JAPAN VACATION - NIGHT OUT IN HIROSHIMA

NIGHT OUT IN HIROSHIMA

After a day of being entirely fulfilled at Miyajima I finally arrived at my hostel in Hiroshima. And was greeted with… a party!

My hostel was celebrating its 4^th anniversary that night.

Fiesta! 

They had large spread of Mexican food, including, taco-seasoned beef, cheese, lettuce, sour cream, jarred jalapenos, homemade torillas (that the Japanese hostesses were home-making) and GUACAMOLE. I apologize for cursing: but they fucking had guacamole!

They also had several bottles of liquor. Needless to say. I picked the right hostel and the right night, for my one night’s stay in Hiroshima.

It was at that moment, that it had occurred to me that I had not really eaten at all that day. I must have pigged out on maybe 5-6 fully stacked tacos.

Once I pried myself from the foot table, I quickly met some people at the party. I met a British surgeon named Marcus and we quickly connected. One of the hostesses was a Japanese girl named Saori. Saori had studied English in Great Britain and spoke in a high and highly feminine voice. I also met a guy in the American military named Karsten. Karsten was from New Mexico and had been stationed in Japan, doing computer work for the last 2 years. Over this time Karsten had acquired an impressive amount of Japanese language and cultural skills. Karsten was looking to finish the military soon to promptly take hold of his dream to pursue comedy in Chicago.

Pictured (l-r): Marcus, Saori and Me

The party at the hostel continued on. We played a drinking game where you stab a toy pirate with little toy swords. The correct slot would force the pirate to spring upward causing the stabber to drink. This hostel party also had people from all different ages and countries making it quite unique. Some of the older guys could really throw down.

You lose!

After all the liquor was gone, our hostel hosts and hostesses took us into downtown to a music bar that had a few hundred CDs for music requests. 

I requested lots of Prince and we partied and danced into the night. I will hold a special memory of go-go dancing with Saori to Jet’s  “ Are you going to be my girl“ as she wildly whipped her hair in the smoky, wood-paneled, upstairs Hiroshima barroom.

Looking for a change of scenery Karsten, Marcus and I left the bar and went out to see what else there was to see in the Hiroshima night. At this time I’ll note it was a Monday night.

We walked around the streets, drinking juiceboxes of sake. Karsten used his impressive Japanese language and courtesy to try to find places to go.

Karsten working his magic.
Marcus: This guy looks like he knows places
(it later turned out he was missing teeth)

 We ended up at a few places, but none of them proved to be that exciting. 

Pictures (l-r): Marcus and Me

At the end of the night I was content calling it one of “my best worst nights.” Worst in that it was the kind of night where you spend a lot of time walking around but with little to no payoff (if this was in my hometown it would have been a terrible night.) But it was a best in we three strangers, now turned friends, got to walk around a new and foreign city, just hanging out, sharing inappropriate stories and drinking in the streets as we strolled through the downtown  streets of Hiroshima hashing out our plans for the following day. 

Street Haircut

 

JAPAN VACATION - HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA

JAPAN VACATION - HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA

I arrived in Hiroshima in the early afternoon. I did a quick ride of the city to get to the information center to make my arrangements to travel to Miyajima for a day trip. My plan was to do Miyajima that day, and do Hiroshima, and the Atomic Bomb museum and Memorial Park the following half-day before having to get back to Fukuoka.

From the train station I rode along and over Hiroshima’s two rivers. They have an excellent bike trail system, many beautiful parks, and as a city, it is relatively small. Maybe 2 miles from one end of town to the other.

To get to Miyajima, I bought a pass that would allow me unlimited rides on the streetcar, ferry and sky-cable car for about $25. I took the hour-long streetcar to the outskirts of town.

At the end of the line, I caught the ferry that would take me to Miyajima.

Miyajima

Miyajima is an island home to a vast history of historical relics and buildings, both Shinto and Buddhist.

The most famous of which is the O-torii Gate, also known as the Floating Gate.

It is also home to freely roaming deer who have no qualms coming up to you and eating your belongings.

Itsukushima Shrine

The original Itsukushima Shrine was built in 593, then later rebuilt in 1168 on the same scale that it exists today. It has a 280 long corridor and more than 20 buildings.

Taken from the brochure: “Miyajima has been worshipped as a divine island since ancient times… The contrast of the blue sea, green hills and the vivid vermillion-lacquered shrine is breathtakingly beautiful.”

I walked around Miyajima taking in several sites as I made my way to the sky-cable car.

Daishoin Temple

On my way to the sky-cable car I visitedDaishoin Temple. Very soon afterward my camera died. I found an outlet to charge my camera and took the 30 or so minutes to allow myself to be completely engaged, mindful and present in the moment. Completely present in what I was thinking. In what I was feeling. In the dark cavernous temple, illuminated by 1000 overhanging electric candles, I ran my hand over the bumpy nuances of the steel railing as I silently strolled through the dark temple hall, filled by the flickering low light. In yoga, we are often told to be “present.” Not having a camera was a gift. It allowed me to be present, aware and fully allowed me to be in the moment; entirely mindful of my peaceful emotion and my calm, beautiful, and mystical surroundings.

Sky Cable Car

The Sky Cable Car gave me an amazing view of the inland Sea.

As I made my way back to the ferry terminal. I visited the O-torii Gate to take a few photos at sunset.

On the ferry back I was filled with the natural high that accompanies a genuine thrill. The reality of my solo adventure had sunk in. Seaward bound with the cool night wind on my face, I thought back to the heartbreak that had brought me to Asia initially, and couldn't help but feel a certain a ambivalence to it. Here I was in Japan riding a boat, bound back to Hiroshima, with a night full of discovery and boundless opportunity awaiting me. I could only smile as I thought: I am truly living my life.