Neon Pilgrim

Seriously unfit and unmotivated, Lisa Dempster is an unlikely candidate for a gruelling outdoor adventure. But when her life needs a shake-up, she decides the only thing for it is to hike the henro michi, a 1200 kilometre Buddhist pilgrimage through the mountains of Japan.

Lisa plunges into life on the road, getting well off the beaten track and experiencing the highs and devastating lows of solo long-distance hiking. Along the way she sleeps in a public toilet, befriends a motley crew of wandering ascetics, falls in lust with a monk and tries her darnedest to avoid the local wildlife. As the kilometres tick excruciatingly by, she realises that to finish the pilgrimage it’s more than just physical hardship that she’ll need to overcome.

Lisa’s journey from overweight dole bludger to intrepid explorer is a witty and fascinating insight into Japan’s famed 88 Temple Pilgrimage.