Kongōchōji
"Vajra Peak Temple"
Well, here we are at temple 26, Varja Peak Temple. It's really pretty; everything looks really old. I know that sounds like it ought to be a given, but the thing is that a LOT of the Shikoku temples were burned down a while ago, then rebuilt in the 1960s-70s. Like many others, this temple was founded by Kōbō Daishi, but is usually referred to as Nishidera, not Kongōchōji.
Apparently, it's been known for a long time that a Tengu, or flying hermit, stayed here once for about 100 years before flying to Cape Ashizuri. There's also a small museum that's home to a display of whaling equipment, since this area was once famous for it.
Even though the travelling is starting to wear on us a bit, I think we're having a good time. Sometimes it's hard to tell-- we can get kind of grouchy when we're really tired. Oh well. Maybe a good night's sleep will help. More later.
