Tokyo to Hiroshima

Left Tokyo after a fantastic night with Koichi and Nao who took us to a Teppinaki place near where they live. Called in to some crazy Italian bar on the way home for a night cap where the owners treated us like gold. Red wine and blue cheese platter, surrounded by a decor that would have been more at home as a Swedish Copper Art shop. Today we made our way to Hiroshima. Not without the normal hiccup or two managing the trains - but, we are getting better. In a five hour run, we managed only to get on the wrong train once. It just happened to be the ONLY train that the JR Pass doesn't cover - the Super Train they call it. Magnificent. Paul wanted to stay on it until we were thrown off but being a typical Virgo and 'always doing the right thing' I elected for us to jump ship at the next station and wait for the train we were meant to get on. So along it comes, 30 mins or so behind the Super space shuttle version and she's as full as a goog. Seriously. Jammed to the hilt. We had to stand in the entrance along with 6 others and our suitcases. For supposedly a 3 hour trip before we changed trains.

We devised a plan: we would get off at the next stop, and wait for the 10.08 (not peak hour) and reserve two seat on it. Well, luckily, the next stop (an hour into the journey) half the carriage departed and we able to sit the rest of the journey to Hiroshima. Now I hate to point this out, but if PC had followed my very strict and totally worked out 'how to catch the right train in Japan' procedure, none of this would have happened. So, new rule - no arguing - just let me do the train thing (Ms Cathy P, your words of wisdom from our last trip here keep me on the straight and narrow - if they say the train leaves at 9.08am - they MEAN it leaves at 9.08am!!). Hiroshima here we come.Lue lisää