Perfect Weather, Great Day, but Sore Feet - 10th May 2015

In complete contrast to yesterday, it’s days like today that remind me exactly why I decided to do this walk. The weather was perfect, the track was reasonably easy compared to the last few days, and I got to pass through some absolutely beautiful places.

It turned out that the spot I picked in the dark last night was not half bad to wake up to:

Except I had done something to my wrist, it was swollen and hurt whenever I bent it or picked things up, so I bandaged it up to immobilise it:

There will be no using trekking poles today

I then ate some pastries I had bought the day before, packed up all my stuff (which I must say has not gotten any faster than the first time I did it) and got on the road by 7:30am or so.

It was an absolutely stunning day. The track had taken me into the outskirts of Nagoya, so I was regularly moving between developed and natural areas. I took it easy compared to the days before, which gave me a chance to appreciate where I was more. The weather and the landscape combined in such a way that gave me a bounce in my step the whole day:

One of the rice growing villages I passed through

My first glimpse of Nagoya. The trail is going to take me right around it over the next week or so

...

Plenty of vegetables too

The locals

The Yahagi River

Park golf: it is like putt putt golf but with a bigger ball and a croquet stick

Fuji hole

Sums up about how I felt for most of the day

I absolutely love how accommodating the Japanese can be, often going above and beyond to make you feel comfortable; around lunch time I bought some food at a local shop run out of a house, some sashimi for protein and some rice and fruit, and the lady who was behind the counter went into the own kitchen and brought me out a dish of soy sauce, wasabi, and a chair I could sit on to eat. She then ran across the road to a vending machine to buy me a cold tea with her own money. How nice of her! I have had dozens of experiences like this, where people go out of their way to make sure you are happy and comfortable.

The only thing I could complain about today is my feet. They were hurting a fair bit and not looking too healthy:

It feels like my blisters have blisters

I've thought about it and there is really no way to avoid sore feet walking as much as I do. All I can do is keep and eye on them and make sure they don't get infected or injured.

I’ve now set myself up in a wooden hut that is half way up Mt Sanage, officially a rest stop for hikers, but I doubt anyone will be walking up here in the dark, so for a night it will do as my personal camp ground: 

Right next to the trail

With just enough space to fit my tent

Distance 26.5km