March 18, 2013 Hiroshima, Japan 9:00a to 4:00p

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we had beautiful weather and today was ugly out. It was cold, windy and rainy! We’re talking torrential rain, often raining sideways or in sheets.

We had planned to do this day on our own with no guide or tour. The plan was to take a ferry to Miyajima (宮島) Island. We bundled up (I had storm pants and a jacket with a hood) and stopped at the visitors center and they gave us the ferry schedule and where to catch it. We might have made the next ferry in 15 minutes if we could have gotten a cab, but we had to walk and we got there just a few minutes after it left. The next one was in an hour and they told us to wait until 10:00 to buy the tickets. While we were waiting a guy came out to tell us the ferries were canceled due to high winds.

At the ferry station I needed a bathroom and got to use one of the “squat toilets”. In Greece I had used ones that just had cement feet where you were to place your feet and just a hole in the ground. Here they were porcelain basins in the floor that you squat over. (which would have been easier to use without all the layers of clothing I had one for the weather) Later, at the Peace Park I had the opportunity to use them again. All part of experiencing the culture when you travel. (the fancy heated seats we had yesterday would have been nice today…)





So, with the ferries canceled we proceeded to the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Park which we were going to visit after visiting the island. Luckily, the tram stop was right outside the ferry terminal and we got on the 1 line to Hiroshima Station. From there it was a short walk (which would have been beautiful minus the driving rain…) to the Peace Park. We headed to the Memorial Museum hoping the rain would pass before seeing the outdoor portions of the park.



I knew this would be a somber experience and many people were crying in the museum. No matter how you feel about the dropping of the bomb the displays and stories were gut wrenching. The Peace Memorial Museum graphically displays the atomic bomb's horrible effects on the city and its inhabitants. A visit is naturally depressing. In the museum's east building, Hiroshima's militarist past and the process leading to the dropping of the bomb are documented. In the museum's east building, Hiroshima's militarist past and the process leading to the dropping of the bomb are documented. Audio guides are available in more than a dozen languages.

The rain had gotten worse if anything, but we needed to power on so we bundled up again and headed out to see the Peace Park.

 

Between the museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome stands the Memorial Cenotaph for Atomic Bomb Victims. It contains a list of all the people who were killed by the explosion or died due to the bombing's long-term effects such as cancer caused by radiation. The Statue of the A-Bomb Children and the Cenotaph for Korean Victims are some of many more monuments found in the park.

 gotta love a squat toilet...yep, those are my feet



It was time for lunch and we went in search of food. The was a visitor’s center and we popped in to find out which direction we should walk for restaurants. He pointed go straight and we did indeed find food and a huge open air, but covered mall. Just before the mall we found a small restaurant for Japanese Pancake.

 Yum!

 dessert

 double Yum!!



Here is a description of Japanese Pancake: (Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, o-konomi-yaki^?) is a Japanese savoury pancake containing a variety of ingredients. The name is derived from the word okonomi, meaning "what you like" or "what you want", and yaki meaning "grilled" or "cooked" (cf. yakitori and yakisoba). Okonomiyaki is mainly associated with Kansai or Hiroshima areas of Japan, but is widely available throughout the country. Toppings and batters tend to vary according to region.

In Hiroshima, the ingredients are layered rather than mixed. The layers are typically batter, cabbage, pork, and optional items such as squid, octopus, and cheese. Noodles (yakisoba, udon) are also used as a topping with fried egg and a generous amount of okonomiyaki sauce.

The amount of cabbage used is usually three to four times the amount used in the more common Osaka style. It starts out piled very high and is pushed down as the cabbage cooks. The order of the layers may vary slightly depending on the chef's style and preference, and ingredients vary depending on the preference of the customer. This style is also called Hiroshima-yaki or Hiroshima-okonomi.

Food was fantastic and the atmosphere was very local. The cooks and waiters shout out a greeting to all that enter and shout again as you leave. We watched them make the layers of pancake on a huge cooking top griddle and cook it down. When finished they brought it to our table which had a smaller hot griddle in the middle of the table and they put it on there. We had small plates with a small spatula to serve ourselves and we ate with chop sticks. The last bite stays as hot as the first since it was kept on the heated cooking surface. Very Yummy!

The name of the restaurant was Nagata-ya and I ordered the Deluxe with pork, egg, cheese, rice cake, corn, soba noodles and garlic chips. Greg ordered the Garlic with pork, egg, kimchi, green onion, cheese and garlic chips. Both were delicious! (yes, I got pictures)

Then we were ready to finish the park. The most prominent structure is the A-Bomb Dome, located just across the river from the park. Built in 1915 as the first western-style brick building, it served as the industrial promotion hall for a prosperous city. The atomic bomb exploded 2,000 feet above the building and instantly killed everyone inside. In 1996, its stabilized ruins were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a poignant reminder, much like the ruined Kaiser Wilhelm church tower in Berlin. The Atomic Bomb Dome is one of the few buildings around the explosion's epicenter that partially survived the blast, and the cities only remaining bomb damaged building.

