Left, Right, Left

 

November 23 2024

Kochi, Japan

Last evening was a unremarkable and unmemorable one. I can remember where I had dinner but not exactly what. I think I went back to my room, flossed, turned out the light and watched Japan’s lights float by. I did see stars which was unexpected, at home, because of city lights stars are difficult to see. Sometime I fell asleep and at the crack of 0530 I woke up. We had an 8am docking so I lolled a while longer until it was full light.

A couple pieces of toast, some O.J. And coffee and the day was ready to be met.

Magic ship card and passport in hand, and I was on land again. We looked to be no place near anyplace. The shuttle bus was a cost, so I asked the vendor how far to walk to town. He laughed and said ‘Three hours’. I could walk to town, touch the city limits sign, turn around and make it back and not miss the ship. I paid the fee.

It might have only been 2 1/2 hours walk there, though probably closer to 6 to walk back. The bus stopped at another middle of nowhere place. Though a walking mall was mere steps away, and the castle was at the end of the mall. That might sound close, but you have never bee to a Japanese mall. They go on forever and when you leave one, you walk indirectly into another. Each block and blocks long. If the information desk would have said ‘Four malls’I would have understood.

I saw a Kimono shop and as I have mentioned previously I am vexed as to if the one hanging on my bedroom wall is special or not. The language really gets in the way. I showed the proprietor three pictures of the one I have at home. She made the appropriate positive sounds, but couldn’t get any insight into it. She did show me one that had a bit of embroidery on it. I asked her the price and she said - half the price of a ticket to a tall building in Osaka and Hiroshima - Well not exactly, but that was how I translated it. I was doubting her price, then she showed me it was a used Kimono and had a spot of soil if you really squinted you could see it, and some very slight wear on neon the cuffs. These people are such perfectionists. I told her I’d be back, which she translated as - Lost Sale.

More mall, and mall and mall. Let’s be smart and break out Apple Maps. The castle was at the end of the mall. I knew there was a Shinto shrine close to the castle, but I was afraid to put it into maps because it was so small. I went on to the castle grounds and saw a woman with a stick with a piece of fabric on it. She was a group tour guide, when walking you just follow the orange and pink, of purple Teddy bear, of maybe a flag through the crowds so as to not get separated from the herd. I knew she would know. - She didn’t. She looked at a paper map and said it was a 10 minute walk away.

I headed in the right direction, past the Japanese knife shops, the antique geegaw shop and a very assertive no smoking shop. I wasn’t getting anywhere because I was headed back to the mall. So Apple Maps, might be worth a try. I had passed it 8 minutes ago, back by the knife shop that had the handsome Akita. Reverse! Back to the Akita knife shop. Talk to the Akita for a few seconds. Five steps and a teeny alley and ten more steps and I was at the shrine. A nice peaceful plot of land, again surrounded by tall buildings. It almost like each of the two small shrines I visited are in one surrounding building’s backyard.

I found the autograph place (I am sure there have a name, I’ll get back with you on that) and the priestess was happy to do it for me. I was slightly disappointed, she used a broad tipped felt pen, not an ink dipped fine point brush. Not to be sexist, but maybe that was because she was a priestess and not a man. Funny rules here, so it could happen.

Back to the dusty tourist trail. Back to the lady with the tassel in a stick, but she had moved on. The castle was in sight at the top of a hill. They always have the best views, don’t ya know? This one was not a 1950’s version of a 1600’s castle. This was an actual 1600’s castle. One surviving of maybe a dozen in the entire country. I faced my Nemesis, and the stairs stared right back at me. Ok you fuckers, I’ll take you on and I’ll only pick photogenic spots to stop and catch my breath, though anyplace could catch my eye. Then my Nemesis threw me a curve ball. Instead of a Left, rise, right rise, etc .. no this one had them spaced apart so it was left, right, rise. Left, right rise. One poor leg and knee doing all the work and based on whether to were right or left side dominant meant that only one leg had to do all the work and the other got to coast. Left leg is not happy. Left leg wants to go on strike! The lying guidebook says 150 steps, with the spacing Left says 300 and Right is laughing.

Part of the way there was the restroom. Three squat and one Western. The three were available and the Western was in use. I waited.

More steps and finally the castle. Shoes off, and into little locked boxes. Glad I didn’t wear the socks with the holes in the heels. The castle was what I had expected, woven mats on the floor, walls made of paper, wood everywhere. Picture a historic Japanese room and you have this castle. I am glad I made it, Left was still bitching, but I don’t know how many more I’ll visit inside. I have a feeling it will be wash, rinse, repeat.

Back down the stairs, Right had to work a bit, but Left was still grumpy.

There is another Romeo and Juliet story in this town regarding a Buddhist priest and a local girl and a small arched bridge. Apple Maps to the rescue. I think Maps and Left colluded. It could have just been a simple, go straight for a bunch of blocks, turn right and go some more block, and there you are. Instead it was walk one block, turn right, go half a block turn left into an alley until the next pathway …. It got a tour of places that other tourists have yet see.

Then the bridge is encircled in scaffolding and Tyvek construction material. So much for that tourist hotspot. — But !! The Kimono lady is right over there. I found her shop and no one was around. I milled around a little and suddenly a voice on my left “You came back!” — see I told you she heard “No sale”

She folded the Kimono and took my 1000 Yen ($6.45) and I hefted the bag off the table. Gawd silk is heavy at times.

Back to the bus and now at my favorite bar with a glass of water and off to ????