Having moved nearer to the port, our journey to the international ferry terminal didn’t take long at all.

Reflecting on the micropig experience, I felt very overwhelmed with sadness, it wasn’t the right thing to do. I really shouldn’t have done it it, but it was a learning experience and I won’t ever be tempted again.

Although the ferry to Korea would only take about 6 1/2 hours, we had a bed allocated to us. The rooms held 8 people, roll out futons and bedding. I had shuddered at the thought of doing it for the evening journey, which takes over sixteen hours. But, I felt so tired I went up to the room for a sleep and no one was there. Eventually people did trickle in, but everyone was very respectful of each others space. Although, I was apparenty snoring!

 

We had about 5 pounds of Japanese money left. It paid for chocoltae, two ice creams and crisps. Which kept us going!

We were going to go to the karaoke room, but it wasn’t open once I had woken up. It would have been a great thing to do.

Luckily the journey was very smooth, the passage can be very much otherwise, so I felt relief about that.

Nobody really went out on the deck to see islands as we passed them. or the skyline of Busan as we got nearer. It was still warm outside  but the breeze was gorgeous!

We were certainly taken back as how big Busan is. However, with a population of nearly 3 and half million, it would be pretty big.

Getting the buses to where we were staying was also a breeze, by this point it was getting quite late in the day. So, our ability to navigate Busan’s vast transport system was something to be very proud of.

So, of course, pride comes before a fall, and the next part of our journey was quite stressful. Having reached where we shoud have been staying, we were stood by a deserted piece of land. It crossed our minds that perhaps it hadn’t been built yet, like some 1970s Spanish throwback!

The  problem was that the hotel existed but didn’t exist! We asked people for help,  and everyone went completely out of their way to help. Eventually, an elderly cafe owner, tracked down a young customer who spoke English. He pointed us the right way.

A sky rise of around 20 odd floors, each apartment is owned by different hotels, so the one next to us and opposite are not linked at all to Ciel de Mer, so that caused the issue.

Hooray!!!!! Finally in, we could rest and put our feet up.

But of course that didn’t happen…..The ‘hotel’ was self check in, which meant there was an electronic keypad on the door. We had done this several times in other places and it had been seamless. But because we were tired, everything conspired to confuse us. It didn’t work at all.

We couldn’t ring the number up as our phones wouldn’t let us, Pete eventually went to try and find someone in the building. He found someone who owned a shop, who again was very helpful. She rang  the number and I think had put the fear of good into the person who oversees the hotel here.

At the same moment I managed to open the room, a very stressed Korean woman ran down the corridor, to help.She insisted on carrying all the bags into the room, saying that several customers had,had the same issue that day. I was releived. as I thought I had been stupid or Pete had, it was basically the computer saying no!

This is by far the best place we have stayed so  far, it’s pretty amazing, so  the initial stress of trying to find it etc was soon a distant memory. 

We didn’t have firm plans today but as the day evolved it became one of our favourite ones!

Although that said, relfecting bck at the end of the day from most of our days, they have all felt pretty amazing!

We startednthe day  eating mitarashi dango, we haven’t had many of them on this trip, but when we last came to Jspan they were a staple. They are rice balls covered in a sweet soy glaze, a traditional and very yummy snack!

We knew that we wanted to trave around today, so we got a bus day ticket, which was arund £5.00. So far on this trip we have been on cable cars, normal trains, bullet trains, taxis, the subway, rail bikes, airoplane  and on our feet! So now it was the time for buses!

                

We certainly got our moneys worth!

We still had to walk a bit but no where near as much as would have had to without taking the bus. Came across my namesake pub while walking.

I had a big internal debate  about our first activity, a micro pig cafe. When we last came to Japan, we passed  lots of places that had different types of animal  cafes, all of hwich we based centraally in the busy tourist  areas, that didn’t seem very humane.

However, the micropig cafe was off the beaten track, very low key, so I felt a bit better about it. When we  got there we had to sign a lengthy agreement as to what we could or couldn’t do. We couldn’t pick up the pigs, everything had to be voluntary on their part. There were other health and safety things, all aimed at ensuring the pigs were OK. The staff interacted with them in a really lovely way and seemed to have personal relationships  with them. 

Quiet piped music was playing in the background, and although there were a few people in the room, apart from the music, it was very quiet. 

Initally  the pigs only  sat on Pete, and I have to say I was very jealous. But eventually, there was a pile on of little pigs on top of me and I was so happy. 

I also looked up to see how you can tel if a pig is happy and the little pigs were very happy, displaying their emotions very like dogs. Wagging tails, tummy tickles and little contented grunts. Pigs are  very intelligent, and they can also be trained to use litter trays etc.

The hour went by very quickly, and I got to do something that I had always wanted to.

