What happened? Yesterday we had the universal deluge and today there is nothing but sunshine. Not that I am complaining, mind you, because my gear was in need of serious solar radiation. Now I am all dry and packed as if I was just starting the trip.
Since I have a super comfy apartment to relax, I decided that today was going to be an easy day (I have a long ride ahead of me tomorrow), so I left my jacket and boots drying, and in my shirtsleeves and sandals went to visit the Shinto temple complex of Kumano Nachi Taisha. It was an easy ride of no more than 10 km, and by 8:30 am I was at the site of Nachi Falls, which at 130 m free-fall is the tallest waterfall in Japan. The early inhabitants of Japan not only saw the beauty of the waterfall, but realized that this was the abode of one of their deities (I will let you guess who). So the waterfall itself is the shrine, and pilgrims pray directly at the waterfall.
From there it was an easy walk to the Kumano Nachi Taisha Grand Shrine, which is the head shrine of over 4,000 Kumano shrines in Japan. The grand shrine is part of the Kumano Sanzan (the three grand shrines of Kumano), and a major pilgrimage destination. Were I not so lazy, I could have walked 50 km of the Kumano-Kodo trail and claimed double pilgrimage rights, because I have also walked/biked the Camino de Santiago.
An interesting motif found in the Kumano Sanzan is the Yatagarasu three-legged crow. It is believed to be a divine messenger and guide, who helped the first emperor of Japan navigate the impenetrable Kumano mountains in the Japanese creation narrative. The three legs represent heaven, earth, and humankind.
On a more mundane level, the Yatagarasu is in the logo of the Japanese Football Association. Which reminds me, DJ, that folks here are crazy about baseball, and have named their teams after American and Mexican teams. I almost bought you a jersey of the Tigres!
A shrine is more like a monastery, with lots of monks and lots of buildings. Some are secondary shrines for, after all, 8 million gods have to live somewhere. But there are also administrative buildings, apartment complexes, dormitories, and facilities to park and feed large numbers of pilgrims and tourists. The place was pleasantly empty when I was there, but by the time I was ready to leave big tourist buses were starting to arrive.
I spent the early afternoon shopping for socks (the original ones I packed are beginning to look ratty), and food. I figure I could cook tonight and take a break from restaurant food (not that I complain about the food, which everywhere here has been fantastic).
OK, I am done for the day!
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