For over 1000 years people from all levels of society, including retired emperors and aristocrats, have made the arduous pilgrimage to Kumano. These pilgrims used a network of routes, now called the Kumano Kodo (a World Heritage site), which stretches across the mountainous Kii Peninsula of Japan. If you have been wondering where Nancy and John are, you can stop wondering….they decided to go on their own pilgrimage walking the Kumano Kodo Trail.
Nancy and John on Kumano Kodo route into Hongu Taisha on their second day
Nancy writes; “today’s walk was really lovely. It will be our last day tomorrow; the more difficult because we ascend to 800metres over the first 5kms. A total of 13kms, with serious ups and downs.” And the latest message – “we arrived safely! Tiring on the legs! LOTS of up and up and MORE up, same with down and down on sometimes slippery moss laden rocks for kilometres but less difficult than tracks on the Te Aratoa.”
The image above shows the terrain in darker purple. What an amazing effort!!
Proud recipients of the Dual Pilgrimage Certificate for the Camino de Santiago AND the Kumano Kodo
