Kii-Tanabe

Today was a day of transport. We took a bus, then a funicular down the mountain, and two trains to get to Kii Tanabe from Koyasan. We had some quick connections which meant manhandling the luggage. I longed for my trusty backpack. I hate wheely luggage if you are on the move because it is too heavy and awkward. Japanese transport is very punctual and you have to hurry on and off all the time. I could feel my back straining. Tonight it is sore, what I don't need before our walk tomorrow! At least the luggage will be shifted for us from now on. I am determined to bring even less next trip.

After our briefing at the tourist bureau we felt quite daunted. It is a longish day tomorrow(18 km) with a steep climb to start. I am sure we can do it but we will be knackered. 

Irene is feeling particularly apprehensive. We found our hotel, a rather shabby place but at least there are beds and it is clean. No one speaks much English. Tourists must be an oddity because we seem to draw attention. The corridor stinks of smoke and there is a killer lift which just about takes your arm or leg off  while you try to get out! The doors continue to close even when there is an object in the threshold. At reception we had to decide what breakfast we were going to have tomorrow, American or Japanese before we received the appropriate breakfast pass. Usually it is a free choose buffet so this is different. Next we headed off to the restaurant area for dinner. Despite the fact it is Saturday night there wasn't much life around.  We obviously looked lost because this man told us to follow him and he guessed we were going to do the Kumano Kodo. I said we wanted meat and he took us to this hole in the wall place that had hot plates.  Being six us a problem because the restaurants are so small. The other issue is sitting on our knees. Some of the group find that really hard. We had rejected several places because they were tradional. Anyway the waiter was so helpful  we couldn't refuse. He showed us to a room upstairs.  Then we proceeded to negotiate a meal with the help of Google translator. Eventually we settled on the house specialty , a pork dish with lots of cabbage and bea

n shoots, cooked on a griddle. It was a great meal and good to get a whole dish rather than titbits.