day 18, 9:03pm, i did it!, kind of (edited)

well i got in 47km today, which means i'm still about 7km away from where i started from and the rest of my gear.

on my way threw on of the small hamlets that are common along the road, an older woman started chasing me yelling "henro-san, henro-san". i stopped and she gave me a handful of candies. she asked the usual questions and i told her that i was nojuku (a camping henro), and i had 7km to go.

about 5min. later she caught up to me again, with some of her friends following in a car.

the offered me accomodation at their minshuku as osettai. i was a little worried about my gear in the bushes, but i had planned for the possibility that i wouldn't make it back.

i accepted. i've had a bath, i've washed the clothes i have with me, and i'm about to go to bed on a soft futon.
no food though. i had some candies, and they dug up some rice crackers and a boiled egg for me.

i'm pretty hungry but i'm not complaining. i'm clean, comfortable and i have lots of water.

i am fortunate. i don't know how common it is to receive that much charity. although, a person walking in the middle of nowhere, at 7:30pm, an obvious shabby looking henro who is also limping (huge blister today, another story) has a pretty big "in need of charity" sign on their back. :)

ok, night time, later