The hotel we recently switch to had a complementary breakfast. Therefore, we woke up at 6:40ish to grab a bite to eat. I had to say that there were a variety of items to pick from: sausages, scrambled eggs, oniguri (rice balls), salads and fruits to name a few. I definitely had a hearty meal, in which I would be thankful for the rest of our long day.
After breakfast, it was off to our first site: Miyajima. It took a while for we had to transfer trains to get to the station closest to the island. We then boarded a ferry, which took about 10 minutes to get to the island. From there, we headed straight towards the Torii shrine in the middle of the... Bay... (Not sure what it's called). Along the way, we encountered many deer. Unlike Nara though, they seemed to have a liking for paper. Some of us had our maps bitten into!
The Torii shrine was at low tide, so you could see bits of the "dirtied" bottoms of the gate. The shrine next to it wasn't as impressive at low tide as well. =\. It looked totally different than the pictures I saw online.
After walking around for a bit and purchasing some sweets (including Hiroshima Cola --> similar to regular Cola), it was off to Hiroshima to see the Peace Menorial Park. The park was magnificent and eye-opening. We first saw the A-bomb dome after arriving by tram. The ruined building served as a reminder of the destruction war can bring, I would say, to everyone involved. After visiting the dome, we ventured to find the monument that was inspired by Sadako, a girl who was irradiated when she was younger and died from leukaemia. It was very moving to see the statue; the statue of peace for the world. The figure on top holding the crane really hit deep. It was such a mournful, yet inspirational image.
After the statue, we moved to the Cepitaph (I think that's what it's called) for the victims of the war. After a court ole moments, it was time to head to our final destination: Okunoshima.
Okunoshima, or otherwise known as Rabbit Island was quite a distance away from the hustle and bustle of modern Hiroshima. We had to take a ferry as well to reach the island. Upon arriving on the island, we were greeted by many rabbits. I had to say initially that I wasn't really lookin forward into feeding rabbits, or going to the island, but it turned out to be quite enjoyable. The rabbits would swarm around you, kinda like how the deer did in Nara, though they weren't as large or as aggressive.
Some of the rabbits were quite shy, which made it kinda cute when you fed them. Others were aggressive and physically blocked others from getting at the food. Like humans, it seemed like rabbits all have certain traits as well! After a couple hours, we headed straight back to a pier to catch the last boat back to the main island.
And here I am now! It was quite the day with visiting all brand new sites. I never expected the peace park to leave such an impact on me, for it reminded me of the horrors of war. Rest in peace.
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