I tried to wake up and get an early start for my next destination, Mt. Koya. I don’t have any confirmed reservation there, but I’ll see what I can do. I checked out of my hotel at 8AM, got on a train heading that direction. The train to the first transfer (Wakayama) was supposed to take 30 minutes, but ended up taking over an hour for some reason. At Wakayama the tracks branch off in a few different directions. I noticed there was a train leaving which I thought was the direction I needed, so I made a split second decision and got on. After 15 minutes or so, I noticed the train was going past the ocean which was not supposed to happen. I realized I was on the wrong rail line. I saw Gojo on my map as the direction I should be headed, but I realized I got on a train that said Gobo.
I had to get off the train at this tiny town and take a train in the opposite direction. I noticed I happened to get there the one time during the day when there is only one train per hour. So I had to wait nearly an hour before I could begin to get back to where I was in Wakayama. An old lady started talking to me at the station which was one of the rare times a Japanese person has started talking to me (of course, she didn’t know English). After the train back to Wakayama, it was another 20 minute wait for next train. Finally on the right track, the train stops half way and lets everyone off since it was the end of the line for that particular train. I had to wait around 25 minutes in another smaller town for the next train to come by. On this train a Japanese guy started talking to me, which was the first time that ever happened in Japan. He was a student and he lives in the area and we talked a bit about Mt. Koya. Then I had to get off the train to switch to another train and learned there is another 45 minute wait for that one. So I finally got on the final line to the mountain. This included one more switch over to a cable car for the very steep part. Actually not quite there yet, but a short bus ride later I finally arrived.
This was the biggest mistake I’ve made in Japan. I could have got on a different train right outside my hotel and made it here in 1.5h or 2h, but it would have cost be about $4 more and would not have used by Rail Pass at all. Instead I spent 7 hours traveling here.
Then I checked for accommodation. Things weren’t looking up because I arrived on a weekend (later learned a holiday weekend too) and this place is popular with Japanese people. First place I check had no vacancies, the second place said they I could have a $120 room, since that was all they had left. Then I checked the Youth Hostel, which only could take 13 people, but surprisingly they took me!
I only had 3 hours at most of daylight, so I took off to see some of the sights. I went to Okunoin, which holds the mausoleum of Kukai (famous guy who founded this whole area) surrounded by the largest graveyard in Japan. It was pretty nice. Everything in town closes down around 4:30PM, so I headed to the hostel. I was expecting bunk beds and stuff for being the cheapest place in town, but it is a traditional Japanese house. I share a room with two other (Japanese) people, and there are other rooms all around separated by sliding doors. So this is the most Japanese place I’ve stayed in so far and the walls are literally paper thin; we’ll see how it works out. Most people staying here are Japanese too.
Right now I’m reading an article on how Japan leads on Internet connections on top of this mountain on a free wireless connection. How appropriate.