This is as close as I come to a day of reflection

We woke up early today, Kris at 5, me at 6 (only because it takes her an hour longer to get ready). Meat on the stick came to the rescue again for breakfast. Japan's not really big on original breakfasts, miso soup, rice, soy milk: all things I like, all things she hates. So it's been 7-Eleven everyday for a snack and coffee. We hit the station and at 6:46 we were heading to Miyajima by train then ferry. Japan's awesome in the way its public transport operates. Popped off a train and onto a ferry in just 10 minutes. Cost us nothing as we were still utilizing our JR Passes. After a 10 minute ferry ride we were on an island.

The shrine gate in Miyajima

Miyajima: a place best seen in the morning I suppose when it just wakes up. At about 7:30 am there were throngs of cute little schoolboys and schoolgirls running to school in their uniforms. No salarymen or office ladies here though. This is a slow island, like every other island I know and love. No industry, just a shinto shrine, a few hotels and a water park. In other words, an R&R island.

Lunch is strolling around the town

The first thing that struck us as we got off the ferry was... deer. Wild deer, I mean gamey lunch, walking around the island, lying on the streets, not giving a toss about anybody or anything. Actually coming up to you trying to see if you've got something to eat. No one local pays any attention to them. Tourists and visitors come up and pet them or try to feed them. The deer are so calm and domesticated they aren't even scared by cars and the car horns. Once you're passed the deer, you can visit the shrine which is an experience in tranquility early in the morning.

When we returned from Miyajima, we packed up and left our luggage at the hotel reception and hit the town again. This town for the food for the soul. Anyone noticed in yesterday's blog where we're staying? Yes. Hiroshima. The first city that was destroyed using an atomic weapon in history. Let's hope one of the only two cities destroyed ever. A visit to the memorial place is a must, very Japanese / Shinto / Zen kind of thing. The Atomic Dome speaks for itself, it's bare structure survived because it was located almost directly underneath the blast meaning the shockwave just went down on it. Museum is also worth a visit. As Kris said, it starts very innocently then gets to the gruesome parts. Very educational indeed.

Silly tourists...

A sushi lunch was in order after it, with the missus eating chicken. Of course. But sushi was good, fresh and inexpensive: just as you'd expect in Japan. Having some time left, we visited the Hiroshima Castle, all rebuilt of course, for obvious reasons. Here we got to play silly tourists by dressing up as samurai and geisha. For posterity's sake of course.

Farewell to the atomic city was short and sweet as we boarded our last shinkansen to Osaka from which we fly out to the Philippines tomorrow. Quick ride as always, few beers while you wait and we were there. Our hotel, Chisun Osaka, was probably the worst of all the ones we stayed in so far. We're working our way down from a five star to a two star level (well... the one in Kyoto was actually a hostel / guesthouse, so it's out of range). But even at this simple, business hotel everything's gotto be neat, clean and in the right place. There is your Japan in a nutshell.