May 4 (20kms)
I woke up early and got dressed but stood by my door with my bathroom things till I could tell everyone had gone to breakfast. I still didn't know the rules for washing and didn't want to draw attention to myself by cleaning my teeth over a bowl that everyone else knew was for rinsing the toilets.
I poked my head out into the hall and seeing there was no-one around, I went first to one bathroom, then the other. I didn't know which one was the Womens because both bathrooms had urinals (I was just thankful that I knew they were urinals) so, knowing my reconnaissance time was limited, I just dived into the nearest one (bathroom - not urinal).
I'd just got back to my room and got my stuff collected together when Taieriki San gently knocked on my door. She had a worried look as if she wished she had thought to bring her rubber gloves in case she had to scrape me off the tatami floor. I think she got a shock when I opened the door immediately, fully loaded and ready to roll, with a cheerfulness that the monks might have had a law against at that time of the morning.
When we got to the front door, without looking at me, Taieriki San discretely slid me a package. Even after only one quick peek at the stash she had just slipped me, I was prepared to put her on the payroll to be my Food Pimp immediately - without references.
I said 'arigato' as casually as if she had just given me a club sandwich wrapped in a serviette then, with my hands shaking like a pokie addict having to choose between Double Up and Take Win, I put my shoes on and we joined the others.
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