Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage [in the rain]

Pro tip: As you continue to read of our journeys through Japan, please add "in the rain" to the end of every sentence [sort of like adding "in bed" to the end of a fortune cookie fortune]. It provides a more accurate image of our experience without me typing it 100 times. 

After Tokyo, we took the train to the tiny town of Tanabe, which was our launching point for the Kumano Kodo trek. We stayed in a traditional Japanese home, which was insanely cool, and the first night of a long series of nights of sleeping on the floor.

Our favorite parts of Tanabe included the DIY egg drop soup, meeting a couple of elderly Japanese friends in a bar who didn't speak English, and eating roadside chicken from a cedar hut.

After two days in Tanabe, we were off to do the Kumano Kodo! Knowing we prefer to get off the beaten path, Ben's mom sent us a CNN article highlighting the pilgrimage, which is how we learned about it. Essentially you complete a pilgrimage that has been done in Japan for thousands of years (it's one of the UNESCO Heritage sites), walking from one village to the next, and staying in traditional Japanese lodging along the way.

*If you're looking for logistics on how to book/etc, check out the bottom of the post.

Day 1: Takijiri Oji to Chikatsuyu

It took us approximately 10 minutes to realize that this is not an easy trek. It's actually one of the harder treks we've ever done. Even though it's not part of a distinguished mountain range, there was a ton of elevation change, which made for a fun hike!

It rained the hardest this day, but our first lodging setup blew our minds. It had beautiful views, we had the house to ourselves, and delicious local meals. The host spoke English, and was able to teach us about how to use the traditional baths and how to say Buddhist prayers.

Day 2: Chikatsuyu to Kumano Hongu 

This was our longest day by far- about 25 km. Each day they packed a lunch for us, but it was only on this second day we realized that three rice cakes were not enough to sustain us for 8 hours of hiking (don't worry, we're quick learners).

It was the driest on our second day (we had 3 whole hours of not rain!), and we got to walk through a lot of villages, which was fun. Also, at the end was Hongu, which is one of the three main shrines on the trek.

We bused from Hongu to Yunomine Onsen, which is the oldest onsen in Japan [check out the details here if you're a newb to group bathing]  and made Japanese soaking tubs my new favorite #bathroomaccessory. Our legs needed the two baths we took that night. #winning

Here's a picture of Ben eating a whole fish.

Day 3: Kumano Hongu to Kaguchi

This day was our shortest trek with possibly the best views, and one of our coolest stays. We slept in a refurbished school that had been turned into a lodge! SUPER neat. And the food was on point.

Day 4: Kaguchi to Nachi

The hardest and final day of our trek started with a 5km climb, and ended with a giant smiling Buddha.

Our sentiments exactly:

5k climb done!

We stayed in Nachi, and took a train to Kyoto the next day just in time to dodge Typhoon Lan (because #rain). Even that was gorgeous:

If you're looking to do the Kumano Kodo, Kumano Travel pretty much has the market on lockdown, but they do an AMAZING job. 

• Their website will show you the different hiking and lodging options, and you can book directly through them.
• We wouldn't advise carrying your packs. We originally planned on it until #rain, but were SO glad we didn't. It's much cheaper to have them drop off your bags at your final location if you can pack light (they can also bring them to you each night if you're willing to pay ~$150).
• Bring extra snacks and water (you can refill on water in the lodging places).
• Kumano Travel has an office in Tanabe. We went there to coordinate our luggage (we missed the 10 day online deadline), and they were SO HELPFUL. They had great maps and spoke English. Definitely plan on swinging in.