Day two: Kumano Pilgrimage

I am exhilarated!  Day two of our bus pilgrimage along the Kumano Shrine path was so filled with the most wonderful experiences that both my mind and heart are racing each other to put it all in perspective.  While we did hours on the bus, we also hiked; hiked a LOT!

We left the Seigantoji Temple early in the day (after an expansive breakfast buffet) and boarded our bus headed to Kumano Hayatama Shrine.  As you can imagine, the journey was loaded with beautiful sights.  The first couple of photos below show a purification ritual and the braided stalks of rice at the entrance to the temple.  The signs at the shrine say they portray the flow of water, but Ashtar says they really mean the flow of energy.  We hiked around this mountain top taking in the scenery for an hour or so. 

Some of the roads up here are so, so, so narrow.  This next photo is of our bus crossing one of the bridges.  The whole road up to the top was like this, yet cars and trucks were passing alongside us anyway!

When we reached the Kumano Hongu Shrine we began hiking.  The four images are from Hongu including a Tori, a flag lined path, more stairs and the entrance to the Shrine itself.

Then it was of to Tmaki Shrine where we hiked more still. The view from the top was awesome!  Hiking through the forest of sacred Cedar we came across a tree that just wanted to talk, and through Ashtar it spoke of being the roots of the world and how planting a single seed could result in such a magnificent result.  Ashtar relayed it’s words to us in a video that would be too long to include in this blog, but you can see the video for yourself on my Terrie Symons FaceBook page if you would like.  What would a blog be without a food picture?  The beautiful woven box with the Hashi in front of it was how our Bento lunches came.

I am completely ready to enjoy my bed at the end of a heart filled day of beauty and hiking.  I can’t wait for tomorrows adventures!

Blessings of Universal Love,

Terrie 🙂