In Nagasaki - 1st port of call

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We woke this morning berthed in Nagasaki in southern Japan on the national holiday (I think it is sports and health day). Nagasaki is a harbour city with a massive suspension bridge and mountains in the background all around. We bought a day tram pass for ¥500 ($6). First stop was at Peace Park created in memory of those who died in WWII and to reinforce anti war thoughts form the future. The remains of destroyed walls from a prison levelled by the bomb are all that remain of what happened in August 1945. On a street corner whilst we were twisting our map around trying to locate directions, a street cleaner man came up and showed us which direction to take next. We trammed it back into the city and found a couple of temples. We walked back to down town where the girls found another second hand Kimono shop in one of the arcades. After finding some more bargains we looked around to try and find a couple of Japanese baseball team caps = there’s none in the city. What is available, are American baseball caps. At the Information Centre, a local guide Yusotu who was a youngish grandmother who donates her services to the city as a guide for foreigners took us from shop to shop trying to find Japanese Teams baseball caps. At each possible shop she picked up more leads to the next shop in the end we nearly had one but it had been sold. She then took us to one of Nagasaki’s tourist sights, the Spectacles Bridge over Nakashimagawa river that runs right thru town. The bridge supports are shaped like an “m” with the road running over the top. The half-circular shaped tops of the bridge’s supports, create the same shapes in reverse down on the almost still water. From a distance, the view you see is a “pair of spectacles. Yusotu took us down some steps to get some better pictures along a walking track down near the water line. Soon, some of the locals followed us down and they too were soon taking their pictures. So our highlights today were, some nice bargains and the chance meeting with a wonderful Japanese lady guide.

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Photos

Geoff and the Samuri
He was a friendly Samuari

Peace Park - Nagasaki
WW11 - Commerative Park

Yasuko and Maureen
At The Spectacles Bridge over the Nakashimagawa river

Walking across the river
This started off all the locals into doing the same thingt!

Comments

[raewyn]

hello again to the travelers
how are you all today? looking at your photo's the weather seems good, hope it contnues for you. we are looking forward to a lovely warm week with 29 predicted for sat and sun and 30 for monday! very nice. I rang Jen today to wish her a happy birthay for last friday, I felt really bad that I'd forgotten.. we are getting together on friday night for tea and a movie. Jacquie leaves for China and Robs band is playing friday night so she thought she might need company. Will probably go to Glads tomorrow, Kate is coming here for Hann,then go to Wes' on wednesday and help with some gardening. He wants some pruning done. Miss you. I'm sure you are having a wonderful tme. It seems amazing to me that you are so far away.