hiroshima

japan is the goofiest country on earth. i got that sense right from the moment i stepped out onto the street for the first time. i can't really put my finger on it, but everything you see there just seems kind of funny. that said, i was really excited to explore the country. the first day, i just took a nap, talked to some people in the common room and made use of the guitar they had there. i'm still determined to get back into it and i try to use the opportunity whenever a hostel has one laying around.

the next day, i rented a cheap bike from the hostel and drove two hours to a nearby cultural heritage island, getting a good sunburn in on the way. after a bit of trouble with finding an atm, i took a ferry over expecting not much more than some nice nature with one or two shinto shrines dotted throughout, but it turned out to be one of the coolest places i would come to visit in japan with pristine historical building complexes, great scenery and most of all, hundreds of deer just strolling about getting food in return for pets.

it took a while to get to this point, so i only had about an hour to sunset, but i made the best of it, getting away from the crowds way and into the hillside, where i took a walk and got some great pics before returning to the mainland.

back on my bicycle on the way home, i even encountered the local fixie bike scene. seeing how extremely obedient the japanese are with traffic laws, especially crosswalks, it was cool to see at least this one guy swerving through the traffic. i kept up with him for a while, but then my handlebar practically fell off.

if it weren't for the time pressure, i probably would've stayed a day or two longer, but i was already out the door the next morning to hitch a ride on the highway.Читать далее