Today we said goodbye to the Monks of Koyasan, and started our journey down the Wakayama coast.
When we first woke up, we went downstairs to where the monks were praying, and joined in for half an hour. We were not invited to take part in the ceremony though, unlike some of the other guests. We made up for it though.
After a slightly better breakfast than we had the night before, we ventured back onto the mountain in search for the current resting place of Kobu Daishi, who has been in eternal meditation since the year 835, and who founded the Buddhism followed on Mount Koya.
He rests at the end of the Okuoin Cemetery we were in yesterday. This is actually the largest cemetery in Japan. We were probably some of the first people there, so paid our respects in the form of burning some incense in his hall.
We then continued onto the Hall of Lights where people can, instead of having a headstone, have a light placed. There were thousands, lining the two stories, floor to ceiling.
After this, we collected our things and headed down the mountain. We are staying at an in-between place today, Wakayama, at the start of the coastline we plan on exploring over the next couple of days.
There is a great castle and grounds nearby though, so we spent a few hours exploring this, before coming back to our accommodation. I had to change this last minute because it turns out our original booking was for a love hotel, and I just couldn't go from a temple, to paying by the hour.
Tomorrrow, the coast xx