I have been busy since my last entry and there have been ups and downs, mainly as a result of my travel fatigue. I have seen so many amazing places and things that I think that my brain has just stopped computing. I am definitely suffering from temple overload and I have made a conscious decision to just not see any more. It's not fair to the temples. I have stopped appreciating them.I think that I'm ready to stop travelling for a bit and lets things sink in.I'm certainly not complaining because I have had a fabulous time this year and even when I feel a bit out of sorts i remind myself that I am not at work.
So first stop was Hiroshima and while i was waiting to check in to my hotel I did a cheeky little trip down to Miyajima, a small island famous for its shrine gate, which is in the sea and the Itsukushima Shrine. There is nothing wrong with Miyajima at all and it is very very popular, as the number of tourists accompanying me proved but I could just not get enthusiastic. The gate is quite impressive and the ferry ride was fun but I didn't stay long. I hotfooted back to Hiroshima to see the Peace Park and the A Bomb Dome. This was an atmospheric place and there was a sense of silence and peace here, despite the fact that it is in the heart of modern Hiroshima. A decision was made not to redevelop the area after the bomb and the result is a reminder as well as a place of reflection.
 |
| Miyajima |
 |
| The shrine gate at Miyajima |
 |
| The A Bomb Dome Hiroshima |
 |
The A Bomb Dome from the bridge in the Peace Park
|
My next stop was just a couple of hours away in Onomichi, a coastal town on the Seto Inland Sea. It is famous for its Temple Walk and the fact that may writers and film makers have been born here. It is a nice place but when I arrived it was grey and pouring with rain and my temple overload was reaching breaking point so I didn't do the Temple Walk. This decision was actually very liberating. i wandered along the sea front and found nice little bar that served a new dish on me called Hitsumabishi. this was fried eel on a bed of rice that had to be eaten in 3 stages, with 3 different types of ingredients, very Japanese and it was beautifully presented. I really enjioyed this, no tourists and I had just stumbled upon it. I met 2 lovely women who are travelling to London next month and they bought me some oranges, which are apparently grown locally. I finished off my break from tempkes with a trip to the local art house cinema, where I was hoping to see a Japanese film but instead saw 'First Position' a documentary about ballet which was in English. I enjoyed this and it felt quite an apt choice because Sae, the daughter of the lovely family I met in Miyako was a very talented ballerina and she would have loved this film. I rounded off my day here with some delicious sashimi in a nice izakaya but it was a bit boring being on my own here.
 |
| Hitsumabishi |
 |
| My oranges gift |
 |
Onomichi
I left Onomichi early yesterday and got to Kyoto quickly. I did a bit of sightseeing near the station, yet another temple and a small Japanese Garden but I was grumpy and unimpressed ( nothing to do with Kyoto but all to do with my overload) until I got on the train and popped to Tofukoji which despite being a temple, I loved. It was quiet and peaceful, the sun was shining and I got my mojo back.On a high a decided to go to Nara this morning, to see some of the really old shrines and temples they have there....too many people, it is beautiful but I just felt a bit jaded. I did sneak off the main path and saw some quieter area but I am officially 'templed out'. On the plus side I did find a Vietnamese restaurant which served Vietnamese Coffee and this perked me up no end. I also found some quite nice traditional Japanese cloth things. My plan for tomorrow is to go hang out quite close to my hotel where there are a couple of really old, well preserved areas and to find some good places to eat on the river. Forgot to say that last night there was an earth trermor, which was mildly exciting and possibly a bit scary but they happen so often here I was probably the only person who noticed it.
Too laazy to caption photos below. There is one of Kyoto Statio as a contrast to all the old stuff...and lots of Schoolkids on trips-teachers with megaphones!!
|
No comments:
Post a Comment