Skip to main content

Kumano Kodo - Day 2

After a good rest, I departed for Hosshimon-oji. The hotel provided free transit to the Hongu area, so I saved some time waiting for the bus. The plan for the day was a 7 km walk from Hosshimon-oji to Oyunohara. Since my next lodging was in the Yunomine Onsen area, I decided to add an extra walk from Oyunohara to Yunomine Onsen, which was about 2.2 km.

At Hosshimon-oji, the trail is essentially a connecting route to the Takijiri trail. The previous stamping station was about 800 meters from Hosshimon-oji, so I made a detour to Inohana-oji. That detour added approximately 1.6 km to my journey, taking about 30 minutes or more.

From Hosshimon-oji (after detouring via Inohana-oji), I started walking toward Hongu Taisha, which was about a 2.5-hour walk. Along the way, I stopped to rest and take photos. It was quite a leisurely walk. Part of the trail is paved, while the rest consists of forest paths lined with cypress trees (I guess). By the time I reached the town around Hongu Taisha, it was noon. I had my packed lunch at the heritage center, then continued on to Oyunohara, where the largest torii gate in the country is located.

From Oyunohara, I proceeded to Yunomine Onsen. This turned out to be quite a hike. I initially thought it would be a moderate hill climb, but it turned out to be a continuous ascent for the first half of the trail, followed by a continuous descent for the second half. Overall, the trail took me to an elevation gain of over 200 meters—I was essentially crossing a small hill.

Initially, I had booked my stay at Ryokan Adumaya (one of the more expensive accommodations on my itinerary). However, perhaps because I was traveling solo and occupying an entire room, it may not have been profitable for them. Instead, I was offered an alternative at Minshuku Yunosato, about a 15-minute walk from Yunomine Onsen. It turned out to be the best experience of my trip. The minshuku had a private onsen spa and served delicious dinner and breakfast. I would definitely return if I have the opportunity in the future. That marked the end of Day 2.

Hosshimon-oji area

Detour to Inohana-oji (Tajikiri trail)

Some trails are paved

Trees canopy

Unpaved trail

Kumano Hongu Taisha

Hanging lamp in Hongu Taisha

Oyunohara

Walking toward Yunomine Onsen

Yunomine Onsen

Private bath with hot spring water from Yunomine Onsen

Good dinner by Minshuku Yunosato


(Photos were taken with iPhone 14)
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Last day in Sendai

After spending five days in Sendai, my visit here has finally come to an end. On my last day, I took a tour of the Kirin Beer Factory. I must say that the tour was quite informative—slightly better than the one I had at a beer factory in Malaysia. Visitors were able to touch, smell, and taste during the tour. We were served at least three different types of Kirin beer for tasting. Although the tour was short, it was uplifting. I had lunch at their restaurant, which was probably my most expensive meal during this trip to Sendai. In the afternoon, I took an Uber to Arahama Elementary School, which has now been turned into a museum. It is located on the eastern side of Sendai, an area that was hit by the tsunami following the earthquake on March 11, 2011. On that day, after the quake, the schoolchildren were evacuated to the rooftop of the building. About 27 hours later, they were all rescued. The school now exhibits the impact of the tsunami, the conditions on that day, and the aftermath...
Post a Comment
Read more

Kumano Kodo - Day 3

Based on the model itinerary on the Kumano Kodo official website, my trip was supposed to last until Day 4, with a visit to Nachi Falls and its surrounding area on that final day. However, due to some schedule changes with my friend, I needed to return to Osaka by 6 pm on the last day. So, after much thought, I decided to squeeze the Day 4 itinerary into the afternoon of Day 3. As it turned out, the route I took could actually be completed in three days. That meant I could leave for Osaka via an early train from Kii-Katsuura on Day 4. Let’s continue with Day 3. After breakfast, I boarded a bus heading to Shingu and got off at the Michi-no-Eki Kumanogawa bus stop, which is exactly the departure point for the traditional boat ride to Shingu. If river cruising isn’t your thing, you can simply stay on the bus until it reaches Shingu. Along the river, there are a few waterfalls. About halfway through the ride, we made a brief stop at a riverside spot with a white rock believed to be the rem...
Post a Comment
Read more