you are in somewhat familiar surroundings and you get
thrown a complete curve ball and find a completely new and busy place.
That was what happened to me this morning.
A whole new busy bustling thriving station.
Got the Limited Express to Gokurakubashi
Station then the cable car up the mountain to Mount Koya Station where
you catch a bus to the various shrines, temples and museums.
Went
to the head temple (Kongobuji) then on to the Tokugawa Mausolea- one
for the first shogun Ieyasu and one for his son, the second Shogun
Hidetada built by the third Shogun (grandson/son) Iemitsu. On to the
Daimon, not Matt, which is the gate that is literally the entrance to
Koyasan.
Then checked in at the
temple Shojoshin-in and went for a walk in the biggest graveyard ever
(Okunoin) where Kobo Daishi is interred.
Back for dinner all vego and quite delish- pics on Instagram.
Then
went for a nighttime ramble through Okunoin and had the Most Truly
Amazing Experience of My Life. When I was getting near KD' mausoleum I
saw 4 ladies ahead of me. Bear in mind I think I had seen onl y two
other people in this whole vast cemetery up until then When I got
nearer I could hear chanting and it turned out that one of the. ladies
was chanting while the other three prayed. I stood behind them and when
she had finished she turned and we bowed and I thanked her for the
experience. They started to walk off and then she turned back and came
up behind me put her hands on my shoulders and starting chanting again.
The feeling of this little lady pushing against me and the power of the
chant was truly mystical. When she finished I felt ten feet tall and
walked back to the temple floating like a cloud
Had a bath am writing this and about to go to bed cos morning prayers are at six thirty AM !!!
And so to bed as Mr Pepys so eloquently put it
Lotsalove,
Tim xoxo
PS Free wifi at the temple. Gotta love Japan
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