Field of Dreams

Arriving in Takamatsu I immediately started looking for ways to access the Iwa Valley. I read many things about the valley including the rope bridges, the great gorges, and even the peeing boy statue. Those I spoke with in Takamatsu made it seem like it would be difficult to make it to the Iwa Valley without a car. I was bound and determined and I’ve learned already that the Japanese think traveling to the next town is a long ways away. I had no problems making it to Iwa Valley. It simply wasn’t that big of a deal. While my determination paid off, it was not the highlight of the trip and it is not what this blog is about. Once again the path less traveled seems to be the best.

On my way back I had noticed the incredible lowland farms and scenery on my way up the mountains. I took note of the name of a station we passed on the way up so that on the way back I could exit and meander through the hills and farmlands below. The experience was excellent and turned out to be much better than the tourist attractions I had been bound to find.

Walking the farmlands

I got off at a stop that only has a train actually stop there four times a day (which is considered absolutely remote) in Japan. A giant tree held up by wooden planks greets you as you step away from the boarding platform. The tree looks like an old man, holding himself up by a cane. I began wandering down little paths through fields and around cottages. Beautiful Japanese homes adorned the landscape once in awhile.

Right now Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) are blooming in full and it is spectacular. The Japanese go overboard with them, but it is somewhat understandable. They can be absolutely beautiful. I was able to capture a few pictures of Sakura trees among the natural and contrasting environment of the farmlands. One picture I really liked had this other tree in a line with the Sakura trees. The buds were yellow. While I’m not sure what kind of tree it is I like the picture because everyone flips out over the Cherry Blossom trees, but this one looked better.

It wasn’t too long after hiking along some streets and roads that I even left the lined roads for a path that was perhaps 10-12 feet wide. It wound through fields, past farms, cow ranges, and random ponds.

I came across this pond as I walked over a hill. The light hit it perfectly for me to capture a pretty good picture. It had been an ugly and overcast day but fortunately I was still able to pull out some good pictures and I didn’t sweat nearly as much as I probably would have under full sun. In reality it was just nice to get away from people for awhile. I passed one man the entire time that I walked about. The man looked at me like I was crazy. I don’t think he had probably ever seen a foreigner walking around those hills. They usually keep to the urban and tourist areas. I half wondered if missionaries ever roamed these parts. It reminded me of some of the rural countryside towns I was in charge of on the outskirts of Mexico City, specifically Villa Del Carbon.

So I wandered the farmlands, listening to my favorite playlist and continued to ponder life. I had another great moment when I my path met up to a four way on top of a plateau. It was strange as I stood in the middle of this fourway and looked in all four directions. I hadn’t seen anyone, which is totally unusual for Japan, and it felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. Immediately my mind connected with the movie Castaway. At the end Tom Hanks delivers that one package that motivated him to hang on and finds himself without his fiance after surviving four years on the island. What happens next? He looks as the road stretches in four directions not sure which way to turn. I like the analogy with life. Sometimes you are at a four way stop and there is more out there. You just need to pick a road, I guess. I’m sure it helped him make up his mind when the woman drove up in her pickup truck and headed down one of the roads.

Two hours later than when I jumped off the train, I found another train terminal where I fell asleep on a bench until the train woke me up. While Iwa Valley was excellent as described, my winning experience came from my own exploration.