Hiroshima Trip Day Two

Day 2/3 on the Hiroshima trip! Alex and I headed over to Miyajima 宮島 which means "shrine island". The biggest attraction is Itsukashima, the large gate that you can only reach during low tide! Pretty cool. We arrived at the island and were greeted by many deer casually walking amongst the tourists. I watched quite a few of them steal some snacks from unsuspecting children.

Since we arrived at high tide, Alex and I decided to make our way up past a large Buddhist temple (Daisho-in) to a hiking trail. As soon as we got past the temple, the amount of tourists dropped dramatically. On our way to the summit if Mount Misen, we were greeted by a Japanese badger. We had a little bit of a standoff on the steps before he finally decided to let us pass.

The way up the mountain was fairly strenuous, and was almost all carven stone steps. I had never done a hike like that before. We passed numerous small shrines on the way up. Thankfully the trees provided adequate shade and the temperature was practically perfect for hiking.

After about two hours we made it to the top which rewarded us with a lovely 360 view from the top of the island. At the peak we ate lunch, which we had packed from a Lawson's convenience store earlier. We made our way back down, stopping at another small collection of shrine buildings and checking out a small waterfall, but unfortunately the view was rather obscured.

We made it to the bottom at the perfect time of day to go out and see Itsukuahima first hand. Standing below it, I realized how impressive the structure was. Afterwards we meandered down a market street, tried some momiji (maple leaf cakes), and grabbed lunch at a teishoukyu (set meal restaurant). Exhausted from our hike we took the ferry back to the mainland, then the JR train to Hiroshima station, and finally the cable car before walking the final stretch to our hostel.

We crashed for a bit, I worked on my website, and then Alex and I went out for some late night gyoza which hit the spot. One more post incoming regarding this trip!