Pete wanted to go to Ohori park, which was not far from the micropig cafe. We passed a shop and bought picnic food and headed there. Ohori means lake in Japanese, the park was constructed in the 1920s, on the original  site of Fukuoka Castle, which had a moat around it.

On the outskirts of the park were long lines of lotus fields, which are coming to bloom now and were stunning.

We popped into a little museum about the former castle, of which there are a few parts still remaining in tact. It wasn’t very interesting but it was also free, so nothing was really lost.

Having had our picnic, we walked towards the central area of  the park. We passsed lots of tents with BBQs set up, it seems that this is somehting that locals can do on a Sunday, hire a tent with tables etc and the BBQ, it was very lively and looked a great way spend a Sunday.

We also saw quite a few women in traditional dress, but obviously didn’t try to take their photos. They looked beautiful!

There is a large  lake  in the middle of the park, I really had to do a  double take as we could have been in Peasholm Park!!!

So, despite the searing heat we added another transportation mode to our list…the pedalo. I only agreed to do it as long as I could just sit and not cycle, as it would have been a bridge too far for me in the heat. Pete designated me as official photographer! He approached it  with gusto and zipped us round the lake with ease.

I dutifully took lots of photos, as well as the obligatory wave to others passing  by.

Our next stop was the Fukuoka Art Museum, with over 16,000 pieces of art ranging from antiquities to modern art. There was a Hello Kitty exhibition, but as the number of  people waiting was literally in  the hundreds, we gave it  a miss, but not without having a photo opportunity. 

The antiquities were interesting but we were blown away by  the range of modern art in the collection.

This wonderful sumo wrestler was at the entrance of the modern art section, called Nippon Cha Cha Cha, this is apparanetly from the yell that Japanese olmypians shout.

There was Warhol:

Miro:

and so much more….

It was amazing!

Today was also moving day, I had miscalculated how long we were staying  in Fukuoka, so had to book somewhere else, nearer to the ferry terminal.  So, we had to head bac to our hotel and pick up the luggae they had stored for us, I picked  up a big cup of ice from the foyer. Happily munching the ice to cool  down on the way to our next destination.

The place was not easy to find as it was named  after a large exhibiton centre which was nearby. Walking in, asking where we checked in caused a lot of confusion, as at the time they had a massive craft exhibition, and I don’t think they could quite understand why we were there. But as ever, they were very helpful and we went on our way.

The apartment once we had found it was really good, one of the best so far. Very modern, clean and airy.

As we still had the bus pass we went back to  near the centre  to an area called Canal City. on the way we passed the very impressive Kushida Shrine, a very significant historically important landmark in the area.

Canal city is a gigantic shopping and entertainment complex, calling itself a ‘city within a city’. We had never been to anything like this before, it was like the Trafoord Centre x 20.

An artifical canal runs through it, and every thirty minutes bewteen 10.00 and 11.00, there is a light show. When I read about the light show, nothing had prepared me for how spectacular it would be. The fountains reaching up to the sky  with a band, like water fireworks.  

On the fifth floor, it was dedicated to all things ramen, we went to a place called Tomato ramen – which had vegetarian tomato based ramen. I am doing better with chopsticks, but still managed to get quite a lot over me! It was delicious.

So, due to some technical difficulties, I couldn’t finish my post from yesterday. I wanted to say what a great bar it was, how friendly it was and what great music they played. Very chilled and relaxing. We met a lovely Chinese man, and spent most of the evening chatting to him. It was his 24th birthday, his ‘English’ name was Grag, his Chinese nmae was Shang.

He told he was an actor in Shanghai, and that he had just finished as  a lead in the Ibsen play, The lady from the sea.

He was very funny and chatty, and to be honest not what I would have thought someone from China would be. He explained that Shanghai is much freer and relaxed than the rest of China and this was why he liked living there. He give  us his details and asked us to visit if  we ever went there.  He spoke so enthusiasticaly about his home city, that it was quite infectve and we were very interested in China as a destination, than we had ever been before. 

I love this aspect of travel, having your misconceptions and stereotypes smashed. I think Pete may have been a bit tipsy, as we travelled home by taxi, unheard of. The barman walked us down the stairs and shook our hands as we left, we genuinely hadn’t drunk that much!!!!

We had an early start the next day, for a trip to a volcano. It should have been at 9 and then suddenly  it was changed to 7.30am, which seemed very early. That said, it was only a few minutes away for the pick up.

We get some provisions from Lawsons, this is originally an American company from Ohio, but is now a Japanese company. They also have 7 11’s. but they are very similar and just sell basic things.

I am now quite addicted to the egg sandwiche, the Tamago Sando. Japanese sandwiches are called ‘sandos’ and are quite different from sandwiches, due to the bread used having a higher milk and butter content.

