Day 16 - Hamamatsu To Iwata, Walking The Tokaido Road In Japan

 

Day 16 - Hamamatsu To Iwata, Walking The Tokaido Road In Japan

I woke up this morning with an achy head and a very sore throat.
I didn’t sleep well last night, perhaps from drinking too much of the overly caffeinated black tea that they served during our lunch break yesterday.

I was also feeling anxious about Wendy, who was constantly trying to change our walking plans, in order to not carry our packs.
I felt tired from the hardship of the walk itself, plus trying to adjust our daily plan to match the slow pace of our little group, and trying to find places to eat and rest along the route, to match each person’s preferences and demands.

This morning, because I wasn’t in a good place mentally, I felt like I was energetically, pulling and pushing three elderly people through space and time….including my usually strong husband Jules.
Yes, they are all fit people, skinny and strong walkers, but do they believe that aging is just an illusion? I am not so sure…

Joseph is 78, Wendy is 68 and Jules is 75.
But in their minds, they are not as strong and as young as they used to be, although it is absolutely not true in reality!
Jules is a much better walker nowadays, than he was when he was in his 50’s, and so am I.
We are so much more experienced than we used to be, and I am sure that Joseph and Wendy are too.
Jules used to get blisters and fall off sidewalks, but now he doesn’t.
He can walk all day long every day and he has loads of energy and rarely gets leg cramps.
When he was young, he was overworked and tired all the time, and he would fall asleep the minute he sat down or relaxed.

By now, we have learned how to walk long distance pilgrimages, how to stand on our feet all day long, climb up mountains and varied terrain, and I will be the first one to admit that we really did improve with experience.
When I was in my thirties, I had to be carried down a mountain in China, because my legs couldn’t carry me down.

You will NEVER hear me say the words “I am too old”, which Joseph says frequently about himself.
If I had a friend who constantly told me that I was too old to do this or that, I would be very hurt by their words.
Yet, people think that it is perfectly acceptable to say those things to themselves or about themselves, all the time!

At the beginning when I heard Joseph say that, I corrected him and said “Not too old! Never too old!”
But lately, I have let it go.
If he wants to believe that he is too old, that is his decision.
I cannot change his mind and I need to conserve my energy.

One of the ways that I re-charge my energy, is by staying silent for many hours, preferably even for days, and listening to my inner guide.
Sadly, it is impossible not to speak during a pilgrimage.
Also, Joseph and Wendy are super friendly people who love to chat, and actually feel more excited and more energized when talking to people.

I know that I cannot convince anyone that time doesn’t exist and that age is just an illusion.
All I can do is demonstrate the truth by living my best life, and getting sick is not a great demonstration of my spiritual strength and powers…
Whatever it is that is ailing me, I will walk right through it.

Breakfast at the hotel was packed with people and it overflowed into the side dining rooms, but people were polite and respectful.
I ate foods that contained a lot of vitamin C, like fresh oranges, tomatoes, and fresh salad, along with pickled vegetables that have vinegar, and lots of fresh ginger, to soothe my throat.

We took a train from Maisaka station back to Hamamatsu Station, where we had stopped walking yesterday.
Before starting to walk, we sat at the Starbucks to get a hot drink.
I was definitely starting to feel worse, with chills, fever, a sore throat and muscle pain, but I was determined to walk anyway.

Today, the first part of the Tokaido Road held almost no sights for us to discover.
There were no traditional buildings remaining along this stretch of the Tokaido, only the stone Ichiri markers which are placed about every four km along the Tokaido route.

We walked by a sign saying that here stood Yokomachi street, which had boat houses, small restaurants, public baths, barber shops, fishmongers and other
establishments that used to line
the street.

During the Edo period, Yokomachi Street was a busy road connecting the Tokaido with the ferry terminals of Tomita and Isshiki, and many travelers passed through it, and river signs were posted in the area.

