Hotel Kameman Hiroshima

... of mine in all of Japan. And here's why...

She was only two years old when the ATOM BOMB rained destruction down on her town. Though she survived, the radioactive fallout took its toll. Sadako Sasaki contracted leukemia at the age of twelve.

She got very sick and very much wanted to get better, as anybody in her position would; especially a child. One story goes that she started folding the famous origami "peace crane." In fact, her goal was to fold ...

... in Hiroshima was more somber as we visited the Peace Park near the hypocenter of the atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945. They were getting the park ready for their annual peace ceremony. We spent over 3 hours in the museum which had exhibits, horrific images, and belongings from the victims. The museum did a great deal explaining the lead up to the atomic bomb and the aftermath. There was a picture of a woman ...

... maisemat oli todella hienot ja ilma mukavan raikasta verrattuna isojen kaupunkien katkuihin! Miyajimalta lähdettin kello 15 aikoihin takaisin kohti Hiroshiman hotellia, jonne jätettiin viime vuoden reissusta viisastuneina suosiolla laukut säilöön. Nyt tästä otetaan seuraavaksi taas luotijuna alle ja kurssi kohti Osakaa. Hiroshima toimii aina, enkä ihmettele yhtään vaikka löytäisin itseni jälleen ensi-keväänä joen varrelta istumasta. Tulkaa moikkaamaan jos näette! :-)

... be extinguished until the last nuclear weapon on earth has been destroyed. There is also a cenotaph, and every year there is a ceremony where the names of all those that have died from the effects of the bomb are placed inside. The garden is designed so there is a direct line of sight through these to the A-bomb dome. There is a relatively new Peace Memorial Hall (built in 2002). The memorial itself symbolises the time of the bomb and there is a water fountain in memory ...

... The sublime and gorgeous appearance displays the artistic beauty of the Shinden style of architecture. About 200 metres in front of the main shrine and standing in the sea is the vermilion coloured O-Torii (Grand Gate) which is the most noted symbol of Miyajima. Itsukushima Shrine was officially designated in December 1996 as a precious asset of world heritage. We got back to the Hotel at 3pm, didn't do much else and had noodles for tea.

... to communicate in certain ways even though none of us understood each others languages. You kind of just... picked up on what was going on.

Anyway, Nagoya was just the base for our day trips. We were to start the first of our day trips in Kanazawa, a small town in North West Honshu. However, it was not to be. We got on the wrong train, that not only was not covered by our rail pass (you had to pay) it was bound in the absolute wrong direction. Well, the right ...

... t have enough to do. So overall Hiroshima was a wonderful place, would definitely like to come back and I could easily live here under the right circumstances. The next 7 days should be busy as we aim to travel to the cities of Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto and possibly Nara so its all coming thick and fast, so bye for now. P.S. First Korean peace summit for years!! Anton at the Korean border the week before!! Coincidence? I don`t think so!! Spread the love!!

... rice, strange soups that we are still not quite sure about and a whole manner of other things. An interesting and unique experience but perhaps not the greatest breakfast we have ever had. We packed up the room, checked out and paid the bill (gulp). It was raining quite heavily so our plans to explore the island and ride the gondola to its highest point were unfortunately thwarted. The concierge was concerned that we ...

... on a street. A lot of domestic and international tourists were strolling around the island. I was asked to take a photo of a couple from overseas in broken Japanese. However because I talked to them in English, they looked surprised to meet a English-speaking Japanese. Daishoin temple is another attraction in the island. You can find a lot of interesting statues like Anpanman, a Japanese anime hero, and spinning wheels of sutra.

... in the nearest bathroom sink and guzzle a gallon or so of water. The view from the peak made it more than worthwhile though, with glorious panoramas over the Inland Sea and its many forested islands. Exhausted from a busy day, I ended up crashing on the streetcar on the long return trip to central Hiroshima. After a filling dinner of the city's most famous dish - okonomiyaki with mixed-in noodles - it was time to catch the bullet train back to Nagoya. Not too shabby for a real weekend.