day 31, 12:34pm, when religions collide

i just met an elderly woman who tried to convince me that i was making a mistake and that i should stop the pilgrimage. she was speaking pretty quickly, but i think she was trying to explain why shingon buddhism is wrong and why some other sect/religion was right. i wrote down a few key words to look up later.

i thought it was interesting because either david turkington or don weiss described having a similar experience in their travel journal.

it's difficult to explain the reasons for the pilgrimage so i went to the standard "i like hiking, i like travel". it didn't seem to matter. she thought i should stop. so i excused myself and continued my misguided pilgrimage.

this is the third time someone has tried to convert/stop me.
the first was from the "church of happiness". i don't know the japanese name, but it sure is a good name in english. he stopped me on the side of the road, gave me a brochure. maybe he thought i was tired and searching for an easier way. :)
the second were church of latter day saints, or jehovah witnesses, or mormon. i can never remember who split into what.
they were japanese. they gave me a copy of the watchtower in japanese. i just told them i was athiest. it translates well and it's always the easiest way to escape that group.

i did run into a pair of american mormon missionaries, but they only waved. they are here to convert japanese. not an easy task. :)

still walking,