Hiroshima

This was our day to visit Hiroshima. The excursion began with a visit to the Shukkein Garden. It's a large, traditional Japanese garden built around a pond which contains carp and turtles, symbols of longevity in Japan. There are several pagodas around the pond and a lovely series of pathways to follow. Although we were too late for the cherry blossoms, there were a few plants in bloom. I can imagine how beautiful it would be with most of the plants blooming.

We moved on to the Hiroshima Peace Park and museum. The entrance to the Peace Park is dominated by the Atomic Dome. The dome is what remains of a structure that was very near the hypocentre of the bomb. In the Peace Park there are several memorials to the victims of the bomb and a children's memorial dedicated to peace. It's a large, green area in the midst of a bustling city, but it is sombering to stand where so much devastation took place. Visiting the Atomic bomb museum adds to the dark mood as you see visual records of the destruction.

Dan was temporarily misplaced at the Peace Park. Our guide did not have a transmitter and moved on without giving clear signals. I assumed he was right behind me and didn't notice he was missing. 🤦 Well, all's well that ends well and he joined another tour group from our ship and we were reunited at the museum.Baca selengkapnya