Japan: 15th Sep 2015

Today we had to pack yet another overnight bag. Had breakfast, checked out, then the coach took us to the A-Bomb Memorial Peace Park, starting from the A-Bomb Dome. It was originally a large concrete building but the blast stripped the outer walls and layers only leaving part of the inner concrete structure and dome shape intact.
We next visited the site where the bomb was dropped, learning that the explosion happened in the sky before it hit the ground.

Back at the dome building, a genetic survivor was there to explain about everything. He said things which the Japanese government would refuse to explain about at the museum down the road. Things like how there was no need to drop the bomb because Japan was about to pull out the war anyway, and how America dropped them anyway to test the devastation and to show Russia its military might. Also he explained how the dead were stripped of their innards for lab testing.

We visited the main Peace Park where a Buddhism peace march was taking place, then we entered the museum. It was very moving. There was exhibits of things like glass bottles and tiles partly moulded together. There was also part of flooring that left a shadow of the person sitting on it during the explosion. There was also a sheeting with evidence of the 'black rain' that happened directly afterwards (super heated ground water evaporated and caused it to rain black soot).

We next visited a garden which had turtles and Koi Carp. There was a married couple there for photos with the bride in a yellow kimono.

Then we had lunch near our hotel last night. I had pork noodles.

We visited Hiroshima castle. The explosion flattened it so it was rebuilt over the original rock foundations. I tried on a samurai outfit here. lol

I fell asleep on the way to the ferry. We had to catch a 10min ferry ride to Miyajima Island. We are staying in a very very traditional styled hotel called Iwaso, with tatami mats, sleeping in Futons and even a decent onsen on the basement floor. I was showed to my room on the 4th floor. Once in I had a good look around then only 5mins later entered a beautiful Japanese waitress wearing a very traditional kimono uniform. She was quite a shy girl. In the sweetest way she invited me to sit with her at the low table in the middle of the room so as to present me with green tea, a sweet bean cake and my Yukata robe. She also presented a drinks menu and tried her best to ask me what drink I would like for dinner (I chose one of the best small bottles of Sake available). She couldn't speak a word of English so I had to use my Japanese, even having to resort to my phone for the Japanese dictionary app which helped. It was an unexpected and bizarre thing, having a girl in my room. I think we were both shy. :s

I visited the onsen. It was amazing though not quite as cool as the one at Hakone. I talked to an Italian guy on holiday, then two guys from my group joined me. Apparently the waitresses went into all the other rooms and helped dress them into their Yukatas.

I was called for dinner. It was in a large traditional tatami mat room usually catering for weddings.
We got the full service expected for such traditional settings. We even dressed up in our Yukatas which worked well for the photo shoot afterwards.

After dinner we explored the town. The night I spent at the bar in Tokyo with that guy named John, I was recommended by a tourist to visit the Bar Bambino here on Miyajima Island. When walking around tonight I found it and had a few drinks here. Nobody could speak a word of English but I persevered and used my app to get key words. I witnessed an older guy hitting on a girl my age. That was funny. I stayed until closing time around 1am then walked back.