Kii Katsuura (紀伊勝浦) - Oyado Hana

16-June-2016 - Left the beautiful Yunomine Onsen and took an early bus to Kii Katsuura. The bus dropped us at Shingu train station, and we took the train to Kii Katsuura after that, walking comfortably to our next lodging at Oyado Hana. 

2nd floor common area, pantry and library

Cosy toilet and sink area

Oyado Hana was the cheapest of all our accommodation at SGD 44 per person, no meals included. The whole place was run by a young lady, and it was rather cold in hospitality as compared to the little minshuku we stayed at Yunomine Onsen. But the place was rather beautifully decorated, and they have an onsen which you have to book 30mins slot for your bath time. 

It was rainy when we were reach Kii Katsuura, and since it was the rainy season, most of the shops were closed. We did stumble into a lovely cake shop where I had the most delicious strawberry shortcake ever. The owner was a rather stern looking lady, but who cares, the cake was delicious! We sat there sitting facing the window and looking out of the show on a rainy day. Oh yes, Mikan or Oranges were also very famous here, so I got three for like SGD2.50? Expensive and nothing really special about it. 

As our accommodation does not provide any breakfast, we bough some cakes back for breakfast next morning as well as maybe to bring along with us to Nachi Fall. Above the snacks we got, with milo which I usually bring on trips with me makes a nice light meal in the evening. We did have a lovely tuna set meal at one of the restaurant in town. A small shop where people were queuing outside so we decided to also queue. The meal was cheap and fresh, and nobody spoke English except the helper who was a Philippine lady. The customer were talking among themselves and I managed to understand what they were talking about. Apparently they were wondering if we were vietnams. I managed with my broken Japanese to explained where we were from, and the owner started telling us how he was in Singapore like 5 years or so back and even show us some photograph. It was a nice cosy place to hang out, just like your friendly neighbourhood bar. Love the experience.

The weather did clear up the next day were we had the chance to wonder around town and did some shopping. The pier side was beautiful with its blue skies and sea view. Behind the boat way back at the photo is Urashima, the island that we will be spending our last leg of the trip on. More about it on the future post!

Kii Katsuura is also a place that sells whale meat for consumption. You don't really find it selling so obviously, but we managed to wander into a supermarket slightly off town and found these. 

I initially wanted to visit the whale museum at Taiji which was in the next town, but at the same time having mixed feeling about it since I've watched the show The Cove before. But due to the bad weather and the infrequent train schedule, we skipped the place all together.

If you would like to watch the full movie, please refer the reference link below to lead you there. If you are curious about what it is about, here is the trailer to the movie. It is an eye opener to watch.

Lovely orange drink 

Ref:

Kii Katsuura (紀伊勝浦)

Oyado Hana

Taiji (太地)

The Cove - Wiki

The Cove - Movie (Watch it here)

Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) and Hongu Taisha (本宮大社)

15-June-2016 - We woke up early and I went to put a packet of sweet potatoes and egg into the onsen to cook. These were going to be our lunch for the day. We were going hiking via one of the Kumano Kodo from Yunomine Onsen to Hongu Taisha. So off we went into the woods.

It was going to be just a 45 minutes hike there, and the weather was good, and the path although a bit steeper than I expected, was good. There was one resting area along the path, were there was a small shrine, caves and pond. We didn't see one single person through out our hike.

We each had a stick with us to balance and also as a form of protection either from wild animals or snakes. Luckily, we saw neither.  I was rather thankful for the stick, for without it, I was sure I would have tumbled down the path! It was nice to see a place holder for used stick so you can just put your stick there for other hikers to use. It was a nice touch, like well wishes from past hikers to other hikers along each other's personal journey through the old ancient roads. (Kumano Kodo means ancient road in English)

So long as you follow the "sign", you should be quite safe....

After the hike, we exit into a small town and was temporary lost before we found our way towards the big river and big torii gate. At first the torii gate appear in the horizon, but you don't quite get the size of it yet. We were momentarily distracted by the river and the lack of human beings around us. The wide space totally made me happy. We walked past the old sacred ground where the original temple used to be, which has now been relocated to the hill side after a flood some time back.

