Last night we had another lovely dinner with our new friend Tomoko. We bid her farewell then got back to our hotel where we prepared our luggage to be shipped to Tokyo while we set off on an adventure to two different towns. One thing I have to say about this trip is that the hotels have been fantastic. The Thousand in Kyoto has been especially nice in that the staff seemed more proficient in English, the hotel is conveniently located near the Kyoto Station, and the facility was beautiful. In addition to the room being superior check out the staircase leading from the first to second level. It puts on quite a show at night.
After breakfast we caught the 8:03 train to Hiroshima. We have come to depend on the agents at the train stations. We typically think we are going to the correct train track but we fear putting our ticket in the machine and then finding out we’ve made an error. To avoid this complication we check with the agents and they confirm that we are at the right spot. With that reassurance we are on our way. The agents have been incredibly helpful in spite of not speaking much English. A point of the hand can go a long way.
Today we set out to go to Miyajima (also known as Itsukushima). To access this area you take a train to Hiroshima and then a ferry to Miyajima island. It is known for a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Floating Torii Gate. See below.
Soon after arrival at the island we used the “What 3 Words” app to locate the hotel. We were not previously aware of this app but our tour company let us know about it. According to the App’s instructions every 3 meter square on Earth has been identified by 3 words. For example The White House is identified by “goods.enjoyable.loft”. My office is located at “foster.knots.applied”. I have no idea how these locations are assigned these 3 word addresses but it can come in very handy when the address you are looking for is very difficult to understand (e.g. the majority of addresses we have tried to find in this country). We used the hotel’s W3W location and found it with Google maps. We first tried to locate the hotel using Google maps but without success. We then asked W3W to find the hotel on Google maps and then we were on our way. We were enjoying the walk looking at all sorts of shops when Google said, “Look Around” and sure enough we were at the hotel.
We left our bags at the hotel (too early to check in) and decided to go on a discovery tour. As I said before we saw lots of souvenir shops and places to eat. We also stopped into the tourist information center. The guide there was very nice but if he spoke any English it was well hidden. Patrice asked about where we could fine okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) in town. He seemed to understand but his ability to explain how to find the restaurant was limited. So he just left the tourist bureau and took us about 75 yards to the restaurant. Again I am amazed by the kindness of these people.
We ventured on to the Rope Roadway which is a cable car that takes you to the top of Mt. Misen. This is the highest peak on the island and it is 1755 feet high. There is a free shuttle that brings you up to the starting point of the cable car. We saw a bunch of young people lined up waiting for the shuttle. Rather than waiting, I said to Patrice let’s just walk. At first we weren’t sure we were going the right way but then we saw this sign.
We reached the start of the ropeway and boarded one of the cable cars. The views of the forestry, water, Hiroshima were spectacular. (Patrice here again. I don’t know what views he is talking about. As you probably remember from previous posts he is terrified of heights. This was his view the entire trip to the mountain top (see below).
We then returned to the hotel to check in. This is another superb hotel. It seems to be a little boutique ryokan on the island. It has a public bath (onsen) that is not as ornate as the one we had in Hakone but still very relaxing.
After the bath it was time for dinner. We took the elevator to the dining room and another guest joined us. I let him enter the elevator first and he said thank you. I tried to impress him with my Japanese and said, “Oishi”. He smiled and after he exited the elevator Patrice said, “Do you realize you just said delicious?” Oops. Maybe I am clairvoyant and I was thinking of the dinner to come. Breakfast and dinner are included in the stay and tonight’s food was fantastic. Not only was the food excellent the number of courses was embarrassing. Sit back and relax. You are not going to believe what is to follow.
Are you exhausted? I am, see you tomorrow.
Robert Reiss Travel Blog and Other Ramblings 