I'm finally going but I'm still not ready!

I first learned about the Shikoku pilgrimage while I was reading my Japan guidebook on my first flight over to Japan. I had originally decided that after maybe a year and a half of work I would have the time, between finishing work and returning to Canada, to do the pilgrimage. That was six years ago. I didn't expect to stay in Japan quite that long.

During those 'extra' years I waited and prepared. I researched and I read. I even managed to pick up a copy of Oliver Statler's Japanese Pilgrimage, a book about Kobo Daishi's 88 Temple Pilgrimage. I started serious prepartions for the trip two years ago. My research expanded into long distance hiking, lightweight backpacking and Zen Buddhism. I made time schedules, budgets, and practiced memorizing The Heart Sutra, Hannya Shingyo (I still don't have it down). I've spent the last eight months sewing stuff sacks and a tarp/poncho, making alcohol stoves and gathering other little odds and ends for the walk.



This is me today putting the finishing touches on my bug netting (and I've been getting ready for eight months) :)






Now the time to start is finally here. I'm going to walk and camp/accept charitable lodging over the next 40+ days and 1200+ kilometers. Suddenly the whole idea sounds insane. It's 10:36pm the night before and I'm finally finished get things together for tomorrow. This blog entry was the last thing on the list. Wake-up time is 4:30am. Tomorrow's destinations are Koya-san, for the official beginning of my pilgrimage and then to a business hotel near Tokushima station, to stay for the night.

I'll be posting updates by e-mail so I won't be able to respond to comments during the walk. However, my e-mail address is in the sidebar. Feel free to drop me a line.

Ganbaremasu!