When I think of photos of Hiroshima I think of one particular building. That building still exists and is referred to as the A-Bomb dome. A nice park has been built next to it in remembrance of the explosion and for the 140,000 people who died as a result. It's sobering to say the least. I spent all afternoon in the park and toured the museum and park monuments. Whenever I visit places likes this I feel as though I am paying my respects to humanity.
Although you can read about atrocities in history books when you actually visit sites where they took place it takes on different meaning and feels a lot more real. In war the innocent suffer the most. They become victims of the few in power who hold all the cards. So senseless.
Today Hiroshima flourishes with barely a hint of what happened outside of Peace Memorial Park. The radiation is long gone. There’s an industrious pace to the city with a cool vibe but with an after the storm kind of calm. It’s kind of hard to describe but I sense it.
In the evening I walked along the streets and alley ways that host numerous small hole in the wall restaurants and bars. They are all over the place. Japan lacks a street side café atmosphere but makes up for it with quirky hidden hovels set up in assorted themes. You can literally get lost for the evening on some floor of some building singing karaoke, or, drinking in an art themed Americana Japanese interpreted bar with odd music. I noticed one bar decorated with plastic beer glasses full ‘o foam atop like an ice cream cone. It’s all refreshingly bizarre and most enjoyed in the company of someone you can speak English with. Traveling solo as I am is not the best way to go for Japanese night life. Conversation is not easy. However, I can’t say I’ve been getting out much in the evening anyway. In reality, I’m simply too tired from walking around all day.
Of course you can’t visit Hiroshima without having its signature dish, Okonomiyaki. It's made with a thin crepe pancake that’s piled high with noodles, cabbage, bean sprouts, meat, egg and signature sauce. I ordered the “All” which included squid, shrimp, and pork. It’s cooked on a counter stove for all to see. I passed on sitting at the counter as it was kind of hot. Anyway, It’s all cooked down like pie with a pancake bottom filled with foodstuffs and egg on top. Sauce and chopped green onions are added to top it off even more. It turns out to be a lot of food and is best eaten with beer. The taste? Pretty good and definitely unique. I could go for another but I won’t fall asleep dreaming about it.
This morning it was a toss-up as to what I wanted to do. There was a hike that required some bus travel for the day or the opportunity to visit another park and museums. I opted for the hike and visited Sandan Gorge. It proved to be a nice stroll through a narrow valley gorge full of rocky grottos and emerald pools. It's very nice, peaceful, and green.
Tomorrow I will hop bus to Kyoto. I’ve booked a room in a Japanese Ryokan for my remaining time in Japan. Kyoto is said to be the most Japanese of all Japanese cities so no more business hotels. After five nights in Kyoto I’ll take the bullet train back to the Tokyo Airport for my flight home.
No comments:
Post a Comment