Roughing it in Shikoku!

We set off on a Saturday morning in Chito's car (lace seat covers and all) packed to the gills with camping gear and other necessities.  We were totally ready for the big trip!

We wanted to see the famous whirlpool in Naruto on the way into Shikoku, but the extremely windy weather didn't let us venture out to see it.  We decided to hit it up on the way back instead.  We got to Sanuki-shi in Kagawa by late afternoon and Cally and I pitched the tent in some light rain.  Everything was set up just before it started pouring. 

Thanks to Chito's outdoorsmanship, we were lucky enough to have stretched a tarp over the tent so it didn't get totally soaked.  But after the water seeped in through the sides on the first night and we woke up cold and wet, we needed a new plan.  The handy Megamart nearby (we were roughing it, really!) had nice big tarps so we eventually rigged up the above sleeping situation, which was not too shabby!

Sanuki, the place where we spent our first weekend, is famous for udon.  There are self-serve restaurants lining the streets so we stopped in to try it.  The options were endless!

This udon was pretty tasty!  It was the first of a few too many bowls of noodles during our trip, but it was a good thing that we got to take full advantage of the local specialties.

That afternoon, we went to Takamatsu and spent the afternoon at Ritsurin Park, the most famous garden in Japan.  It looked just the way I imagined a park in Japan would look--reminiscent of lots of traditional Japanese artwork.  Above is the crane-tortoise pine that is supposed to look like a crane spreading it's wings on a tortoise's back.  Can you see it?  Maybe it was more apparent in real life...

We couldn't resist the urge to fool around just a little bit, but luckily no one fell in to the ponds that were packed with koi. 

Ritsurin actually means chestnut grove, so I was lucky to find some specialty chestnut soft serve.  YUM!  I wonder how many English speakers have gotten some, thinking it would be melon-flavored.  The great Shikoku soft serve hunt actually started the day before at the rest area on Awaji island when I got to try salt ice cream--it was good!  All in all the trip was a success because even though I didn't get to have a new flavor every day (sigh) I did nearly make it happen and got to try yummy flavors like soy sauce and sudachi (a kind of Japanese citrus) too!

Our second morning was nice and clear so it was easier to get up knowing that we had a chance to air out all of our things before heading off. 

That morning we had a run-in with a gross giant moth that has latched onto one of our sleeping bags as it was drying in the sun.  Cally captured my get-it-off-and-put-the-camera-away sneer perfectly--no poses here.  From then on I heeded her advice and shook everything else THOROUGHLY. 

After hitting up a nice hot spring and having handmade udon noodles for lunch, we had the energy to take on Shikoku's famous Kompira-san.  It's the most famous shrine in Shikoku and despite the long pilgrimage tradition in Shikoku, the only shrine that we visited on our tour.  We climbed 785 steps to reach the main temple.

After my soy sauce ice cream cone, as you can see, I was feeling great!

If we'd been feeling particularly lazy we could have taken these babies up for a small fee, but it was much more rewarding to have walked the whole way.  Plus, the guys that were carrying these people were OLD!

After finishing up at Kompira-san, we headed back into the mountains to stay with a friend of mine.  More pictures of his place and the nearby vine bridges coming soon. 

Comments

[Mariko]

Ohmygod, memories! We were on the other side of the bridge from Takamatsu, but unfortunately we didn't make it over there very often. We went to some park place that had a bunch of olives. Did you go there? Also, we went to Kompira san around the NY's holidays. Peter had just gotten over an illness and was deathly pale. I have a photo of him trying to smile and eat SOFT ICE CREAM on those stairs! Also, he has one of those wooden shrine placard things there. Kompira san is the boat shrine, and Peter is nuts for boats, so of course he had to make a "wish" for a boat. Crazy!

[Lisa]

Salt and soy sauce ice creams... you are very brave!! Did you end up getting to see the whirlpools at Naruto? Tell me what you thought. I have a funny story about that... my brother was on the train alone to go see them and had to leave his seat to go to the bathroom... he heard an announcement but couldn't quite understand it (he'd taken one year of Japanese in college)... when he exited the bathroom, half the train had disconnected and gone back in the other direction! Luckily he was on the right section and had taken his bag into the bathroom with him. HAR! My obachan and I laughed so hard when he told us!

[Mom]

Are you keeping track of all the ice cream flavors you've tried since you moved to Japan? Each time you write about a new one, I think of our first trip and your utter dismay at the selection at Nagoya castle. What a switch!

[Megan]

Oh, I am so jealous you got to try salt ice cream! That sounds good!

[kelly]

wow - totally amazing! Looks like the sort of change of scenery I could use about now... enjoy!