I tried to sneak out this morning, using my headlamp to guide me in the dark to avoid waking Shinichi-san. I was grateful for his hospitality, but didn't think he'd want a 5am wake up call. But my plan failed - he was up and already taking photos of me with his beloved dog. After cuddles with Nyuu, I was at a Family Mart for breakfast at around five thirty. I thought I'd be the only one there, but I had about half a dozen workers in there at the magazine racks, getting their daily dose of Japanese girly mags and anime fix. After staring at them like a little school-kid, trying to get a glimpse of the back covers, I took off for the hills.

Today was yet another awesome morning to get out of bed for. That was two in a row now, so there were no complaints from me. I really didn't want to leave Matsuyama - in fact I was close to the point where I never wanted this pilgrimage of mine to end. I always felt a sense of sadness leaving some parts behind me. I loved Uwajima, I missed Hiwasa, and I craved the beaches of Shishikui once again. I was in love with Shikoku and grateful for the people who had helped me out along the way.
Except that old woman who managed the ryokan who wouldn't take me in during the typhoon. Not her. 

I was on the road early, sticking to the quiet roads as much as I could to avoid the busy road and the peak hour traffic. After a konbini coffee and baked cheese and ham sandwich for breakfast, I was forced to cross a very busy highway via an overpass. A ton of school children being led by what I assumed was a teacher had to do the same. And so I somehow got stuck in the middle of all of them, with the kids giggling at this giant gaijin who was unable to move ahead of the pack.

It came as no surprise that I slept like a baby last night.  The previous day had not only been physically challenging, but also emotionally draining. But this morning I woke up feeling refreshed and revitalised, and was on the road walking back towards Temple 46. No more typhoons or storms!

I got no sleep at all last night. Literally no sleep whatsoever. There was absolutely no escape from the wind and the rain, and I now realised that Uchiko Hut offered no protection from the harsher elements of Mother Nature. Using my rain jacket and rain pants, I tried to cover my sleeping bag the best I could, but it was a futile effort at best. I tried different locations around the hut to try and sleep, but it was no use. 

So I caught the train this morning, I didn't feel guilty about it. My headspace just wasn't in it today. Maybe I was a little depressed, I was definitely missing Gem back home, and I was just sick of walking with a pack on a daily basis. The adventure sounded good on paper and in all the colourful photos, but it was taking its toll on me today, mentally more than physically.
It had been a very muggy night, and the room - although comfy - wasn't exactly refreshingly cool. To top it off, the clothes that I had washed couldn't be dried properly because some idiot (me) left his clothesline at the last lodging. So up early at around 5ish, I packed up my wet clothes, wore some of them, headed to 7-Eleven for breakfast and konbini coffee, and then off to Kami-Uwa Eki (railway station) to shave 18km off my "cheat day".

I slept in until 6 oclock.
Thanks to the longest sleep I've had this far into the Shikoku Pilgrimage, I woke up feeling re-energised and in a great mood. It was great to wake up at sunrise, opposed to my usual pre-dawn system that I had in place. It didn't take me long to get ready for the day, and not having to pack up a mattress or sleeping bag (still a morning struggle) was like a breath of fresh air. As my room was upstairs, I tried my best to avoid creaking the stairwell on my way out the door, trying my hardest not to wake anybody.

Just like every other day where I had crossed paths with Jill, this was going to be another day of playing cat and mouse with one another. This morning I was up before Jill, doing my best to keep quiet so she could sleep in. It was, as per my usual routine, well before the break of dawn, and there was no way I was going to wake up others who weren't as crazy as me. I made a brief stop at a Circle-K konbini for breakfast and a hot cup of coffee, and was back on the road just after sunrise.

Even though today was going to be a very short walk when compared to what I would usually do, it wasn't going to stop my body clock from making me start my day at 6 o'clock, bright and early. I was thankful for the kettle in my room, and made two coffees well before the sun was even up. From my room I looked down onto the streets below - not a soul was in sight, and no cars could be heard. After leaving my hotel I walked along the deserted streets, as the sky decided to treat me to an epic sunrise. This was definitely a great start to the day!

It was a bit too early to tell, but I was fairly certain that I couldn't see any clouds this morning. It wasn't until I saw the sky turn from purple to pink, and then to a nice warm orange on the horizon, that I knew that the storm had passed. Finally after almost 10 days, there would be no more rain. In fact, today would be the first time I'd seen sunlight in about a week.