The milky/buttery bread is called shokupan, it is much softer and chewier than Western bread, so it is really great with egg mayonnaise – using the tangier Japanese mayonnaise.

Another sandwich I am particularly liking is the peanut butter ones, which are more like peanut cream, stamped with a peanut logo on the bread.

They are all crustless, which is why you dont find many Japanese people with curly hair!

Anyway, enough about sandwiches, which I have never posted as I eat them too quickly! We found Hedy, our guide, she said look for the flag wth Hello Kitty, so it was quite easy. She was nice and by the end we had warmed to her, but she was quite nervous. Most of the other passengers were Chinese, although we did talk for some time with someone who was a medical student from Paris who could speak, fluent English, Spanish, Japanese and some Korean, and obviously French. I am still just operating as a mime artist here!

Hedy spoke at considerable length in Chinese and then when she got to English, she would just say a couple of sentences, read from her phone in a faltering manner, which didn’t give us any clue as  to what we were doing. It was  very much a mystery tour.

Our first stop was at a shrine. I can quite honestly say, I have no idea what it was called, not where it was exactly, beyond the fact is some way away from where we set off. 

So… we have to go up an unfeasible incline to a shrine, that had no information anywhere about, that we had been told nothing about and had no idea of it’s relevance. I sweated up the 80  steps in the heat, thinking that it would be some golden shrine, which was unique in the area. It wasn’t and I don’t know why we went there, but it was free!!

A highlight was stopping at some rather swish services.

This is the Kumamon bear mascot for the region, created in 2010 to boost tourism. Akthough there are wild bears in Japan , there are none in this region, which was a bit disappointing, as the woodland was so dense, I fully expected to see one.

On route to the next place, which I can say with hand on heart, I had no idea where we were going. It felt like we had joined a completely different trip. Hedy shared a menu with the passengers.

I don’t know if you can enlarge this, or if it is too blurry, but the menu was dire! Horse meat sashimi, etc, Not only did we not want to eat at the restaurant, we didn’t want to be in a restaurant where people were digging into pony’s.

The coach passengers, trotted after Hedy, to eat the local delicacy. The area is famed for its horse meat, particulary basashi, thinly sliced raw horse meat, yum yum not!

It is said that the practice of eating horse meat in the region started when there were food shortages. It seemed so odd that on the one hand they were advertising horse rides and then on the other they were cooking them.

As well as the restaurant that served horse meat etc, there was also an Indian restaurant. We headed to that, we had vegetable curry, tarka dahl and naan breads. It seemed a strange place to have an Indian restuarant but it was so, so welcome!

 We had been brought to this stop as it edged the Aso grasslands, a vast and hsitoric landscape , known for it’s unique ecosystem and biodiversity, with over  600 species of rare plants and insects.

Initially we couldn’t go as it was chucking it down, but eventually  we were able to, which I was glad of.

What I did know about the trip was that we would be visiting an active volcano. How exciting!!! Not only active but the crater is the largest in the world, measuring 18 km one direction and 24km the other  direction.

As there had been some volcanic activity on the 1st July it was closed. But to counteract our disappointment, the bus driver took us pass some that had become extinct but were very photogenic.

Hedy said  that the bus driver had a suprise for us, to make us for not seeing the volcano. We were very ecited when she said that we would be stopping to see sheep made out of cheese. What a technical marvel! In the searing hat that cheese  could withstand the heat to be sculpted into sheep.

Anyway when we got there, nothing was made from cheese, but it was a topiary ‘heaven’. As far as the eye could see there were animals shaped out of bushes. All very badly!

I don’t know how they thought this would compensate for not  seeing the volcano. I don’t know if I was being too negative! I did get to have a wee, so it wasn’t all bad!

Our final stop was to the Kurakawa Onsens. Onsens are natural hot springs in Japan, renowned for their mineral-rich waters and relaxing, therapeutic qualities. They are an integral part of Japanese culture and are distinguished from regular public baths (sento).

They are normally single sex, naked. Call me old fashioned but that didn’t float my boat. The towels are the size of postage stamps! However, there are options for a private onsen. We gor one for £10.50 for an hour, with free towels. So my modesty was maintained!

It was so relaxing!!!

Leaving Nagasaki behind but not before another great breakfast.

A strange combination but it worked for me! Mochi, Creme Brulee, Croissants, Ooolang iced tea, what’s not to love! Very much filled our boots before the stage of our trip.

Last night as I waled back from shopping, there was a political rally, quite a large one. There are elections coming up on Sunday. There  also posters everywhere. Max said that the orange coloured ones, are the far right, who drive round with tannoys, berating foreigners, and spreading misinformation about the Chinese eating all the cicadas (?). Having the logo of Japanese First and pushng conspiracies – I wonder where we have heard all this before!

We travelled back to Hakata station, on the bullet train. A lot wiser this time, and knowing that we had to change part way through the journey, even though it doesn’t seem to say it anywhere. 

