Hiroshima-May 27

On our last full day we went to the Peace Museum.  It really was a sobering experience.  It was a 10 minute walk from our hotel.  Another beautiful day.

I am keeping the narrative brief as we are packing up and heading to the airport.

This clock is at the entrance. This was really interesting.

Here are some photos shortly after the bomb exploded.

Here is what is now known as the Peace Dome that we visited on the first night.  It was a Convention Center.  Japan designated it as a memorial in the 1960's.  Bill has always wanted to see it.

Here is the park.  You can see it was a beautiful day.

Caroline was the photographer.

At many memorials you will see tubs of water or water bottles.  This is very moving as it symbolizes the lack of water after the bomb.  There was no water to pour on the burns nor was there any to drink.  It was August and very hot with no water for the victims.

This memorial is the clock set at 8:15 when the bomb exploded.  There is a very famous watch in the museum that stopped at 8:15.  It belonged to a father.  His son gave it to him.

More of the museum complex.

Caroline loves Japan.

This memorial looks through to the the Peace Dome. 

We walked over to the Hiroshima Castle after the Peace museum.  Not much to it but the stuff around it.

Caroline does a great job as photographer.  It really give me much more free time.

We ran into a sumo wrestling match with youngsters.  This was neat to see.

Here are some other sites from around the castle.

I was determined to try "okonomiyaki."  Hiroshima is known for this pancake/noodle thing.  It started out as a snack women sold out of their homes and emerged into a local restaurant favorite.  There are many shops that specialize in their own version of okonomiyaki.
Bill and I went in on our last night here.
They were very welcoming.

The cooks spend about 10 minutes tediously preparing each okonomiyaki.  There are eggs, noodles, cabbage and various other items that you can choose.   You can add:  pork, eel, dried shrimp, green onion, corn etc

 The pancake is huge.  Bill and I couldn't finish one.  It had a ton of flavor and texture.  Really good!

They have these in Okinawa. I never truly understood what they were until now.  Now I will try it.

This was a great trip.  We all learned a lot.  Well worth it.

Hiroshima-May 26 (night)

We went out for my birthday.  I saw a cute looking Italian restaurant from the bus to Miyajima Island and it was close by.  


Sometimes we need a break from Japanese food or the Japanese twist on other foods--examples:  corn and mayonaise pizza, raw egg in the middle of your pizza, sea urchin pudding at your favorite Mexican restaurant.  


I was hoping for the real Italian deal.  Hiroshima is a large city so I was hoping for the best.


It was really great.  We had a nice walk over to the restaurant.  The weather has been perfect.  Very dry and about 80 during the day and 60 at night.  We are used to humid and hot now.  The weather has been just perfect.


Another note.  Hiroshima is very quiet.  It is a large, modern city-not like Tokyo-but very modern.  There city is quiet.  Many ride bicycles but you never hear them coming up behind you.  We are used to the cyclists in Tokyo ringing a little bell as they approach you from behind.  Not here.  We never heard a car horn.  Of course, we don't in Okinawa either.  It is just very quiet here. 

Someone started out the evening as a diva.  It was my birthday and it wasn't me.  

So I threatened her by telling her if she didn't smile, I would post the picture on my blog.  So I got this smile...
So I posted both.

She lightened up pretty quickly.

I know that I look terrible but every other shot of me is worse.  That is why the picture is very small.


The kids and Bill surprised me by telling the waiter that it was my birthday.  You have to know the story behind this though.  Ever since the kids were little, I would tell the server that it was one of their birthdays.  Not all of the time, or even most of the time.  No one ever knew when I was going to do it and so they would forget about it.  I still do it today with the kids and Bill.  All of a sudden the wait staff comes up behind them and starts singing.  It is hilarious.
Anyway, this time it was real and a great surprise. Caroline had to ask him in Japanese so I was especially proud.

Good dinner and a great birthday!

Hiroshima- May 26

One our first full day we were heading to Miyajima island.  About 45 minutes from the hotel and another 20 minute ferry ride.  Well worth it!


Miyajima is one of Japan's three most scenic spots.    Miyajima means "shrine island."  "Jima" is island. Miyajima has been a sacred place since about 800 a.d.  There are many buddhist and shinto shrines here.


I am giving you reader's digest.  Mostly because I am really tired.  The rest of my crew is napping after a day at the Peace Museum (see later entry), I am sitting up working on the blog.


Getting ready to board the ferry. 

There are plenty of wild deer on the island that used to people.  They are so cute!!

Found a baby!

Can anyone find Patrick?

The deer are quite persistent about being fed.  Many people had to play keep away with their ice creams.  They especially like paper.  This one caught Patrick off guard while he was casually holding his map.  We warned him to put it away...

They will keep following you when you have something that they want.  We were trying to catch up with our tour guide so Patrick was really trying to get rid his deer.

Got it!

I had to console him a bit when Patrick was finally to get away.

Some shots of the village.

We learn many things every trip.  This time, we learned that one does not pass through the center of a Torii gate but on the side or around.  The center is for the gods to pass through.

We have always been lucky to get a wedding couple when we are traveling.  These two are on their way to the temple.  The groom flashed the peace sign to Bill.

Our tour guide.

 Caroline took photography classes on base, beginner and intermediate. It paid off because she is the "camera person" now.  I can actually walk around without worrying about the lens cap, where the heck did everyone go while I was taking pictures...etc etc.  She is the only one that know ow to take a picture outside of "auto" mode.


Most of the pictures from here on she took.  She is working on her perspective and structure.  

The Gift Shop.  I really like how she laid out this photo of ordinary store items.

We stopped in the village for lunch before taking the cable car to the top of the mountain.  I mentioned in the last blog that for us now, curry is like a McDonalds.  Bill got his curry.

I had shrimp tempura with udon noodles, they are thicker.

I have no idea why Bill wanted his picture next to this statue.  Caroline said it is the only animal that he will go near.  So true!  He refused to pet the koala bear in Australia...how do you do that?
He wouldn't go near the deer either.

Hey, remember that scene in E.T. when E.T was hiding in the toy closet and you couldn't tell which was a toy and which was E.T.?  

Caroline did a great job with these shots.

Taking the cable car to the top of the mountain.  Ho hum.  I won't do that again.  Waste of money and time.  It was much nicer walking around the village.  It chewed up a lot of time and nothing is at the top.  Next time, I will skip this one...

Back at the village getting ready to catch the ferry back to Hiroshima.

Definitely coming back here if possible.  A great island and worth spending more time.