"So, where did you park your car?"

Nomihoudai : Mingling with the locals

---

... and yes, I am sporting some sexy birthday cake sunglasses that say "Happy Birthday" and are still labelled with the 'UV Protection' sticker on the lenz. By far the best souvenir anyone has ever left Nagasaki's nightlife with!

Nomihoudai: Mingling with the locals

---

Isn't it amazing how well we can blend into any crowd?

Got eggs?

---

After dragging our sleepy/drunk bodies off of Hayden's kitchen floor (after 3.5 hours of sleep), nothing could have made me more happy than to see this rare vending machine. Six eggs for only 100Yen! (About 1 USD)

"Fountain of Peace"

---

Caption from the "Fountain of Peace" information sign: "When the atomic bomb exploded on August 9, 1945, thousands of people suffered terrible burns and died begging for water. ... The 'Fountain of Peace' is an offering of water to the victims of the atomic bomb and a prayer for the repose of their souls. ... The fountain sends up a sparkling spray in the shape of wings, envisioning the dove of peace and the crane after which Nagasaki harbor has been named because of its resemblance."

Peace Sculpture

---

From the description sign: Words of the Sculptor: After experiencing that nightmarish war, that blood-curdling carnage, that unendurable horror; Who could walk away without praying for peace? This statue was created as a signpost in the cause of global harmony. Standing 10 meters tall, It conveys the profundity of knowledge and the beauty of health. The right hand points to the atomic bomb, the left hand points to peace, and the face prays deeply for the victims of war. Transcending the barriers of race and evoking the qualities of both Buddha and God, it is a symbol of the greatest determination ever known in the history of Nagasaki and of the highest hope of all mankind. - Seibo Kitamura Spring 1955

The Hypocenter

---

Directly above this marker, at 11:02 on August 9, 1945, the atomic bomb exploded. The intended target was the nearby shipyards. At the time Nagasaki's population was an estimated 240,000. That day 73,884 people were killed, and an additional 74,909 were severly injured. There was a 2.59 square mile radius of land which was completely levelled. It is absolutely disgusting what people will do to one another.

Mother and child

---

I'm not sure what the name of this statue was, but I think it is really pretty.

"No, I'll make you surprised and enjoy!"

---

After visiting the Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum this sign helped to lighten the mood. It was hard to miss considering it was the size of a small house.

Kenji and Akihiro, our heros of the day

---

As Casey and I tried our best to navigate our way to the expressway, we noticed these two guys laughing at us from the windows of a very drivable little SUV, so we held up our sign and they laughed at us. 5 minutes later we had convinced them to take us halfway to our desination, and then 30 minutes later they were nice enough to laugh at our jokes and drive us all the way to Shimabara, our actual destination! Loved it!

A scenic route compliments of Akihiro, our driver

---

Such beautiful views and perfect weather, could not have asked for anything else!

Shimabara Castle Attire

---

Couldn't have asked for better guys to hitch hike with... these guys were a lot of fun (and they thought we were crazy for making them dress-up in these children's costumes!)

Casey, Reiko, and I

---

Meet Reiko. Reiko is an amazing lady who was extremely kind to us. I met her in the ferry departure area when I showed her my ticket and asked which area we would be leaving from. She immediately took interest in us and asked what we would be doing in Kumamoto, our next destination. After explaining that we would be meeting a friend of a friend (I know, crazy weekend), she immediately implied that the bus could get complicated, and then asked us if she could drive us into the city! Sweet deal! We didn't even have to pull out our sign or ask! Of course we accepted her offer and spent the 30 minute ferry ride chatting with her.