I needed the loo this time, normally I hate going to the loo on the train. cramped, dirty and smelly! However, as with everything here, it was immaculate.

I love the fact that not only did they have braile signage, but also a very good tactile map. The seats on the bullet trains are very spacious, with lots of leg room, and drop down tables that are not ridiculously small. I mean fancy going into a train loo in Britain and they have done that posh thing with toilet paper. 

inside the trains are so quiet, not full of people shouting into their mobile phones.

In fact, Japan altogether seems a very quiet place, apparantly Japanese culture often prioritizes politeness, harmony, avoiding conflict, which can manifest as a tendency to speak quietly and avoid loud outbursts like shouting.

I know that this cannot be universally true all the time, it does seem to be the rule. There is something really lovely about it.

On the train I started looking at what our plans would be over the next few days and realised that I had made a glaring mistake, I had not booked for three nights in Fukuoka, I think it was because of the problems we had had with the ferry. The hotel we would be staying at had not increased in price and once we had got into the it, e hd decided that it wasn’t really  worth the price they were currently asking. Luckily, managed to get a small appartment, 5 minutes walk from the ferry. for £40.00, so it worked out much better.

The next problem we encountered was that they didn’t check in until 5, so we had alot of time on our hands, even thought we had dropped our luggage off there.

We wondered round a super posh food hall and various shops, the time dragging!

 

We have found Japan much cheaper this time round, but as ever, the fruit prices remain very high. The peaches were nearly £10.00 for  two!

Finally allowed into the hotel we had a power  nap and then went for some Hakata Ramen. Hakata Ramen is generally made wth pork bone broth, and is milky and creamy. We really wanted raman but we wanted to make sure they were meat free.

We found a vegan restaurant, something quite unheard of in Japan, callled Bugoro All Vegan.

On the way passed lots of shrines etc.

The restaurant was on the second flloor of an apartment block, the size of a largish front room.

We had matcha soy latte, vegetable dumplings and the creamy ramen.

It was all absolutely delicious!

We had thought of going back to the hotel but the lovely food had made us a bit more energetic. 

We headed to bar that was near the river bank, having passed lots of  young women with very few clothes on, inticing the ‘salary man’ into their clubs. Thankfully, every time  Pete and I passed them, they would find something more interesting to look at in the middle  distance.

We found the bar we were looking for, another  vinyl bar, this was called Bomes Indie, and was reached by walking up a narrow wooden staircase. Reggae music was pumping out, a small, friendly venue.

We talked

When planning the holiday, I thought by this point a hotel stay would be a good restorative idea, as well as a self-guided walk. Doing things at out own pace, seemed to be a more relaxed way of doing things.

The historical walk would cover the history of foreigners influence in Nagasaki, which as I am quite nerdy, I thought  would be interesting.

Our first stop was the Nagasaki Museum of  History and Culture. Because we initally went the wrong way, we passed St Philp Nishizaka Catholic Church, built near the site of massacred 26 martyrs. The architect Imai created it, inspired by the work of Gaudi, it certainly looked Guadiesque.

We also passed lots of mini shrines, in stark contrast.

Many of them wearing red bibs like this one, used to ward off evil spirits and bad luck.

We eventually  reached the museum and spent much longer in it than the guide suggested. The cost of the museum was under £5 for both of us. When we last came to Japan things seeemed very expensive foor us, but now it is completely opposite, a full basket of shopping has come to less  that £10. A very good bottle of  wine is around £3!

One of things that you have to  get used toin Japan is soemthing known as ‘ojigi’, otherwise Japanese bowing.  There is a lot of  it, and after three weeks I am sure I will be coming  bck doing the same, no doubt garnering strange looks from the shop owners on Dean Road!

Bowing in Jaoan is a form of deference and how deep it is shows the level of respect. So, having any interaction seems  to involve this movement, which originated with the samurais. All front facing workers are incrediby polite and curteous here, which feels a bit alien.

We went to the special exhibition, illustrations and art linked to scary ghosts, vengeful spirits that bring disaster, a strange and mysterious world.

My favourite was the monster cat, incidentally it was the top voted monster from the exhibition. Monster cats take on human form, lick oil out of lamps, and eat people born in the Year of the Mouse.

This one is a she devil, or han’nya, twisted by envy, she clutches the head of a baby with her long gnarled hands.

The next level was the history of trading, Nagasaki was an important port and as such had links with many parts of the world, most importantly the Dutch and Portuguese. 

Foreigners coming over on their boats in their very silly trousers!

The last part of the visit was the Nagasaki Magistrates Office, which we had to take our shoes off for.

Areproduction of what it had looked like. I really loved this bit as it was so funny. They had screens that could choose different  stories that the magistrate had dealt with, including an incident with kite flying. It was all acted out in an exaggerated way that was hilarious, I think it was meant to be!

