Day 34: Heading to Mt.Koya via Osaka & Hashimoto

Community bus from Ookubo-ji to Shido

I was able to take the community bus (I was bit nervous because the community bus quite often suspend their service). The bus followed the same route I had walked yesterday and today it just took one hour!

Take the highway bus to Nanba OCAT

I got off the bus at the Shido bus stop, which cost just 200 yen for a 1-hour ride (this bus has a flat fare). The bus stop was right next to the highway Shido bus stop, so I didn’t get lost.

The highway bus is heading to Osaka, via Naruto Strait and Kobe

I felt strange that I was suddenly in the large city 🙂

The highway bus took me to Awaji Island through Naruto Strait, then went in Kobe and moved on to Osaka. I could see the whirlpools of Naruto, the beautiful sea around Awaji Island, and the night view of Osaka, although the bus was late due to some traffic jam.

The bus arrived at OCAT, the bus terminal at JR Namba Station. I thought I might get lost on the way to Nankai Namba, but it was easier than I thought because it was connected by an underground passage.

However, when I tried to buy a ticket at Nankai Namba, I found out for the first time that the Koyasan cable car suspended its service. This was really troublesome because it was almost only route to Mt.Koya. I was thinking about taking a cab or bus from Gokuraku-bashi station, but apparently, it was not possible…

However, I found that the substitute bus was available from Hashimoto station, where I planned to stay tonight. How lucky I was! I confirmed that the first bus tomorrow morning would leave around 6:30 to 7:00, and then went to the hotel. I was bit tired 🙂

Route-inn hotel in Hashimoto