oh, the games

Miyajima - at sea level

At the bottom of a previous post about Hiroshima, I pointed to a picture from the castle keep looking over the rooftops of Hiroshima, and into the distance to the SouthWest. The mountains on the horizon were the twin peaks of the island Miyajima. It is our next destination.


We took an early train to the Miyajima ferry. It is on the water; it was cloudy and the wind was blowing rather briskly. And it was a COLD morning in May. Ryan, who didn't bring a jacket on the trip was just a little uncomfortable until it warmed up about an hour after we reached Miyajima. As we waited for the ferry, this crane posed for me, and moved just one instant before I could take his picture. He was teasing me.

However, I captured him on his fly-by, with a Miyajima ferry in the background.
This temple opposite the island glowed against the mountain when the sun shone upon it.


It is a very beautiful little island.

Looking back toward Hiroshima from the ferry, you can see the seaweed cultivating platforms in the bay.

This orange Tori (gate) is probably one of the most photographed things in Japan. I caught it quite a few times, myself.
A better view of the peaks of Miyajima. In a couple hours from the ferry ride, we will be on top, looking down.

Ryan works his charm, taming the man-eating deer to the delight of some Japanese boys.
You can find the Tori for sale in many shops on the island.
This traditional statue of a bear has been provided gifts of a cigarette between his lips and a beer at his feet.
Like any tourist trap.. err.. I mean vacation destination, Miyajima has its share of junk... err.. I mean souvenir shops. Rebecca and Matt are wisely staying out of them for the moment.



The Tori again.

Just like Cowbell, you cant get enough Tori.

I've got the fever for more Tori. Ryan provides the excuse for another shot.

What? What we need is more Tori.




Everybody Tori now...
Ok, this is not Tori.


At high tide, this bridge and the walkway above it are over about 3 or 4 feet of water. The tide was receding when we arrived.

It really is a pretty place.

Hiroshiima - the dome park

Hiroshima is a shrine to itself, and its suffering the first attack with an atomic weapon. This famous dome is the Hiroshima Gembaku Dome, and remains a witness to the destruction of the city during the "Pacific War."










Approximately 1500 feet above this spot, the first atomic weapon used in war was detonated. The blast effects from this graveyard helped identify the epicenter by angle of the burn into the stone.

A plaque at the spot of the epicenter tells some history.






At the Peace Museum, the younguns read about the history.









A section of the park was dedicated to a little girl who died of leukemia some years after the war. Her name was Sadako, and she was told that if she made a thousand paper cranes, she could be cured. She died before making the cranes.






These are parts of a bridge that survived the atomic explosion.




The river is home to all kinds of turtles, birds and fish today.