Ive been doing a few trips to beautiful islands & secluded temples recently - around Takamatsu, on Shikoku isl.
Shodoshima was just 30 minutes away on the fast ferry, where we were welcomed by more humidity & glaring sunshine. Its defintely still summertime here :)
One of the main attractions on this island was a cable-car ride up above a deep gorge, with panoramic views down to the township & sea below. But since it isnt the official season for the cable-car ride (sept is the only month like that), we had to take the bus the long way round. Some of the trees in the gorge had begun their autumn change of plumage, producing pockets of orange amidst the carpet of green.
Along the coast a bit was a taste of the Mediterranean transplanted into Japan in the form of an olive orchard, complete with a Greek-style windmill & some random sculptures. The souvenir shop had all sorts of unexpected olive-themed goods, so we picked up a bottle of olive wine. It wasnt that flash tho, so i won't be hurrying back to buy more!
The next island on my itenerary was Naoshima. The harbour there was surrounded by towering hills clad with unbroken acres of forest and a mix of traditional & more modern houses along the waterfront. I hired a bike to get around, with the aim firstly to find a beach to cool off at - altho the waters still about 25 deg!! :)
Just up the road above the beach was an art gallery, which featured some interesting & some odd artworks. There were a couple more pieces set up down by another beach - they seemed a bit like something left behind by an alien spaceship. No aliens around tho. Or maybe theyre just invisible??
Around Shikoku isl (Japan's 4th main isl) theres 88 famous temples and if you visit all of them then you're blessed with amazing good fortune. So far Ive got to 3, so i dont think il be able to see them all on this trip. I feel lucky enough already anyway :)
One of them was set near the summit of this really big hill near Kate's place (where im staying for now). I decided to walk up & save myself a few dollars from the cable-car ride. There were alot of friendly trees along the path providing some shade for me but it was still too hot. The temple was beautiful though - centuries old, with stone lions guarding the entrance from evil spirits. I thought one of them had a smirk on his face though, like he was laughing at some private joke? Good for him i guess :)
