Bottles of Mana: October 2013

Conquering the Dragon

5:01 AM

(This is how you can tell if you're allowed in the cave. If you can fit through those two narrow poles)

Woke up today to the jingles of everyone's cell phone alarms at 6:30 am, and headed off to the cave in jigenji temple. Anazenjou, or how i like to call it, the dragon cave.

We had to climb up a steep hill and wear robes so our clothes wouldn't get dirty in the cave.

Many years ago, Kobodaishi left his travels in china to a mountain in Japan in order to create a holy place to practice his buddhist teachings and teach others. In kamikatsu, Kobodaishi climbed up a mountain and fought a dragon that came from the cave within the mountain. Using his holy powers, Kobodaishi sealed away the dragon with in the cave. When you get far enough in the cave, you can see the rock formation make the shape of the dragon that was sealed away.

Kobodaishi wasn't messing around. This cave was not merciful in anyway or form. There was no path, I had to crawl, bend my body in different directions in order to fit through the narrow cracks, and hold my candle light at the same time. I became one with the rocks of that cave as they pressed up against my back and ribcage. At some points we had to military crawl. The water dripped from the top of the cave and sometimes blew out our candle, making the cave pitch black. We all had to use teamwork to light each other's candles and tell each other when to duck or miley cyrus our way through the tight spaces. I didnt bring my phone because I wouldn't fit with it popping out of my pants. That's how narrow and tight this cave was. I was too intamate with the cave walls to take pictures inside.

I think I was filled with adrenaline coming back out of the cave. I felt invincible! I had just gone into a mountain cave!! A dragon cave no less!! There isn't anything I can't do!!! BRING IT ON!!! Some of out group members didn't go in the cave for perfectly valid reasons, but I was so happy I went. I felt strong. After doing what I wouldv'e (in the past) declined to do out of fear, I'm ready to face what I thought was hard. I'm ready to take on the tough shit! Because I know in the end I'll feel stronger and happier.

After the cave, we headed to Atsuko's Zero waste academy. This organization is responsible for seperating waste in a highly organized way, making sure everything gets thrown away the correct way.

The have about 25-30 ways of seperating waste.

Even as specific as seperating cups made out of wax paper, and juice boxes!

This was the list of different types of waste seperation.

The township members are motivated to come here and seperate their trash because they know it comes back to the town. With each kilogram of waste, the town can earn a certain amount of yen.

Their current concern is kitchen waste! They currently have a composting machine, but they say it wastes energy. They're looking for ways to compost without using energy in a more efficient way for people who live in condos or apartments.

I thought it was amazing how much attention Atsuko and the rest of kamikatsu puts to seperating their trash! There are people all over Japan that come and see this zero waste academy and try to emulate it in their homes!! I hope I can contribute when I go home.

We all were hungry hungry hippos by the end of the tour, so we went to a cafe!

Oh man how I wish I could own a cafe. I would have plants just like these and nice furniture with lots of windows.

The view from our seats was unbelievable. I will never get over these mountains.

Our last stop was the onsen!! We all had a really nice hot bath, and it was really fancy :') I felt pampered and super clean :) I will miss bathing like this. Once you enjoy the baths in japan you can never go back to regular showers (；´ A` )

Those of us who went to the onsen came back to where we are staying and knocked out for 2 hours. Crawling in caves, fighting dragons, baisically becoming the avatar proved too mighty for our bodies.

but then we woke up to nabe!!!! Meals here have been so filling and delicious ;w; <3

Atsuko's husband, Watanabe, came to show us all his travel journals!! I felt rude taking a picture of them so I didn't, but the journals were filled with detailed notes about Watanabe's trip to India and Nepal. He had drawings of what he saw, detailed descriptions of people and buildings, and a bunch of other things. MORE INSPIRATION ;0; I NEED TO DO MORE THINGS IN MY LIFE. 21 years on this earth and I have yet to achieve things like this. I hope i can travel and document my travels like this. MAYBE I CAN START NOW.

Tomorrow is our last day in Japan ;0; Were going to Osaka, right where we started. Hopefully we'll get to eat okonomiyaki and then get to shop with our last bit of yen.

Love,

Mana