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.

I arrived at Temple 52, Taizanji (太山寺) slightly after 9 o'clock. Taizanji sat out of the city, nestled in the hills that sat on the coast. Once through the main gate, it was a short walk up the road and into the heart of the temple grounds. Surrounded by evergreen trees, it felt very private and personal. Yet another temple that was well looked after, I took my time exploring and soaking in the essence of what made Taizanji truly spectacular. I marvelled at the main hall - a rather large timber building that sat in the centre of the compound and almost demanded your presence.    

Coming back down and heading to my next destination, I walked towards two foreign pilgrims making their way up into the hills. We all said hello as we passed, and then I got asked if my name was Taryn.
Mind-bown.
Laura and Ingrid, a couple of cool chicks from the Netherlands, had seen my drone photos online, and asked if I was the same guy. Such a small world! The girls were travelling together, and appeared to be the best of mates. It was great to see their smiles and have a bit of a laugh! After a brief chat we said our farewells and wished each other the best of luck. The girls headed towards Taizenji as I made my way down towards Temple 53.

The next temple was less than 3km away, so I stopped at a konbini for snacks and coffee to kill some time. After hitting the road again I passed a school along with school children walking hand-in-hand, dressed in their Halloween costumes down the road. I also passed a handful of pilgrims, both Japanese and foreign alike. One Japanese man in particular kept passing me, even though I would overtake him at points. He clearly knew of short cuts that weren't marked on the map. Even though today I was trying to slow my pace, it still took me a little over 30 minutes to get to Temple 53, Enmyōji (円明寺).

The road from Taienji lead directly to the main gate Enmyōji, as though that was the sole purpose  the road was put there in the first place. Enmyōji sat almost in the middle of a residential area, next to a greengrocer and across the road from a sweets shop.

The temple was much smaller than the previous one, but it didn't matter to me. Every temple had its own quirk that made made it either special or memorable, and I appreciated that. I found Enmyōji to be quite humble, and I got the feeling that was a family run business here, with who I assume was a husband-and-wife team working there. Even though it was small, there were heaps of Buddha and Kūkai statues. Even Christians were able to worship here, with one pilgrim telling me that a stone cross in the corner of the compound was for that very reason. 

I spent a good half-hour at Enmyōji, taking photos and simply enjoying the glorious sunshine, before deciding that it was time to make my way to the coast and towards the haunted abode that awaited me some 16km away. 

It was great to see the coast again. Deep blue waters with a gentle cool breeze was the order of the day, and there wasn't one complaint. In the beginning of the pilgrimage I absolutely detested the walk between Temple 24 to Temple 27 since it had been hot and humid, and not the most scenic of walks. My mindset back then didn't help though - I was ready to quit. But here along Seto Inland Sea, it was beautiful.

I had been chatting to a Japanese man from Matsuyama on the Henro facebook page. Shinichi-San owned a youth hostel (Hojosuigen Youth Hostel) on the outskirts of Matsuyama. In fact, I'd walk right past on my way to my next stop. Since it was only 2pm, I sent him a message telling him I'd drop in and say hi. He replied saying he would be about 30 minutes away, so I dropped my bags outside his hostel, and then thought I'd have a quick look around the area in which he lived.

Across the bay from the hostel sat Hojo Kashima Island. There was no bridge there, only ferry or boat access from the mainland. It was tempting to explore it, but before too long Shinichi-San had returned and welcomed me into his home with his dog Nyuu.

Sitting down for a chat and a cold drink, it was good to be able to have a conversation in English, and Shinichi spoke it fluently. It was only 3pm and I had 5km of walking left for the day, but then Shinichi-San did the unthinkable - he twisted my arm into staying. He told me that the haunted shrine was a bit so-so to sleep in (probably because of ghosts and stuff). Tonight he had no guests booked in except for one, a French pilgrim. That meant he'd give me a room to myself. On top of that, he offered to cook me dinner. All for just over 3000 yen. I couldn't say no. 

Unpacking my gear, Shinichi told me to go back to the coast wall to watch the sunset, he told me they were incredible from here. He was right - it was epic.

The French pilgrim ended up being the woman I saw way back on Day 1 who didn't do Temple 7, thinking it was closed. Or was it Day 2? Every day had been one to remember, yet I was losing track of time, unable to remember exactly what I did on a certain day. I had kept voice memos on my phone so I wouldn't forget a thing, a daily ritual that I was glad I stuck to.

Dinner was one of the best yet - Thai yellow curry, pumpkin with honey and sesame seeds, and for desert was a soft tofu with black honey. PLUS I had seconds. A really good way to end the day, followed by an early night. I had eaten so much today but it was almost a necessity - tomorrow was going to be my biggest day of walking for the entire Shikoku Pilgrimage.