September 4-5, 2007 – Wakayama & Koyasan
The ferry was very large, with room for many semis, cars, and then a separate area for passengers. A small shop sold obento (boxed lunches) and there were assorted vending machines, pachinko (slot machines!) and televisions. Carpeted areas for resting were everywhere, so Dan and I settled into a vacant area, took our shoes off as per Japanese customs, and settled in for the ride. It took about 2 hours to reach Wakayama. The ferry pulled into what seemed like a large industrial area, but we were lucky enough to find a lone cab to take us to our hotel. The cabbie, despite my Japanese comprehension, was almost completely unintelligible. His words all slurred together and were uttered with such speed I was taken aback. Nonetheless, I tried to make small talk, and before long we arrived at the Hotel Granvia Wakayama. Now, I’m pretty sure this hotel chain has some sort of deal with the Japanese government, because in a whole lot of cities there are Hotel Granvia’s conveniently located right next door or conjoined with train stations. They are nice places, and with our JR rail pass discount, it was a wise choice.
Dan could not wait to sleep in a real bed after several nights of futon, and he was not let down. The bed was plush and comfy, and the hotel even had a pillow “select menu” from which you could choose a special pillow of varying specialties. Dan chose memory foam and I chose one with soft beads inside.
Our tummies rumbling, we set out for dinner. We both wanted shabushabu and in no time at all I found a place! Dinner, as expected, was excellent, although we both ate way too much. The Japanese all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink specials are dangerous! Needless to say, it was an early night.
After a very restful night of sleep, we awoke, ready to head to Koyasan, a Buddhist temple complex in the mountains, also founded by Kobo Daishi in the 9th century. We grabbed sweet bread from a bakery inside the station that Dan liked so much that we had to go back and get more. It was a delightful sugar crusted raisin bread. The lady working seemed to be very amused by us!
The train over to Hashimoto was uneventful, except for a group of high school girls who had rolled their uniform skirts up so high it was unsettling. At Hashimoto we changed to another private line and headed into the mountains. The ride became more and more beautiful every meter we climbed. The town was soon gone, replaced by tall peaks and green forests of cedar and bamboo. Small towns lined a steep river bank, and I was amazed at how people built homes in such formidable landscapes. We reached a small station and had to change to a cable car that would take us the rest of the way. I read that the final push would be steep, but this was STEEP! How they made it I have no clue. How Kobo Daishi came to this beautiful place is also a mystery. The more I learn about him, the more I am amazed. 
We reached the top, and although I had pictured a very small group of temples, a group of buses and even a taxi greeted us! Koyasan is not just a temple complex, it is also a town, with a hospital and schools even! It is a stunning area and the temperature was nice and cool, a needed rest from the hot and humid conditions in most other areas of the country. We rode a bus to Shojoshin-in, the temple we stayed at. I was very pleased when we came upon Shojoshin-in. It was the farthest temple that borders the huge cemetery, Okonuin, where Kobo Daishi and half a million (yes, I said half a million) others are buried. It is moss covered and seeps of ancient tales and secrets. We checked in with the monks, which was very fun, and were led to our room. Our room, it turns out, was an entire guest house! I had been looking for a place with a private bath and toilet, but this was a great treat! I am writing now from the hanare, which has its own Japanese garden and looks right out onto the cemetery. It is so beautiful and peaceful here. 
After checking in, we immediately headed for the cemetery, as if drawn by some unknown force. The temple guidelines say that Koyasan is a place to worship ancestors or relatives who recently passed away. I had been thinking of my dad perhaps more so than normal in recent times, and I feel very close to him here. We strolled through the grandiose cemetery, in complete awe, until we realized how many mosquitoes liked it there as well! Our quiet stroll turned into a bit of a rush, snapping pictures and swatting mosquitoes. Not as romantic as I would have liked, but it was splendid nonetheless. 
We walked back on the town road and perused several souvenir shops. We were also looking for snacks, since we knew dinner would be vegan and early, at 5:30pm. Dan was sure he would be hungry for more later. Dan bought me a wooden rice paddle stamped with “Koyasan” which I am very happy to have. We also bought assorted snacks, in preparation for the evening.
The phone rang and a nice woman reminded me it was dinner time. We headed for the unknown location, and ended up finding what we thought was the main dining hall after scouring several deserted hallways. We sat down with a group of people, mostly white foreigners (surprise!) until a monk came in and ushered us into our own private room. Dinner was actually delicious! There were so many unique dishes, including vegetable tempura, seaweed salad, two different soups, a tofu pudding block (very popular as a delicacy in Japan but very thick and rice – hard for us to eat), different marinated beans, and also fruits for dessert. It was lovely. 
We arrived back at our residence and discovered that it has sliding glass doors on all sides and is really a magnificent place! Dan is drawing a bath in the tradition tub, and we are wearing our yukata. I just poured green tea and am waiting for it to cool. I love Japan. 
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