10:30 am — TSH, day 12

Things didn’t turn out as I wanted them. I missed a bus by about 5 minutes and had to wait for the next one for an hour. Lesson to me, if I want to use public transportation I should take into account its schedule. And to check the schedule before doing anything else, potentially time-consuming.

Anyway, 10.45, I’m back on trail. Quite the late start yet I hope for a short day /btw, I don’t know how, but I’m still a day ahead of plan/. The sky is cloudy so I’m putting a raincover onto my backpack. It is hot and humid so I’m not putting a raincover onto myself.

Time to go.

Backpack waiting at Japanese bus stop
View from a bridge across a braided gravel riverbed toward cloud-shrouded mountains
Colorful scarecrows in village garden with flowers

12:30 pm — Normal hiking

Just a lot of normal hiking. Some of it over the paved road, some of it through a wood along the streams with nice little waterfalls. Trail condition was nice, no landslides or dangerous spots.

Small waterfall cascading through forested ravine
Wooden footbridge over stream in dense forest
Mountain road view with clearcut and distant peaks

4:30 pm — Mt. Oyama

Mountain Oyama was the only real challenge over the day. Way up took several hours of constantly gaining altitude and the last 30-40 minutes were through a young bamboo. Just imagine a lot of bamboo leaves (which can cut you if you are not careful) covered with a dense layer of spiderweb on all the levels from your feet to your head. And then add a thick cloud that covered it with an additional layer of water. Humidity of air was high enough to think that living there one might not need to drink at all, all the required water could be breathed in.

Thus at the top I was somewhat tired and completely drenched. Resting for a few minutes on an open place at the top I was thinking if I wanted to go down or just to pitch a tent right there. Humidity and biting flies made up my mind and I went down over a paved road.

Abandoned van overgrown with forest vegetation
Communication tower emerging from thick mountain fog
Tea plantation with misty mountain valley view

6:30 pm — Wrapping the day

Paying attention to a public transport schedule paid off. I’ve got to a bus stop just about 5 minutes before the last bus to Shizuoka. I’m going to spend one more night there instead of looking for a place to stay here in Terajima. It may be cheating and it may be more expensive yet the comfort is too attractive and I’m staying within my daily budget (higher) even with hotel stays so far.

Backpack with rain cover at bus stop shelter