Japan: 14th Sep 2015

I had breakfast and checked out. The hotel was smaller than the others so far.

We visited the main central garden of Kanazawa which was pretty but nothing compared with english gardens like Sheffield Park. We had to walk on the paths at all times because the floor of this garden wasn't grass but rather moss instead. We spent an hour or so here. There was a time when a Kite got very close to us when sweeping the skies above.

After that we next visited the samurai quarter of Kanazawa. It was slightly different from the streets we have visited before but there is a sameness about these places that is wearing thin on me now. We looked around a samurai house but to be honest myself and two others from the group just stayed on the terrace looking out to the water garden just below our feet. That was nice.

Next we headed to the train station to explore and have lunch. Right now I'm typing about today sitting in a nice restaurant having eaten a Japanese chicken curry. It was really good. I think they call the sauce Katsu.

We travelled south to Osaka via a fast train named the Thunderbird. Lol. We then swapped platforms quickly for a Shinkansen fast train to Hiroshima. I was annoyed this bullet train went underground near Nishinomiya City where The Melencholly of Haruhi Suzumiya is set. As for Okayama where Tenchi Muyo is set, it was all built up. Bah!

We got to Hiroshima and was taken to the hotel by coach. We are in Rihga Hotel. We were allowed only 10mins to get to our rooms and sort ourselves out. Our suit cases were already inside upon arrival.

Yumi our guide took us to her favourite restaurant just 1 min away from the hotel on the 7th floor of the building next door. they were cooking on a massive hot table right in front of the counter. Heath and Safety would have a thing to say about this in the UK. However the pancake type things they served us were great. Shame beer is so expensive. Its something like £6 for a pint! :/

After that Yumi told us about our hotels swanky sky bar, so the majority of us went to the 33rd(?) floor to hang out. They wanted us to pay a fee just to be able to drink up there, but when we started heading down they came back to us and allowed us in without having to pay it. quite right too. The views of Hiroshima are great! The hotel is apparently very near to where the atom bomb hit, but we will learn about all that tomorrow.