Taxied to the Kyoto station on Wednesday morning where we boarded our bullet train for Hiroshima. Arrived at our hotel to discover an “oops”. Our bags, which were supposed to be waiting for us, had not arrived. Learned we would be living in our wrinkled, dirty clothes for another day. No problem, as no bags made for a very orderly hotel room. Tooth brushes & toiletries provided by the hotel, & Norika went to the Don Quijote store & bought us all some undies.
We quickly forgot about the turmoil of no bags as we were treated to a famous Hiroshima lunch: Okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake. Then it was off for an emotional visit to Peace Memorial Park, located near the very center of the area of the atomic bomb blast.
Wednesday evening, another Hiroshima delicacy: oysters. I have had deep fried oysters, grilled oysters & oysters with noodles. Makes me happy, but not sure some in our group would concur.
On Thursday, our bags arrived before we left the hotel for today’s Japanese garden excursion, so everyone could relax regarding the wayward bags. Beautiful sunny day with low humidity & few crowds. Afternoon free to wander the streets & people watch. This evening, a special treat for some of us: Kobe beef.
Friday found us using a local bus, local train & ferry to visit the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, an island once worshiped for its spirituality. It rained again today, but the visit was an enjoyable experience & a place of beauty.
Oh no, as of Saturday, the trip is officially over, & I will be making my way from Hiroshima to Tokyo to Chicago. I am not tallying my travel hours as ignorance, in this case, is bliss.
Bullet train arriving into the Kyoto station for our 1 1/2 ride to Hiroshima. Comfortable seats, smooth ride, very fast. Train travel really can be fun.Cabbage Pancake: Pancake,cabbage, bean sprouts, green onion,deep fried flower button, pork, wheat flower butter. Flip, fry noodles, add to pancake & top with fried egg. I ordered mine with fried garlic, all topped with soybean (barbecue)sauce. May not sound like a treat, but it was. We sat at the counter & watched this mother/daughter team prepare our pancakes. The 84 year old mother has operated this stand for over 50 years.The end result.Japanese students teaching us how to eat the cabbage pancake with chopsticks.The atomic bomb was dropped very close to the promotional hall killing everyone inside, but parts of the walls remain standing. Some Japanese would like to see it demolished while others feel it should stand as a memory to the evils of war.Another view of the what remains of the promotional hall with a rebuilt Hiroshima in the background. This is known as the A-Bomb Dome.Children’s Peace Monument at Hiroshima. Thousands of children were killed & many orphaned. Note the abundance of origami cranes in the kiosks. Noriko taught each of us, with much assistance, how to fold an origami crane to be placed in this kiosk. Left a message & my name on the crane. The crane is the symbol of peace as is the dove, both of which can be found on many monuments. This picture was taken from the walls of the museum. Walking through the Peace Memorial Museum & hearing the stories through the audio head set was a moving experience. Read Hiroshima by John Hersey which prepared me for the tragedies these innocent citizens, many children, of Hiroshima endured.An atomic bomb survivor, 86 years old today, 8 years at the time of the bombing. Related her memories of her family’s experiences.Japanese Garden in Hiroshima.Japanese Garden in Hiroshima.Lots of up & down while visiting this beautiful Japanese garden on a beautiful morning in Hiroshima.Noriko introduced us to a Kobe beef evening out. What an experience; best filet I have ever eaten, even with chop sticks. Seven seat counter. Served with grilled vegetables: red pepper, onions, baby corn, zucchini & egg plant. Couldn’t afford to eat like this very often.Our chef putting on a show for his guests.O-Torii Gate seen from the ferry as we approach Miyajima Island, a scenic spot of Japan. We saw the Gate at both low tide, 10 am & high tide 2 pm.Tsushima Shrine on Miyajima Island. The shrine was built in the 1st half of the 6th century & remodeled into the present beautiful structure in 1168. I took this picture from a brochure.Shinto priest at the Shinto Shrine. Made an offering, bowed twice, clapped twice, asked for a blessing, then bowed once again at the end of my request.Buddhist monks with knitted red caps, lined along the route to the Daishoin Temple. Here we made a purification walk along the dark tunnel, a sensory experience in total darkness. Left hand placed on the wall for guidance & purification.Saki barrels lining the wall of the Shinto Shrine.
Hopefully, time permitting, I would eventually like to share some of the special characteristics, pictures & idiosyncrasies of the Japanese culture. It’s been a wonderful learning experiencing, Thanks to all who traveled with me.
Again we can see how senseless war is and how many innocent children and adults loose their life’s. Thanks for sharing your wonderful trip! You documentation is great along with the photos! Safe travels!
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