Kochi

It is very easy to get around by cab and there is a shuttle bus in to town. At the port they give you a leaflet to tell a taxi driver where to go, so we jump in a cab. The etiquette with taxis is that you don’t touch the door. They have a button to open and close for either sliding or even normal opening!

I’m not sure of when we last caught an old school taxi. We had to consciously think to pay.

The Chikurin Temple, a Buddhist temple on the shikuko pilgrimage route. A very calm place, unlike all the others we have visited. Only a few people around.

At the bottom of the many stairs there were bamboo canes available for use to assist. I found the route much easier with it! Other locals already had their own.

Our taxi driver was excited to tell us through Google translate that you are allowed to dong the gong at the main temple.

Is that the famous swearing budda?

Just over the road is the Makino Botanical Gardens, established in 1958 and named after Dr. Makino Tomitaro, widely regarded as the “Father of Japanese Plant Taxonomy”.

Surprisingly advanced, it gives a QR for an interactive map with both your current location and species information.

An amazing glasshouse, interestingly cooler than outside! A pond with huge lily pads “victoria amazonica”, and the ability to walk in under a shallow part of the pond to see the leaf from underneath.

Nice to hear the occasional dong from the temple too.

We didn’t linger long here!

An uber to Kochi castle. Jumped in and told him where to go, then realised he already knew!

Firstly the museum. Very informative and a little outfit check.

A cute stamper too, several stamps to make one picture.

The castle was originally built in 1601. It was a shoe free zone as the downstairs is set out with traditional Japanese-style rooms.

Very steep stairs and great views from the top.

A not so light bite in a cute place in town.

It’s been a hot one, reaching 35°. A very traditional sail away send off.

A beautiful sunset for sail away in the sunset bar at the back of the ship, our favourite outdoors bar, and Kristine happens to be playing too.

Chef’s special of surf and turf this evening, lobster of course, and the theatre show the two acrobats. Absolutely jaw dropping.

Kristine is now in our favourite indoors bar. Taking requests, she did a brilliant version of creep, and chatting afterwards, apparently that was the toned down version.