Shikoku: A Journey in 88 Temples – Part 2

There may be trouble ahead. This walk wasn’t going to be easy. But first came the sea. The Pacific. An Ocean of dazzling sapphires, sparkling in the sun. I got my first glimpse of the sea as I crested a mountain early on the 7th day. It was a mesmerising, dreamlike panorama. Golden beaches beckoned in the distance, while sea stacks and stumps and micro islands peppered the coastline like geological morse code. It was a tropical paradise. The sea would be my companion for much of this journey. I couldn’t imagine a more perfect backdrop for this walk.Following the…

Continue ReadingShikoku: A Journey in 88 Temples – Part 2

Shikoku: A Journey in 88 Temples

The number 88 is attractive and inviting. A piano has 88 keys, providing for an infinity of musical combinations. In the periodic table there are 88 naturally occurring elements, from hydrogen to radium. Modern astronomy recognises 88 constellations, while in Chinese numerology the number 8 means wealth and fortune, so 88 equals double prosperity. In Back to the Future, when the Delorean hits 88 mph, serious stuff starts to happen. 88 is a number with major street cred. It tends to show up where there is a complete system, or a symbolic sense of luck, especially in Asian cultures. At…

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