Day 10: Hongu, climbing into the hearth of Japan

After a good night of sleep we are welcomed in the kitchen by Seiko-san and the breakfast she has prepared for us. She insists that we eat plenty of food, since we have to bike the entire day, and who are we to disappoint her? It's really a pleasure to have some chat in the morning, and Seiko-san is a really good host.

Before departing we take some pictures together and then the two of us hit the road on our bikes. Being early in the morning there is not so much traffic, and we manage to exit the town with not that much effort. Then the highway 311 starts climbing following the Kumano river, with just trees all around us. The temperature is chilly due to the lack of direct sunlight, but pedaling uphill makes it pleasant.

After few kilometers of steady progress we get a small inconvenient: a flat tire! Luckily we are close to a lay-by, and we can stay off the road while fixing it. While replacing the inner tube the frequent moments in which no car is driving by let us enjoy the quiet of the forest: walking these mountains must be a real pleasure.

Fixed the tire we resume our climb, and some more kilometers uphill we find, on our right, a rest station, where we stop to take some picture and buy some drink. Down in the river we see people doing rafting, while enjoying the sun on the benches together with us there are many who are either walking up the mountains or getting there by car.

Further uphill we see on our left side some waterfalls, but we have no safe space to stop our bikes and take some picture, and we just savor them with our eyes. In the blue sky several eagles fly around, searching for their prey. Before the electric power plant in Shikiya we have to exit the highway to avoid a long tunnel forbidden to bikes, and since we are there we also cross the bridge to reach the other side, which looks like more pleasant.

Our intuition is indeed correct, and we bike on a deserted road until we are forced to cross back on the main road, just before entering Hongu. There we reach the bus station to lock our bikes and, after having eaten something, visit the city.

First we walk to the huge Otorii leading to the Oyunohara: torii are usually impressive on their own, but this one, with his enormous size is definitely in another league, and seems really asking for respect to anyone walking under it. The inside of the shrine is quite and, surprisingly, not crowded at all: just few people praying, and a quiet atmosphere. Close to the shrine we spot again the French crew we meet before reaching Asuka few days ago. Also here they are busy filming the rice fields.

Returning from there we climb the stairs leading to the Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine, and here we see that there are more people, but definitely absorbed in spiritual activities. Some of them also consult the oracle and its future telling sticks, searching for a good omen.

We get back to our bikes and, before setting in motion again, we do a quick check to confirm that there are no open restaurants for dinner in town, so we will have dinner at our hotel. Then we move on to reach Ashita no mori.

The place is built in a small village next to the Oto river, and when we arrive it gives mixed feelings: some buildings are obviously inhabited, but some others look like they are about to collapse. Upon checking in we learn that what we have seen is the result of the typhoon: the swollen river has flooded some of the houses, and those which were not built higher than the road level have suffered large damages.

The owner explain us that we can use the outdoor onsen, bathing in the river, or use the indoor one, using the same spring. When we opt for the indoor onsen we are just warned that the water is really hot, so it is not advisable to jump in it, but rather slowly enter it to get used.

And I must say the water is really hot: at first I can barely enter it until my calf and I have to get out, then above the knees and get out again, then to my belly and out again, and only at the end I can manage to sit into the pool with just my head pocking out.  But then I can fully relax and soak my body into the onsen.

After the visit to the onsen we leave our panniers in our room: its interior is fully wooden, and it is a pleasant variation after so many days of tatami. Also the outside of the building stands out, with its alpine look.

When we get out for a stroll before dinner we see that some persons are bathing into the river, where it is clearly evident where the thermal water is springing out. Upstream a fisherman is laying his nets across the stream. We cross a small suspended bridge and reach an area from where it should be possible to reach the open air onsen, however the fallen trees cluttering the river bank advice us not to proceed further.

On the way back to the hotel we climb the stairs leading to a small shrine, where the divinity protecting Kawayu Onsen is enshrined. The murmuring waters of the river give a good feeling while we are here, and we enjoy the darkness falling on this remote place, before heading to the hotel for our dinner.

There we meet an old man, evidently the father of the person who welcomed us, as we can say from their close resemblance. He thanks us with a gentle smile for staying at their hotel, and gifts us two origami made from his wife.

Later we will discover that this very old man has a rich story behind: he left his job in the city and came back to the village where he was born to become a sort of guardian of the forest, taking care of the trees and trying to revive the local community. When we learn about this, all of a sudden the name of the hotel makes perfectly sense: Ashita no mori means "the forest of tomorrow". You can see his full story in the following video.

When we retire in our room we can clearly hear, through our windows, the river flowing nearby. Its gentle voice cuddle us in a restoring sleep.