We watched two reinactments, could have watched more!

We exited through the gift shop and bought Juni and Bea some lovely souvenirs!

Our next stop was the Kofukuji Temple, the oldest Chinese temple in the city.

There werealot on the road and not entirely certain which was which, but they were all impressive!

The heat was really getting to me by this point and so we stopped for a large watermelon ice-lolly next to the river. We walked down the river towards the Meganebashi Bridge, built in the 17th Century.

We spotted lots of wildlife as we went along the river, turtles and koi carp.

As I was posing on the stepping stones, I looked up and there was a film crew on the bridge above me filming. I may become famous!

We then headed to Dejima, a man made island in the Nagasaki port, this was the area that Dutch traders were housed for over two centuries. Isolated so that they would not spread Christianity, but as half of Nagasaki is Christian they failed somewhat!

It was odd sitting in a Dutch restaurant in Japan, having a much needed drink.

It was an interesting place but I was flagging in the heat.

We did spend quite a bit of time there so I wasn’t completely beaten by the weather.

For the first time on the holiday Pete and I went on our seperate ways, I did retail therapy and had a gin mojito! Pete went to the blast centre of the atomic bomb, as well as outside museum.

Packed up and ready to go onto our next leg of our holiday, stopping to say goodbye to the friendly bar we had spent a lovely evening in. 

We confidently headed to the train station, living in Sheffield has helped us to navigate tram systems! The Hiroshima three day card was well worth the ten pounds we have spent for both of us.

Travelling on to Nagasaki, I had booked a shinkansen, otherwise known as the bullet train. Some of them reach a speed of 199mph! 

   

it  was really comfortable, with loads of leg room. It was headed to Hakata. When I had booked the ticket I had been confused as to how to book the next part of the trip to Nagasaki, so had decided to just ask at the station before we set off. Advice given, we felt more confident, but this was short lived!

Suprisingly, Pete didn’t like the shinkansen train, citing it was too smooth, and didn’t feel like a proper train ride. It was very smooth, very fast, not like a normal train ride, lnadscapes and towns were a blur.

When we got to Hakata, we got on a train, that was departing at the time we had been told. However, , literallywith seconds to spare, I said we needed to get off straightaway, as it didn’t feel right. That was a lucky call, as otherwise we would have ended up in Osaka!

Garnering more information, we were given the right information and got on the right train, about an hour later.

    

Before our train arrived, this train arrived and lots of people had gathered to take a photograph of it. It looked like something from the Orient Express inside.

So far we have stayed in small flats, all of which have been very good. But for Nagasaki I felt it would be good to stay somewhere next to the station, what better than the JR train company hotel, which was next to the station.

I felt very giddy with the ‘luxury’ of it all! Lots of add ons, that make the stay very special. I had forgotten that I had also booked the breakfast as well. That was defintiely a nice surprise. 

In the lobby they had paper sheets for guest to make paper cranes out of, which they will then take to  the Nagasaki 80th memorial service. Pete made a few. In Nagasaki, paper cranes are a symbol fo peace, associated with the story of Sadako Sasaki, the young  girl who had survived the bombing of Hiroshima, but who died of leukemia ten years later. She folded many paper cranes, believingit would grant her the wish of recovery. In Hiroshima, she was the impetus for the Childrens Peace Monument, and the symbol of the crane remains one for peace but also a reminder of the devastating impact of war. 

 Having had a break we went out to meet Max, who we knew from Sheffield. Before our previous trip to Japan, Max had attempted to teach me Japanese, I was a complete lost cause! I have remained resolutely gesticulating and miming, to make myself understood since then. Max teaches in the local university, so his walking tour was very much appreciated, as he able to point out areas of interest and put a context to things. 

After a very comfortable sleep, we were very excited for our breakfast experience, It didn’t disappoint, although we flummoxed the waitress but not wanting meat. Lovely to have such a mixture for breakfast, miso soup, fruit, caramel puddings, etc!

It’s difficult to know where to start with today. It is with some reluctance.

Today, we went to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum in the Peace Park.

We walked through the park,passing various memorials, including the children’s one.

We bought headphones that provided an added layer, personal stories behind the photographs and artefacts. Harrowing.
The museum started with images of what Hiroshima looked like before the bomb, a bustling urban landscape, which as we turned into the next room, showed the complete destruction.

We spent over two hours there, saw horrific images that I won’t share.

This was the first photograph taken in the aftermath of the bomb.

A young newspaper photographer told his story through the headphones. Getting there, he didn’t know what to do, take a photo or not. It took him 20 minutes to be able to put his finger on the camera to take. The image is of people running to a police box for help, only to have cooking oil administered to their wounds.
The stories told of the confusion and incomprehension at what had happened.

