Another Year Passes.....

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Travel Days Sometimes Throw Up Something Exceptional…..

Leaving Kyoto was hard….. there was still so much to see and do, but time was against us, so back on the shinkasen heading for Hiroshima.

About half way is the city of Himeji and exiting the station (with packs locked in lockers thank god), we were presented one of the most majestic sights I think I’ve seen. Himeji Castle is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, and for good reason. With the original keep being built in the 1300’s, and being added to over the centuries up until the Meiji Restoration in the 1830’s, the castle is now what I imagine Walt Disney would build if he was Japanese. Easily spending over two hours wandering the corridors and gardens was like living a fairytale, before climbing the seven stories to the top floor and winding our way back down to the station.

I only had one main reason to head to Hiroshima, and that was for the history of the war era. Arriving fairly late and jumping on the streetcar (tram) to the hostel was an experience all on it’s own. Kind of reminded me of Melbourne but then you think that nothing was left here only 60 years ago and the city has been built from the ground up again. We walked to the Peace Park that night and saw the eternal flame and fountains and monuments dedicated to the thousands of deceased, not just I the initial blast but also from the conditions caused by the radiation years later.

The Atomic Bomb Dome, next to the peace park, is the only building left standing from the blast. It wasn’t the only surviving structure, but all the others were demolished to make way for people coming back into the area. The bomb, nicknamed Big Boy, detonated 160m South-East of the former government offices and at a height of around 500m which is the only reason the building is still recognizable. It’s a fitting tribute to the need for peace.

My Birthday

Saturday dawned beautifully so we decided to try and squeeze in Miyajima Island with the intention of coming back to the Peace Park Museum during opening hours. The island is home to the third most popular tourist attraction in Japan (after Tokyo and Kyoto), the O-torii Gate, also known as the floating gate. During high tide, the gate is half submerged in the bay creating the appearance of the gate floating. Deer roam the island freely and we decided to head up to Momijidani Park where they are supposed to be prolific. The deer must have been a little shy that day though the scenery on it’s own was worth it. The island also has a lookout on Mt Misen, which we weren’t quite game enough to climb to…. insert cable car here and away we went. The top cable car station is at 430m above sea level with a “short” walk to the summit at 530m. OMG!!!! Short walk it was…… up the side of a cliff face. 100m up but 2km in length and all gruelling. Worth it??? You bet ya!!! The view is amazing, looking out over the sea to Hiroshima and the coastline of the national park, rugged and beautiful. We decided not to catch the cable car back down but to take the trail less travelled. 530m almost straight down and I never want to see another stair again in my life!!!! It took two days until our legs stopped feeling like jelly!!!

Before we knew it, it was after closing time at the museum and we were only just getting back to the city. Who would have thought that one small island could occupy us for so long. Instead, Mel took me out for dinner and we headed to a small, pokey little club on the second floor of a building to drink the night away. Maybe not such a good idea with the early start back to Tokyo in the morning but hey…. it’s my birthday and if I can’t wake up tired and hungover the day after, when can I??? All I can say is at least it’s a travel day!!!

“ A good traveller is one who does not know where he is going to, and a perfect traveller does not know where he came from. ” - Lin Yutang

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