In the park itself, there are memorials with the names of all the known victims, a grave of unknown persons, an eternal flame that will be extinguished when the last nuclear weapons are destroyed, a peace bell and the most moving -- the Children's Peace Memorial. A young girl named Sadako developed leukemia at age 12, about 10 years after the bomb was dropped; according to an old Japanese custom, if she could fold 1,000 paper cranes, her wish to live would come true. While she never quite made the full count, her classmates finished the task, and others continue to make them to this day.

We had spotted a nice place for dessert so after we finished seeing the A-Dome we headed back there. We each got a huge sundae like any other we have ever had. There was no English spoken and we just pointed to what we wanted. One had vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce, bananas, frozen strawberries and raspberries, bits of pound cake and topped with a pastry “elephant ear” stuffed with chocolate. The other was chocolate sauce on chocolate and vanilla ice cream with a very small scoop of dark chocolate ice cream, bananas, a small flan, bananas, crunchy cookie stuff and pound cake. We wandered the mall for a bit and I found a shop as I was looking for a tori gate for Carol our table mate. All I could find was a small Christmas ornament one, but I got one for myself and Carol. If we could have gotten to the island I’m sure I could have found a nicer one. We wandered a bit more and caught the number 1 tram back to the port area. As we were on the tram the sun came out! So, now that our day was done it got nice.

We had about an hour left after the tram dropped us off so we just walked around the area trying to find a place to use up our Japanese Yen. Not much in the area, so we found a 7-11 and bought a couple bottles of wine and some regional snacks. Back on board we had to go back to immigration and have our passports stamped and they collected our cards. We then surrendered our passports to Princess as they have been keeping them while we are on board and passing them out as we need them.

 



Interesting enough, all aboard was at 3:30, but they wanted you at immigration at 3:00. Hmmmm. When we got back to our cabin (after immigration) we had a message on our phone from immigration to proceed immediately.

As we sailed away the locals (officials, Visitor’s center employees and families just enjoying the day) all waved goodbye and watched.





Since the sail in was ugly due to the rain, the sail out in the sun was very nice. When it was time to get ready for dinner we came in and went to dinner and the show. The show tonight was a Classical Japanese Pianist Tomono Kawamura. She was very good!

Our too short visit to Japan was over. We missed Cherry Blossoms in mass by about a week. I do think at one place yesterday I saw one.

Thank goodness we have a sea day tomorrow to get caught up!

Here is what we missed not getting to go to Miyajima Island:

Miyajima is quite a large island, but its attractions are concentrated in two main areas: the small town around Itsukushima Shrine and Mount Misen.

Visitors to Miyajima will first arrive at the ferry terminal, from where it is a ten minute walk to Itsukushima Shrine. All the other sights are also located within walking distance from the shrine.

Another delightful and quite peaceful experience on Miyajima is to wander Daishoin (temple).

It's quite unique compared to the many other temples you will likely visit. Be sure to look for the 500 stone statues of the Buddhas, spin the prayer wheels up and down the staircase, and see the mandala and offerings to the Dalai Lama in the first building at the top of the stairs.

Standing in the bay in front of the shrine, the floating torii is the "gate" to Itsukushima. Note that whether the gate is "floating" or merely mired in mud depends on the tide.

Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社). A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Itsukushima is a large, red-lacquered complex of halls and pathways on stilts, originally so built  that commoners could visit without defiling the island with their footprints

Senjokaku (千畳閣). The name means "1000 Mat Pavilion", a fairly apt description of  this gigantic wooden hall which doesn't actually contain much other than empty space. It was originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1587, but left incomplete after his death. There's also a picturesque 5-story pagoda (五重塔 Gojuto) next door, and plenty of cherry trees if you are visiting in sakura season. ¥100. 

Daisho-in (大聖院), Because it's nestled into the hills, this Buddhist temple is easily missed by tourists, but it features a number of interesting sights and a welcome respite from the crowds. Look for the Dai-hannyakyo Sutra (大般若経), the golden prayer wheels that are said to bring enormous fortune to anyone who touches them, and the Henjokutsu Cave (遍照窟), a fascinating and eerie collection of Buddhist icons related to the 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Shikoku.

Mt. Misen (弥山), For the best panorama, follow the signs to Misen, a 1,730-foot peak, best reached by using a two-part cable car. Getting off, there are deer and monkeys to amuse you and a 15-to-20-minute walk to the top. There are views in all directions. Allow an hour to retrace your steps if entirely on foot. Mount Misen can be accessed by the Miyajima Ropeway, whose lower station is a ten minute walk from Itsukushima Shrine. There are also three hiking trails from the town to the mountain's summit.

Momijidani Park (紅葉谷公園). The ropeway station is in the middle of Momijidani Park, but the park is worth a stroll even if you're not headed up. Known for its autumn colors, there are quite a few quiet little temples to explore along the way, and many of the island's hotels are tucked away here.