Photos from before the bomb of smiling schoolchildren, moved into the roll call of the dead, the scorched uniforms and toys left behind.
Narratives that told how buildings crumbled down, killing everyone inside and then those who survived for a day or two longer and endured horrific deaths.

The ones who took longer to die, the ones who recovered and then succumbed to cancer years later. The legacy going down the generations.

It was overwhelming and harrowing. Personal testaments of people’s lives before and after.

It then went onto the whys and wherefores of why and how to bomb was created. The subsequent cold War, the arms race and the number of nuclear weapons currently in the world.
Finally, a call for peace.

It’s so hard to see it again in black and white,that i won’t write much.

Having got a Hiroshima card, we had unlimited travel, including a ferry to the nearby island, Miyajima. I think that it was a good choice as it took about 50 minutes to get to the ferry port. It gave us time to decompress.

It was a short ferry over to the island. Miyajima is most famous for its giant torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan’s three best views. While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for “shrine island.”

0ff the ferry and ready to get some picnic food. Sitting under the trees deer roamed round us.

The deer are believed to be messengers of the gods in Shinto, and are protected on the island.

We were very vigilant when eating. However,they are very stealthy and we didn’t hear one approach from behind. Before we knew it, one had gone into Pete’s rucksack, grabbed a choux bun, in its wrapping. Broke it in half, spraying cream onto us, my phone, everywhere. Then, having a fight with another deer.

I jumped between them to get the plastic wrapping, so they didn’t choke.

One of them came back to pick the cream from the bench etc.

We had a walk round part of the island.

The Itsukushima Shrine Torii Gate is considered one of the best in Japan, also as the sanjoshin or “three female deities”, these Shinto deities are the goddesses of seas and storms.

We also managed a paddle too!

I am glad we went to the island!

Had a lovely last night in Seoul, laziness taking over, we went to the Vegan Kitchen,which didn’t disappoint. A huge salad,  with nuts, avocado, etc. A real taste explosion! Pete was taken hostage by a giant gorilla that transported us there!

They seem to have a kind of Japanese equivalent to Ryanair, called Jeju, only much better than Ryanair. Initially, we had booked a ferry to and from Japan, but at the 11th hour, they contacted us to say that our trip from Korea to Japan would have to be second class, which I couldn’t imagine doing. A night sailing, over 16 hours,sharing a room with 8 strangers and sleeping on a futon roll. The journey is known to be rough, and the idea of being amongst passengers vomiting etc made me churn.

So we changed plans and flew over for less than a 100 for both of us. Which in many ways is wrong. On a plus we seemed to now have a good understanding of the underground system. This helped as the cost to the airport was under a tenner for both of us.

I had been a bit anxious as the system for Jeju airline isn’t straightforward but luckily in reality it was very easy and straightforward.

The flight was an hour and twenty minutes, and I managed to sleep most of it. Despite being a budget airline it was comfy with plenty of leg room.

Going through passport  control was so quick, basically as we went through the foreigner aisle, we were the only ones! It has been odd to be different from everyone else.

Getting to where we were staying was also straightforward,it helped that we were not tired and doing it in the dark. The flat here is definitely a step up from the one in Seoul.

After a break, we went to see the Atomic Bomb Dome, which was a few minutes’ walk from the flat.  

At  8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb in human history was dropped by a US B-29 bomber, exploding about 600 metres above the centre of Hiroshima city, instantly destroying buildings in the city and taking the lives of many people. The Industrial Promotion Hall as it was known then, was hit by the bomb at a close distance of about 160 meters from the hypocentre and was heavily damaged by the blast and heat rays, with fire spewing from the ceiling and the building being completely burned down.

All the employees who were in the building were killed instantly, but  the building somehow survived, a skeletal symbol of  terrible destructive power, which now stands as a symbol of hope and resilience.

It was an overwhelming experience, stepping from the busy road next to it, suddenly devoid of human sound, replaced by the loud hum of  crickets and the cawing of ravens  circling above. It’s the 80th anniversary this year.

It was very moving and we had so many questions, which hopefully will be answered when we go to the museum.

On a lighter note, Hiroshima is famous for its okonomiyaki, a layered construction of cabbage and noodles. The Okonomi Village was a must to visit, a mainstay of the delicacy since 1965.

The village consisted of twenty-three okonomiyaki restaurants spread out over the second, third, and fourth floor of the building, with each floor resembling a flea market of vendors dishing out the same deliciousness in their own distinct way.

Sitting on little stools, the drama of the assembly plays out in front of you. Roughly about a fiver, cheap and filling. It was fantastic!

We headed back.

On the way, we had noticed a bar that had music, which was a few doors down from our flat. So,we lightened the mood further by popping in. Down a few steps, then inside, we were greeted like old friends,people smiling and saying hi, taking us to a table by the stage. The average age was about 70+, and everyone seemed to having the time of their lives!

