In the tracks of Kafka Tamura


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1. CPH 12.08.13

2. Narita - Tone 13.08.13

3. Tone 14.08.13

4. Tone 15.08.13

5. Tone - Oarai 16.08.13

6. Oarai - Tomakomai 17.08.13

7. Tomakomai - Iwamizawa 18.08.13

8. Iwamizawa - Azahikawa 19.08.13

9. Azahikawa - Kamikawa 20.08.13

10.Kamikawa - Nukabira Onsen 21.08.13

11.Nukabira Onsen - Tokachigawa 22.08.13

12.Tokachigawa - Kushiro 23.08.13

13.Kushiro - Shibesha 24.08.13

14.Shibesha - Lake Kussharo 25.08.13

15.Lake Kussharo - Lake Akan 26.08.13

16.Lake Akan - Abashiri 27.08.13

17.Abashiri 28.08.13

18.Abashiri - Sapporo (tog) 29.08.13

19.Sapporo - Otaru 30.08.13

20.Otaru - Kamoenai 31.08.13

21.Kamoenai - Makkari 01.09.13

22.Makkari - Yakumo 02.09.13

23.Yakumo - Hakodate 03.09.13

24.Hakodate - Aomori 04.09.13

25.Aomori - Lake Towada 05.09.13

26.Lake Towada - Lake Tazawa 06.09.13

27.Lake Tazawa - Hanamaki 07.09.13

28.Hanamaki - Tsukidate 08.09.13

29.Tsukidate - Sendai 09.09.13

30.Sendai - Tone 10.09.13

31.Tone 11.09.13

32.Tone 12.09.13

33.Tone - Kurihama 13.09.13

34.Kurihama - Hakone 14.09.13

35.Hakone - Gotemba 15.09.13

36.Gotemba 16.09.13

37.Gotemba - Fujinomiya 17.09.13

38.Fujinomiya - Shizuoka (Kyoto) 18.09.13

39.Kyoto 19.09.13

40.Kyoto 20.09.13

41.Kyoto 21.09.13

42.Kyoto - Nara 22.09.13

43.Nara - Wakayama 23.09.13

44.Wakayama - Higashikagawa 24.09.13

45.Higashikagawa - Takamatsu 25.09.13

46.Takamatsu - Iya Valley 26.09.13

47.Iya Valley 27.09.13

48.Iya Valley - Imabari 28.09.13

49.Imabari - Onomichi 29.09.13

50.Onomichi - Hiroshima 30.09.13

51.Hiroshima 01.10.13

52.Hiroshima - Takayama (tog) 02.10.13

53.Takayama 03.10.13

54.Takayama - Matsumoto 04.10.13

55.Matsumoto - Hakuba 05.10.13

56.Hakuba - Nagano 06.10.13

57.Nagano - Tone 07.10.13

58.Tone 08.10.13

59.Tone - Narita 09.10.13

60. Narita - CPH 10.10.13

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Letter 45

 

Wednesday 25.09.13     45,73 km

 

I go the 35 km to Takamatsu and find the station. T.I. is outside in a building of its own. It was like in Aomori and the cities remind of each other. Modern cities without many old houses.
 


                                                                  Flowers en route

A great deal of the plot in "Kafka on the Beach" takes place in and around a small private library near to Takamatsu. Now I ask if the library actually exists? But first we must have corrected an error, it's not Komura library, but Koomura with a long o. I couldn't see that in Mette Holms translation.

The library exixst - or more correctly: existed. But was in another place, the town Nishinomiya near to Kobe. It was a place the author himself used to visit. Now he's used his right as an author to alter the geography a bit.

I have a map of the city, a map of the prefecture, a map of Shikoku and also a route to the Century Hotel, where I hope they have a bed.

They have - I have a bed for 2.ooo Y. That's cheap!

The main attraction in town is apparently Ritsorin Garden in the southern end. That's where I'm gonna eat my lunch I decide, and here I am in the shadows in a "rest house". The temperature will definitely reacabove 30 degr. also today, but here in the shadows it's wonderful.


                      A quiet afternoon on the pond


                                My friend the Egret

It's a typical japanese garden as they were created in the 17th and 18th century. With ponds, small hills, neatly cut trees and an undisturbed peace. The park is constructed with alternating sun and shadows and if you feel like sitting down you just look around and find a bench. Something you normally NOT do in Japan. The egret seems to feel absolutely secure in my company - I've never been so close to one before.

Originally it was a private garden, but in 1875 the owner made it public. Now it's 7pm and I ate sushi today. 5€ for a meal like that - it's actually not much. Even it hasn't that much weight as a "normal" pre-prepared dish for 3€, so I had a rice triangle as a starter.

This Century Hotel is mostly hotel. It looks expensive both from the outside and when you get in, but they have at least a couple of dormitories. In this there are 5x2 berths, but the room is large, much larger than anything I've seen until now.. But it's japanese style, which means tatami mats on the floor and a low table (for only 4).

I've studied my new maps, been to the T.I. once more to know exactly how I get to Route 32 in the morning.

The plan is now to spent 2 nights at a camp site in the Iva valley and then go the direct way north west across the Inland Sea to Hiroshima.


 

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