Hiroshima

My first trip was to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island. According to the online train schedule, the train left at 5:30 AM. So I got up at 4:30 to sower, eat and be there. I was soo tired and not excited to be riding downtown in the dark as the light on my bike just decided to break. It tells you online where to get on and exactly how long to the minute till you arrive and the cost. IT was supposed to cost 4400yen. So I decided to get the 500yen ticket and get on and see what happens. It also was supposed to take 4 hours and 44minutes, and it did. I was about the only one on the train except for a few people who had stayed up all night, mostly young people. When riding to the station there were many young people still on he street being the rebels that they were. Hitting on chicks and cruising the streets on their mopeds. They never say anything to me, probably cuz I would wipe my feet with them. I tried to sleep since it was such a long trip and I was so tired but it is hard. Laying your head against the window and having it rattle is hard. I couldn’t sleep. I was just glad I brought my ipod and had that to listen to. Japanese people can sleep in any situation. Sitting up in their desks at work, standing on the train, or sitting up in their sears on the train. Its nuts. I transferred in Okayama and had 37 min to kill. I wondered around and just wanted to get going on the next train. Finally I arrived in Hiroshima at the main station. I noticed they had ticket takers at each exit so I decided to pay the full fare. Lame I know.


I then got out a map and my compass and set out for my main points of interest. The city seemed quote large, well laid out and very clean and modern. It’s a large city, over 1.5 million I believe. I found a nice green and it said it was worth visiting in my Lonely Planet book so I did. It was pretty but boring by yourself. (Pictures inserted in this blog). I then kept walking and found the Hiroshima castle. This was very weak compared to the Himeji castle in size and grandeur so I wasn’t there long I then saw the big stadium for their professional baseball team, the Hiroshima Carp, and knew that is where the A Dome was. I was lost and asked a lady. She didn’t know so she waved down a car to help. They are always very friendly to help here at last. I finally found the dome and it was pretty impressive. However, it just looks like a dilapidated building. I think you have to realize just what happened to it to understand it. I also found the statue of Sadako and the story of 1000 paper cranes. We were reading it in our classes in English that prior week and was neat t o see. I guess it’s a world famous story of how she would make 1000 cranes to cure her leukemia and kids still make tons of them of place them at the statue. The one thing I forgot and really wanted to see was the museum. I heard it is really gripping and gives you a better sense of the tragedy that took place there.


I then asked how to get to Miyajima Island and someone pointed me to the tram. I got on the tram and sat down and asked "Miyajima"? I got a few head nods so I figured it was right. I had no clue how to pay for this tram as I have never ridden one before so after about 45 minuted on it I did my usual, throw some yen into the exit box and walk right past the lady. Almost to Miyajima....