The owner of the bar was also a drummer and just bought so much joy to his performance. One of the first songs sung was Elvis Presleys, Can’t help falling in love. Things strangely had come full circle, on our first visit to Japan several years ago we went to a karaoke bar and this was the song I choose.

As the night progressed, listening to music under peace banners, I thought this is how it should be, a world brought together through  music. It just felt so life-affirming, transcending language barriers.

This 75 year old man was amazing, belting out one Beatles song after another, with such gusto, his guitar string broke.

After all of this, the bar owner was quite insistent that we do karaoke, stating it was the cheapest in Hiroshima, as it was free. There were no songs I felt drawn to or felt confident enough to sing to the end. But he was still insistent. A brainwave, if I sang a little  bit of a Welsh song, if it was terrible, they would assume it was a Welsh folk tradition.

Ar lan Yr mor, one verse, a few times. I got through it, Pete said I was in tune, finished to rapturous applause.

I was very glad to get it over and done with.

Soon after the barmaid rushed over with two shot glasses and a large jar.

It looked very frightening. On closer inspection I could see a snake.

What do you do in a bar when faced by this, with a language barrier and a squeamish stomach…..get it over with quickly!

With dutch courage inside him, Pete sang Bob Dylans Blowing in the Wind, which must have been terrifying as it is quite a long song.

The owner had been very insistent that Pete sing, calling him  Scorpian Man as he thought he looked like The Rock. All very bizarre!

What a great night!

Having found the bus terminal yesterday, we walked with confidence and ease to the trip meeting point. We spotted ‘Joe’ our guide, who very quickly told us where to go in heavily accented English. He rushed off the gather the others on the trip. We had found it, we were on time, we got on the wrong bus!

Frosty looks, then a woman demanded to know what we were doing sat there. I thought that seats were allocated and we had made a huge faux pax. We are going to Nami, we are waiting for Joe. In a very withering tone she said she wasn’t Joe, she wasn’t going to Nami Island and we had to get off the bus! Unbeknownst to me, Joe had been ringing me, texting me and altogether having a quite contained meltdown.

Doing the walk of shame off the bus, spied by Joe, who gesticulated wildly from the bus we should have been on, we then did the walk of shame onto the proper bus. I looked downwards, suitably embarrassed.

Joe,his English name, was very jolly, a typical tour guide. He gave a quick rundown of his skills for being a guide, fluent in Korean, majored in Chinese literature,so fluent in Chinese. Then he said he could speak some English, that no one had ever complained, but possibly he ventured it was because he was so good looking. I would say not. He spoke all languages very quickly, so the English was a blur, it was hard to tell what he was saying. Thankfully he backed it up with diagrams and photos.

This was lucky as we had to select our lunch option for later in the day, there were a few vegetarian options, so all was good!

Our first stop of the day was the longest cable car in Korea, going over a lake by Samaksan Mountain in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do Province. Going over Uiamho Lake and travelling for 3.6 km before nearing the summit of the mountain at an altitude of 440 m. There was an option to have crystal cabins, with floors made of fortified glass. That really would have been a bridge too far!

We had another 200 metres to climb to the viewing platform, which was partially made of glass.

As we climbed up classical music piped from each corner of the woodland, perhaps to subdue the snakes.

When we travelled up we saw a different side to Korea, homes with pools, clamping pods, and water skiers zig-zaggimg across the lake.

After this, Joe went into a full on sales pitch, when we got back on the bus. His company had diversified, realising that they had a captive audience on their numerous trips. Five large packets on seaweed was passed to us and another couple, five different flavours, including Earl Grey! They seemed wildly expensive, and I am not certain any one bought any packs. They were very tasty though. He has two massive bags full to the brim, all of which he had to lug off the coach when we got back to Seoul.

 Our next step off was the Gangchon Rail Park. I wasn’t certain what to expect. I had booked to go to Alpaca World, but there was some confusion, so we had to go to the Rail Park, which in hindsight was a fun experience. 

Joe was really good, he didn’t go on and on, he just gave us directions of what to do, with timescales. When we got to the Rail Parl we were given 10 minutes for a toilet break.

Another place with piped music, although this time is seemed to be completelyat odds with the experience. There was something very strange  and surreal to be having a wee, accompanied to a very loud rendition of Land of Hope and Glory!

Despite Joe having given us a long health and safety chat, we then had to sit through another one, by one of the workers, who took no prisoners, and wasn’t adverse to admonishing any childen talking over him.

We opted for a two seater rail bike. 4km and then 4km back. We felt very giddy.

As we were waiting to  head off we could see the birdlife below along the river bank.

I had thought it would be ridiculously ardous, but it wasn’t as some bits were electrified. We passed through mountain scenery, woodland and past quirky houses. We laughed alot!

