Autumn Holdiay in Japan - Part II

After Mt Aso, I dropped by Fukuoka for a quick tour. Did not go anywhere spectacular but managed to get my way to one of the streets (Nakasu) lined with Yat Tais, where I managed to order something with my lousy Japanese at one of the Ya Tai. The friendly couple tending the stall started rambling off and tried to make small talk with me in Japanese. I could only reply “wakarimsen… watashi wa shingaporu jin desu”. So embarrassing…

After two days away in Kyushu, I can finally return back “home” and basked in the comfort of Sevenspell’s wonderful company. Having not seen her for two nights, I couldn’t stop yaking till I was totally exhausted.

Day 5 – Hiroshima
First stop was made at the peace memorial park. Once I got off the tram, the Gembaku Domu (A-Bomb Dome) caught my attention. As I observed the melted concrete structure, something gripped me deep in my heart. Vision went blurred for a second by the overly moistened eyes. Strangely, it still looked depressingly grand although it was ruined to its skeletal-form.

Strolling further down the park, across a bridge was the Children’s Peace Monument surrounded by thousands of paper cranes inspired by a young leukaemia victim, Sadako. Groups of children surrounded the Monument and sang a nice little song before they form little lines to present their paper cranes to the clear display box flanking the monument. Across the road was the Flame of peace. Right at the other end is cenotape that forms a frame round the Flame of Peace, and the A-Bomb Dome across the river. Amazing~ I did not realized this until I review the picture I took. It was said that the Flame of Peace will only be extinguished when the last nuclear weapon has been destroyed. Let’s pray that the evil by mankind will not be repeated again, whether or not the last nuclear weapon on earth has been destroyed.

Check out the A-Bomb Dome in the background!

After that, I made my way to the widely-acclaimed spot claimed as (one of the three) best view of Japan, the floating torii of Itsukushima (Miyajima) jinja. He he…, this is the second one I have seen after Amanohashidate on the Northern coast of Kyoto prefecture. Two down, I’m left with islands of Matsushima near Sendai, Northern Honshu!

It's low tide! So I could actually go very near to the "floating gate"!

I took a ropeway to the peak of Mt Misen. It was beautiful but it’s a pity the skies were cloudy; else I bet the scenery would have been even more stunning. While I was admiring the beauty at the top of Mt Misen, a loner “hit” on me and asked to walk around Miyajima together. After Mt Misen, I can’t wait to get back to Kobe to meet Sevenspell for dinner! I went to change my reserve ticket to the earliest ride back once I hit the nearest JR station.

The ride home seems longer than usual as I think of my favouriteTaro ramen that I would be having later.