Center view

Rice field view

And soon the big torii gate appear. And it was huge! There were rice fields surrounding it, and it made a very picturous scene. We more or less have the whole place to ourselves and was just awed by the magnificent scale of the gate.

Around this time, my faithful boots gave way, and I had to get a new pair of shoes from the supermarket nearby. We also stopped at a bus stop to eat our boiled eggs and sweet potatoes before making our way up to the Hongu Taisha. It was another uphill climb.

Path towards the stairs uphill

The main temple

Apparently there are three temple that most pilgrimage visit on they path in the Kumano Kodo, and this was one of them. We also visited the other one at Nachi Fall, but totally missed the third one largely due to my lack of research.

The symbol of this whole place was the big raven. There was a postbox at the temple where you can mail yourself postcards with special stamps. I guess I've outgrown my postcard phase by now and totally skipped it.

The other thing that was apparently popular here was the cider. We got two and drank it at the rice field overlooking the big torii gate while killing time waiting for the next bus to come around to bring us back to the onsen. I couldn't hike any more due to my lack of proper footwear, and a bus ride was called for. The bus only came around once every hour, so we kinda walk up and down the town.

Here are some signs explaining more about the place. Sorry that most are in Japanese. When I'm free I'll attempt to translate them into English one day.

Ref:
Kumano Kodo (熊野古道)
Hongu Taisha (本宮大社)

Yunomine Onsen 湯の峰温泉 - Teruteya Minshuku民宿てるてや

14-June-2016 - Yunomine Onsen was really out of the way of my initial plan. But it has one thing that interest me, and that was the oldest onsen in whole of Japan which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I love onsen. And to visit the oldest onsen in Japan, where possibly is the start of this wonderful culture, how could I miss the opportunity? So even though it was way off the path, I decided to visit this place. Along the way there, I was pretty much cursing at the journey. But in the end, it was well worth it. Here was the place I felt most relaxed though out my Wakayama trip.

To journey there, we first need to take a bus from our temple stay in Koyasan to Koyasan Station, take a ropeway down to another station and make our way back to Wakayama. From Wakayama, again we pack lunch and took the train to Kii-Tanabe. We have enough time to walk around the time for a while before catching an almost 1.5 hours bus to Yunomine Onsen. It was, for the lack of a better word, in the middle of the mountain a.k.a nowhere!

Dreamy Street of Yunomine Onsen

The whole town was well, just one road. And the town was so empty we spend a lot of time just sitting at the main road drinking cold milk or eating boiled potatoes. At night, the view was lovely and serene. Not much going on here.

But this was also our starting location to some of the Kumano Kodo path which we will be taking the next day. The sign that greeted us was not at all encouraging!

We stayed at a little place call Teruteya Minshuku民宿てるてや (SGD101 per person, 2 meals included). It was run by an old Japanese lady name Fujiyama-san, and well, she spoke no English. I booked it anyway, for the authentic feel of staying in a village. The room's futon was the most comfortable throughout my trip. She clean and cooked our breakfast and dinner for us daily.

She also sell beer if you need some at night. I conversed with her in my broken Japanese. She must have thought I was rather comical. On the 2nd day there,  I told her I saw a prawn (Ebi　エビ) on her door steps. She was laughing at me, cause what I wanted to say was I saw a snake. (Hebi　蛇). 

Before I leave I also gave her some Bak Kut Teh, translating the cooking instruction as best as I could.

I made friend with a weirdo who was also staying there. On the first day I bump into him, I said hello to be polite. He was taken aback. During dinner time, we also greeted him, and slowly he started to loosen up. On the next day, he actually started to talk to us, asking where we were form and using his phone to look it up. He had skin disease and went to the onsen daily to cure himself. I found that out after coming back from the same onsen..... -___-"'

Waiting Area before your turn to go into the Onsen

Steps down to the natural bath, fits 2 person only!

Onsen is just a hole in the ground, with cold water tap to adjust the temperature of the water

Some explanation in Japanese...