The Tenryu River flourished, and this street was bustling with craftspeople who built rafts of timber and sailed down the river, with boatmen who transported ore from the Kune Copper Mine and the Minenosawa Mine upstream.

Before we crossed the Tenryū river, once a major fast flowing river on the Tokaido, we stopped to rest and eat lunch at the Sora Bakery and Cafe, roughly halfway through today’s walk.
The Sora cafe was bustling when we arrived, with every table full.
We waited a little because we didn’t have any other option for food down the road.

Wendy and I ate the lunch special, which was a selection of small plates of various foods, including locally caught eel and locally grown rice, which was delicious.
Joseph ate a pizza and Jules ate a light and tasty slice of cheesecake with a garnish of fresh fruit preserves.

Shortly after lunch, we arrived in Nakano town.
We encountered a sign indicating that we had reached the halfway point of our Pilgrimage - we were now at an equal distance from both Kyoto and Nihonbashi in Tokyo.
It was exciting to realize that we were now constantly moving toward our finish line, of arriving in Nihonbashi.
If only I were feeling healthier and stronger…

Nakano Town was once a bustling settlement across the Tokaido Road during the Edo period, attracting many travelers.
From the Meiji to the Taisho periods, the town flourished as a distribution base for lumber and minerals, using the Tenryu River for shipping.
In 1882, the first bank, called the Ryuseisha bank, was founded at this location, and two years later the Nakanomachi Bank was established.
It later merged with the Seien Bank, then became the Enshu Bank, before being absorbed into the current Shizuoka Bank.

It is easy to see the need to establish banks and a banking system along the old Tokaido Road, especially in areas of high commercial activities, because in those days there were many highway robbers and bandits roaming around.

We saw recreations of the nightlight lanterns, which were partially renovated in 1996.
These old lanterns had dragon carvings on them.
Thus, these lanterns were known by the people as "dragon lanterns" and are now the most valuable among the many lanterns along the Tokaido Road.
The lanterns were very sturdy and strong, to protect them from the wind, and the lattice on them was designed to let the light shine brightly.
They were mini "lighthouses," shining a light into the darkness.
We did pass, however, some station towns that had burnt to the ground because the nightlights started a fire.

During the Edo period, highways such as the Tokaido and Nakasendo were developed, enabling many people to travel safely and for large amounts of luggage to be delivered quickly.
Milestones were built on either side of the road, every 4 km, to let travelers know the distance they had gone.
Cherry trees and pine trees were planted on top of the milestones, and their shade provided a place for many travelers to rest.
They also seemed to be used as a guide for the cost of carrying baskets and luggage.

The Miyanoichishiki Milestone in this area is the 63rd milestone counting from Nihonbashi, Edo (Tokyo), the starting point of the Tokaido.
At the time, there must have been many travelers and luggage passing through this area between Ikeda-juku, known as an intermediate post town, and the Tenryu River ferry terminal to the west, and Mitsuke-juku to the east.

We admired the remaining rows of pine trees still standing and stretching to the west of the milepost, happy to see some remnants of the past.

Then we walked to Iwata station, where I sat down on a bench, feeling feverish and achy.
I gave our little group the time of the train, while I checked my emails and made some notes, .
Being so out of my element, I didn’t notice that our train came and departed, and nobody else seemed to notice.

We missed the local train because I wasn’t paying attention, and somehow, nobody else paid attention either.
Again, I felt like I had to be the one guiding everyone, because they couldn’t be trusted to keep an eye on the time…

Luckily the next train was only 30 minutes later, and we returned to Hamamatsu to buy food for dinner, then took the train to Maisaka and returned to our hotel on Lake Hamana.

After washing up, I laid in bed exhausted, watching Netflix and feeling very sick.
My sinuses were clogged with yellow mucous and I developed a fever with chills and muscle pain.
How can I continue with this walk feeling so sick….

Sending you love and strength,
Tali

Today’s Stats:
Steps - 24,296
km walked - 16 km
Total walked: 317 km
Old Post Towns Visited:
Hamamatsu Juku, Station #29