We passed a field and a tree stood out, covered in yellow ribbons and bits of paper. Later I googled it to see what it meant, as undoubtedly it meant something. The yellow ribons I found out are linked to the Sewol ferry disaster, which claimed the lives of over 300 students who had been on a field trip. The ribbons symbolising solidarity with the missing teenagers families, and a show ofh ope.  

After 4km we were given a 10 minute break, I opted for little pearls on flavoured ice, a bit like a frozen version of sherbet pips.

After all that excitement it was time to return and go to the restaurant.  We were ushered to the back of the restaurant, passing three large modern kimchi making canisters. Kimchi is ominpresent in Korea, not just a food stuff but a symbol of national pride.

All the other fellow travellers had opted for the Korean BBQ option, each table set up with a DIY bbq as well as ventilation above it. We have buckwheat noodles, a type of miso soup, cheese fondue, potato pancake and rice. No meal here is complete without rice!

Because our meal was in no way as elaborate as everyoneelses, we have finished sooner, so we headed off seperately to the next activity, a ferry to Nami Island. Sensing another photo opportunity at the entrance to the ferry, I can my phone out. Only to get it snatched out of my hand by a smiling Korean man.  `

Who insisted on taking our photo.

Why oh why did I pack a white T shirt for the holiday. Did I think that by travelling to Korea I would break habit of a lifetime, and not spill food down my front! For the rest of the day I clutched my wide brimmed hat to me, to hide  the bright orange splashes of chilli sauce.

Onto a short ferry ride to Nami Island otherwise known as Naminara Republic, is a picturesque, half-moon-shaped island located in the Bukhangang River.

Nami Island, or Naminara Republic, is a picturesque, half-moon-shaped island located in the Bukhangang River, about 63 km from Seoul. It is famous for its stunning seasonal landscapes, tree-lined paths, and cultural attractions. It is referred to as a Republic because it became a self declared micronation in 2006. Having what it described as cultural independence from South Korea. It has its own flag, passport and currency. A tranquil island full of natural and man made beauty.

We had two hours to amble around but could have done with much much more!

Well, after the frivolity of the night before, we slept until 11.30am, something unheard of. The room has blackout blinds, and so it felt very disorientating waking up.

I seem to have caused confusion with celebrating my 60th, very  much tongue in cheek comment, based on Korean tradition.

We decided to have a quieter day, with Pete going out to find the bus terminal, which we would need the following day. He didn’t find it, he had found lots of other things but not the bus terminal. One of the issues using Goggle maps is that it shows driving routes and public transport routes, but  not walking routes. So, when using it, it’s very easy to get confused and walk-around aimlessly, and hopelessly.

Pete came back, bearing gifts, including a cream roll cake. The Korean take on the popular dojima cream roll cake from Japan. No photos, as it got guzzled down quickly, light and airy and not too sweet.

Two heads are better than one, so after Pete had cooled down, we tried our luck together. The urgency being our booked day trip would be leaving before 8 in the morning, so there can be no margin for error.

Passed a lovely fountain. It was near to the Bank Museum Pete had visited earlier.

Not certain what it represents.

It was unbearably hot today, so we took lots of opportunities to go underground. There are a number of underground shopping malls in Seoul, we went to Hoehyeon one. A treasure trove of antique shops and many, many record shops.

There seems to be a bit of a lovely affair with vinyl here, with the wealth of record bars as well as places like this. Fuelled by nostalgia, album cover art, and something a bit different

We walked down Myeongdong food market, a bit calmer in the daytime, but equally inviting.

We passed lots of places, maybe more than twice, including Seoul Cathedral.

So….we hit on the same issue and couldn’t find the terminal,getting hotter and very frustrated. Eventually, I walked into a swanky hotel and a very helpful receptionist provided us with the right information. He stressed that Google Maps don’t really work in Korea. I think maybe I had read about that but had forgotten.

Success at last! We had been more or less circling it forever! We slumped in the lounge, taking in the airport conditioning, happy in the knowledge we had finally found it.

One thing I have been aware of here are the adaptations for blind and hearing impaired people. Lots of tactile markers on the pavements, yellow highlighted, talking crossings, tactile maps etc etc.

Korean Braille or Hunminjeongeum Braille is very different from other Braille codes round the world, very mind boggling. Numbers are the same, though.

Apparently, 5.1% of the population is registered disabled, but i haven’t seen anyone with a visible impairment here, which is odd.

We went to the 12 storey Daiso store, I was very excited as we had shopped in them in Japan. Although 12 storey the floors were tiny.

It was really disappointing, which is sad, but maybe heat exhaustion had hit me.

For tea, we had  bimimbap term bibim means “mixing” and bap is cooked rice. White rice topped with blanched  vegetables and chilli pepper paste.