The parting of the ways

Our last breakfast together and we have an eclectic buffet with bacon, eggs, fish & chips plus the usual suspects of Japanese breakfasts.
This morning Jamie takes us to tour the inner Ishe shrine, home of the sun goddess and her magic mirror.

She and her reflector are hidden behind many barriers which Joe(Tojo?) public cannot pass through, though for a price you can get one barrier closer. Many business groups come here in order to have their company blessed in a sort of Nipponese Nuremberg rally type of affair.

By now we are well versed in the prayer ritual-ring the bell,bow twice, clap twice, pray and bow once and all your wishes well come true(in theory).

Following our final dose of enlightenment we go to the commercial and gastronomic hub of this holy place and feed up on deep fried rissoles, oyster and beer.By now the hordes have arrived for the same thing.

Don't be so koi

Then it is by taxi back to the hotel and a walk to the train we have our group diaspora with much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Our next stop is Toba which is only 20 minutes  away. Upon arrival we are supposed to be picked up by shuttle bus to take us to our new digs, Oyado The Earth. At the station we hear those most dreaded words;NO LIFT!!! and we have to lug our not inconsiderable suitcases up the stairs from the platform. However our cute pink shuttlebus is waiting there and spirits us away to Oyado(T.E.) which turns out to be a relaxing sort of luxury resort sitting on top of a cliff,

complete with ambient music.

View from bedroom

Dinner is (surprisingly) the usual multi course elaborate affair