Hiroshima yesterday was emotionally very draining.
The city itself is quite impressive with a beautiful river running through it which makes it very pretty by the banks.Its only a short tram trip from the main station to the A Bomb Dome which is a feature of the city - it is just about near ground zero and is the only building in the area which still stood ( albeit in ruins ) after the drop of the bomb when everything around it was shredded and turned to ash. Here the whole area tingled with spirits and strange energies.
Hubby camera refused to work on two occasions and I felt quite sick throughout the whole afternoon - like I was burning from the inside.
We walked through the Peace Park quietly looking at all the monuments dedicated to all the children that lost their lives and also we rang the Peace Bell which seems to be rung constantly by all the visitors to the Park. There is also another shrine on the other side of the road where people are encouraged to bring their 1000 paper cranes and add them the the growing collection that are also dedicated to world peace - beautiful.
The Hiroshima Museum is very moving. It has pictures of Hiroshima before and after with a story about the day. It has pictures of survivors and stories about families that dedicated shredded clothing of the children that perished during or just after the bomb from horrific burns.
It also tells of the reasons to why the bombing went ahead and how the plans were set out for which city would be picked for the drop.
Enough to make any sane person sick to the stomach!
We went back to Kyoto after a very intense morning and then we went back to Gion for a street called "Shimbashi street", the most beautiful street in Asia - unfortunately we were very late and very tired and also we were directed to the "ugly" end of Shimbashi street ( apparently it is quite long ) and very disheartened as this was our second attempt to find it - we went back to the Hotel.
Today we are back in Tokyo after showering and washing clothes we headed out to Harajuku street where all the real trendy geeks gather in their droves in theirr uber trendy ( and sometimes quite freaky ) clothing.
Did I feel a bit old and country bumpkinish?
That would be an understatement!
These Tokyoites go beyond the beyond when it comes to the height of fashion.
When we got there we really did not seem to see much of a crowd....but we weren't on the happening street were we?
Just another turn and corner and then....wow......five bazillion people down this little alley way totally dedicated to fashion.
Hubby was bored within about half a minute - so we tried to bribe him with a creper filled with strawberries and cream but that worked for about 15 minutes.
Then we decided that I would bring little girl her tomorrow on our own and he would go look at "man stuff" on his own tomorrow.
We then went to Shibuya to find food which is hard when baby girl wont eat much of anything......so we would find something ( finally ) then realise it was full of smokers ( uhg!!!) and have to leave.
FInally we spotted a little hole in the wall serving ramen noodles and we ordered from the machine ( as you do in some of these places ). The order was shouted to the chef out the back and we sat down along this really long table.
Out came the BIGGEST HUGEST bowls of noodles and broth you have ever seen in your life.
We could all have actually just eaten from one and been quite full - it was just too much, but it was soooooo good that we had to try to get through it.
Then we gurgled and woobled back via the subway back to our Hotel.
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Sticks and Stones may break my bones.....