I literally devoured the road today. Although at the end of the stage I had to climb two hills in a row, I managed to easily reach my destination, earlier than I expected.

Credits go to the power combo bread+chocolate that fueld me all the way to the town of Kuma-kōgen. I ate a full 100 g dark chocolate bar and have no regrets. To feel fit is great. The legs just walk and the only times I feel blocked is because of my mind.

The morning was very cold and that helped me to keep a rather fast pace. The Sun was out all the time, but it wasn’t until 11 AM that I could take off my wind jacket without freezing.

My mood is good right now. I reached the temple #44, Daihōji, and tried to recite a couple of buddhist prayers. I want to dig deeper into the Heart Sutra which has a very interesting story.

The hotel also looks good today. They have free Wi-Fi! It’s the dream. I hope dinner will also be delicious. Yesterday I wasn’t so lucky: I got pretty much only rice and tofu. At least the tofu here is slightly tastier than in Europe, but it’s still a long way from being a favourite of mine. I came here for the sashimi, not for some sort of sad vegan-feeder food. No offense.

Tomorrow I will reach the next temple and come back here, in all likelihood. It’s a 20 Km walk, give or take, before heading to the next big city of Matsuyama.

Forty-four temples down. Forty-four to go.