Hiroshima and Miyajima

So, I’m awfully behind on updating my blog, but while I’m living on hostels, I for some reason just don’t sit down to write.
Anyways, I spent a few days in Hiroshima (from Oct. 2nd to 4th). The hostel I was going to was around Peace Memorial Park, which is quite a distance from the station, and of course, I went to the wrong exit, causing me to head directly in the opposite direction – with all my luggage, of course (around 20kg). Also, it was preeeetty hot and humid = no pleasure! Why I didn’t take a tram or the subway? Erhm… because I like to go on foot :b

Anyways, after finally getting on track, I arrived at the hostel after about… 2 hours? Yes, 2 hours with all my luggage (that’s my big backpack plus smaller one. 25kg all in all, maybe?) Wnough whining, I left my stuff at the hostel and went for a stroll in the city, eating okonomiyaki (Google it) and taking pictures of the night life. There’s not much to see in Hiroshima, really. Went to the Hiroshima castle (reconstruction; it was blown up with the A-bomb). Pretty, but nothing I couldn’t have lived without seeing.
I didn’t really do much because it was a little rainy, so I did my laundry (didn’t do that in Fukuoka after all…)

On my day of leaving the hostel in Hiroshima, I went to a small island south-west of Hiroshima, called Miyajima, among the top 3 sights in Japan. It was very, very pretty! Climbed Mt. Misen, a 3,4km long route of climbing stairs. Yes, it was long, but I was too stubborn to quit, so I went all the way; I met ONE other person.
All over the island, free (and rather domestic) deers run around. The Taiwanese from the hostel told me how one of them had chased her because she had an ice cream ^^ Sounds like something a certain four, rather clumsy and indeed very curious creatures at home would do!

Ok, so I don’t have a lot of experiences to share, so I’ll just show you some pics.

Packed up and ready to leave Hiroshima for Miyajima!

On the ferry for Miyajima

Arrived on the island – took this pic just to show you how relaxed the deers are…

HEST wanted his picture taken with one.
 

Danish BUKO cheese momiji manju! (Baked soft waffle-ish cakes with fillings; custard cream, anko (sweet bean paste), cheese or chestnut are typical).

Miyajima has the World’s biggest spatula – and I have no idea why!

Heading for the torii, which Miyajima is famous for

The torii! The water was (fairly) low when I got there, but when the high tide comes, the torii stands in the middle of the sea.

This deer was eating the bicycle, which strangely reminded me of a a few similar creatures at home… they can’t leave bikes alone either. In fact, they can’t leave anything alone.

This thing’s pretty big…

The red-white houses also become “floating” like the torii when the tide arrives.

Old horse booth?

This very much reminded me of my major school project, SRP. The pagoda!

Ok, first was the temple, Senjyo-kaku

Read for yourself

Pretty big

The pagoda! Seeing this made me think of how many times a year, and how long it takes to paint that thing! And all the other things… but then again, there’s probably like 100 people to take care of it.

A TANUKI! It’s a strange mix between a raccoon and a dog/fox-ish. I just managed to get a picture of it, before it ran off. My first time seeing one!

This – is strange. It’s candy drops, but the flavours are not fruit, not caramel, not mint or whatever; no, it’s friggin sushi, eel, okonomiyaki and oyster! No, I didn’t buy any, and I kinda regret that now…

I went on a hike to the top of Mt. Misen!

Deeeeeerrrsss…

Thought the deers would be in the background, but no; so it’s just HEST and I.

WTF? Kingler! – Ok, just a land crab.

A beautiful walk ^^

Hard path? –Oh yeah, bring it on!

Met a deer on the way – one with horns!

Pretty pretty!

Okaaaay, so that was 800 metres… this could get long.

It was long… 3.4 km of stairs! I was too stubborn to turn around though…
 

I got BORED BIG TIME, and then finally; could it be???

YES! I was just aboue there!

I’ll let the picture speak for itself.

No idea what it says, but if you wonder why I take pictures of signs like these, it’s because I want to look back at them in a few years, and then hopefully be able to get some meaning out of them ^^

THE top of Mt. Misen!

The walk down was a little more civilized. Didn’t take me long to get to the foot of the mountain.
 

… and I then encountered a temple.

Yes; I DID think twice… but decided to climb the stairs to take a look.

A Buddha-man!

Read and you shall know

I guess monks like TV as well…

I liked this sign; first off, it’s a proof of how bad the Japanese are at English, and second, what is says is just funny!

The torii with the high tide

Oysters are famous here, so I felt obligated to try one…

I can now say that I tried… also that I won’t try again. It wasn’t bad, but I’m not a fan either. Texture was globby, and it tasted like sea water… but I guess that’s to be expected

Will probs turn into a giraffe some day.

I waved Miyajima off, and then I spotted something a friend of mine has requested that I had: Taiyaki! Pretty much a waffle/pancake-ish thing filled with sweet bean paste. Was pretty good.

 

Right oh, that’s it for now!