Lastly, the world's oldest onsen! You have to buy a ticket nearby and they will give you a number and a timing. It cost around 600Y? (SGD7.20). Pretty cheap for such an awesome onsen! I went at night around 4pm? You get 30min inside. There is just a hole there, and my god is the water hot! It is the same hot water people use to cook potatoes and egg not too far off the onsen! I had to open the cold water pipe for a good 10min before I could even go in. And you can't see the bottom, so its kinda like bathing in the pitch hole. of hell or something. You start imaging what the hell could be under there.

Cooking station for you to cook eggs, sweet potatoes, etc.

Ref:
Yunomine Onsen 湯の峰温泉
Teruteya Minshuku 民宿てるてや

Koyasan Okunoin 奥の院 - Day Visit

13-June-2016 - The next morning, I went back to the cemetery, and this time to explore all of it. As expected, graves surrounds all around. Some in cluster like a few generations of members laid into eternal rest together. 

We also explored off the beaten path, climbing up graves and little foot path along the way. I love photos of path into the unknown like this one above. I couldn't really read what the signs say, so we just hike along it anyway. Guess where we ended up.... a crematorium! But it was surrounded by greens and there was a mist hanging over everything, so it was really lovely if not slightly creepy. Still, I was happy just walking there. When I'm in the outdoors, anywhere is better than in a concrete jungle. I left alive. No time, no worries, just free like all humans are meant to be.

Back to the cemetery,  I was also surprised to find this little place dedicated to overseas people who have helped the Japanese during the war. A Malaysian flag was found here, along side Japan and Australia's flag. It made me have mixed feeling of this place.

Also found here are Jiro. Most are clothed in colourful colours, guiding you in your path. Some are found in rows all standing together.

Others are clustered together, like taking a rest while waiting for you to past by and say hi.

Some have brightly knitted hats to keep their head dry from the rain.

Others are fully clothe, hats, coat etc.... 

And offerings of coins are laid in front of them, for good luck perhaps?

A whole pyramid of them can also be found

And some guard agains graves so much taller than them....

While others just stood by, as you walk by them....

And finally, you reached, the holy ground, where Kobo Daishi is believed to be meditating, for eternity. Upon crossing this bridge, no photograph was allowed (even though some irritating tourist ignore the signs anyway....). Here is the final resting place of Kobo Daishi. And you can walk in, and write him a message, with postbox and all! You are encourage to write to the great teacher of your happiness and sadness, and basically anything you wish. I though that was just nice. And if money and time would allowed it, I would really like to do a pilgrimage following his path, to walk with him together. (Dōgyō Ninin (同行二人), meaning "two traveling together" — the other traveler being the spirit of Kobo Daishi.)

Entry 

Exit

Ref: 

Kobo Daishi

Shikoku Pilgrimage - Wiki

88 Temple Pilgrimage

Jizo

Creme Caramel

Side track from Wakayama trip for a moment to jump to caramel making. Aren't those little bottles adorable? One of the things I like when I'm travelling is collecting unique things to bring back home that is cheap and reminds me of the places that I've been in. Best still if there are reusable, like these little beauties. These are Noboribetsu's famous milk pudding, or caramel, or custard. They cost me around 300Y each (SGD3.60).  So during Chinese New Year, I made my own.

There are really easy to make, and my Mum used to make them when I was younger. They are so ridiculously easy. All you need is one back of Caramel as per above that cost around SGD3.90 last I bought them from Giant, hot water to make the sauce, and about 3.5 cups of milk (SGD5.60 for 2 liter Meiji Milk (I use Meiji Full Cream Milk because it's creamier), but you use only maybe half of that). So total cost is around SGD6.70, which gets me two bottles in Japan, but I made like 12 at home (worth SGD43!)

So just follow the instruction from the back of the box, and voila! You have dessert. It needs one hour to cool, and put in a fridge and indulge! Each cup/bottle now reminds me of my lovely holiday in Hokkaido! If you sprinkle brown sugar on it after it hardens, and burn them with a torch, you get creme brûlée! Easy!

Ref:

Creme Caramel

Meiji Milk