HIROSHIMA – MIYAJIMA ISLAND

Check in complete we are advised by the non-english speaking receptionist to walk down to the tram and take it to the ferry port, for a 15 min boat road to Miyajima Island, the sacred place for one of Japan’s oldest shrines. Within minutes I’ve developed a blister, so we hunt around for a shop to buy a pair of socks and I’m now sporting a particularly unattractive ankle sock, in non-flattering grey with a lilac frill (because PC turned up his nose at the $16 pair in the Adidas shop). Find tram to destination. We have arrived fairly late in the day, so are keen to get to the island sometime this century, which we now realise is most unlikely on this mode of transport. It’s like a sardine can, filled to the brim. We are sitting backwards and can’t see anything plus, it is an ‘all stops’ number. Being once again ever so grateful that someone invented Google, I deduce that from our current position (stationary, because the driver has to take the money, count the tickets, and then sort the money before moving on at snail’s pace to the next stop) we would take approximately 1.7 hours to complete our journey to the ferry port. No brainer. We have to get off this baby, so jump ship and head to the train station. 30 mins later we find the ferry and board in time to have a couple of hours of sunlight and see this beautiful place.

Depending on the tides, one can walk out to the shrine or if high tide, view it from the shore. The island boasts a huge market place full of restaurants and bars and souvenir shops but most famously is the huge oysters cooked in their shell on open coals, which are served with any number of sauces and flavours. Great with beer. Gorgeous sake shops, restaurants and even an ‘owl’ café – lots of bambies running around – all up, very impressive and worth seeing. Back to hotel (sans tram ride) for hot showers and a bottle of cold white giving us renewed energy to find a place for dinner. Not that easy in a city with little English, but we managed to find a ‘do it yourself’ bbq joint (literally underground) with little gas burners on the tables and a selection of fine ingredients.

No disasters today. Only one hiccup up with the trains. Off to a flying start I feel.Read more