TNT Day 43 - best laid plans

 4 Oct

Map 29 & 30: (Guesthouse) Sekijuku // train to tsuge -> yono park -> Okuyama-jinja -> isemawari-ji -> myoou-ji-> showa pond -> osawa pond view point (tent)

Brilliant blue skies, high 10s, low 20s

Unfortunately I have made the mistake of not writing up the next couple of days the night of... So words will be a little slim but on the other hand nothing particular of note has happened. I've done quite a bit of road walking and the weather has finally turned cool. Autumn colours are also starting to appear, but I haven't seen much as a lot of the vegetation has been pine and other evergreens.

Last nights joviality had been reduced to quite snores at the gusethouse - it seemed that any piece of tatami mat had been repurposed for sleeping. One of the 5 ladies sharing the room I was in could speak great english and we had a chat before I headed off. She seemed to know a lot about my trip for not having spoken to me before, obviously me and my walk had been a point of conversation between the other guests.

All was quite in the streets of seki as I made my way to the station at 8am. 

The plan once at the station was to catch the bus back to where I had caught it the other day and start off where I'd left off. But upon reading the bus timetable I realised my mistake - the bus didn't run on Sundays or public holidays, and today while a Monday was also a public holiday...

So I could either walk the 5km back to the trail, (a piece of trail that has been described as unremarkable) or catch the train to tsuge and walk 2.5km of the Nara bypass route to get back on the main trail. After doing some pacing, contemplating and drinking the hot milk tea a stranger at the station bought for me, I decided to head to tsuge.

The local band of older women was out in full green thumbed force. They rocked up on their bicycles with all manner of tools and plants secured in the baskets and promptly got to work.

I started today's walk at tsuge station at 9:45.

I rejoined the main trail at Yono park, where there appears to be a free campground on the north side of the park. I didn't see any signs confirming or denying this, only a bunch of tents.

Saw a bit less nature today and a bit more industry and rubbish dumping. someone had recycled these big blocks of crushed plastic bottles to the side of the forest track.

A day on the green.

A day in some green.

This dog was not happy to see me, if his leash had been any longer I would of had to take a very long detour to get around him.

Found a pyramid up an overgrown driveway. Aliens? An ancient civilizations? An eccentric architect?

Shokakuji cemetery

Someones mum obviously got sick and tired of them spending all there money on yugiho cards and lovelive anime merchandise. If anyone is looking to expand (or start) their collection just let me know and I'll give you the location.

Amidaji cemetery.

Had a rest at a park with a view of a factory. Google maps tells me it is the Kyowa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. Konan Factory, so maybe it was a good thing I didn't choose to camp here. I had reached here at 3:30, the next potential camp spot was 5km away at showa lake - I decided to push on.

Myoo-ji cemetery.

The myoou-ji complex was very fancy, as was the adjoining house. I felt very out of place in my stinky hiking gear.

Saw a new animal today, shame it wouldn't be returning to its family. I think it is a Japanese shrew mole (Urotrichus talpoides) or himizu (ヒミズ). The other possiblity is True's shrew mole (Dymecodon pilirostris) but they are generally found above 1000m. Apparently I should have looked at its teeth to verify the species.

I reached showa pond at 4:45, the only good camp spot currently had a car parked in it, the owner was having a sunset fish. He didn't appear to be looking to leave soon so I headed towards osawa pond and my next potential camp spot, 1.5km away. (I had forgotten that sunset was now before 5 which hindered my plan of setting up camp in the light.)

I arrived at osawa pond and 5:20, but so did a bunch of men on motorbikes. They didn't appear to be staying the night but they were enjoying hooning around the pond. I set off to my next potential camp spot not interested in being run over by a speeding bike during the night. I finally settled at the osawa pond view point, which was 1km off trail but the best option of the lot - a roof over my head, benches to relax on, a stream for water and hidden from the adjacent dirt road.

21.5km, highest point: 384m, elevation: +664m -624m (skipped 15.5km between seki and tsuge)