When I initially worked out plan B, I didn’t realize how much train travel we had to do to get to our destinations. It took about 6 hours to get from Osaka to Onjuku. To get to our next destination, Onomichi, we had to go back through Osaka and make 3 separate transfers over a period of 8 hours. I am so thankful that we have the unlimited rail pass because the one way trip would have cost about $180 each way.
We arrived to Onomichi, which is another small town in the mountains about an hour outside of Hiroshima. The guest house we were staying at actually cooked us dinner and it was delicious. Eggplant and green peppers in a soy sauce and sake marinade, mackerel in a miso sauce, miso soup, and rice.
Today was pretty rainy and dreary, given that we’ve had sunny weather the entire trip, getting some rain was bound to happen. The area that we’re in is higher up in the mountains so the temperature is around 75f and MUCH less humid than what we’ve been experiencing during the trip. I think the rain was kind of appropriate for what we had on the schedule today.
This week marks the 70th anniversary of the first bomb dropped on Hiroshima. We went to check out the memorial and the peace museum in the middle of town. I didn’t really take any pictures while in the museum but the mood was very somber. I saw an old man who looked like an American war vet judging by his worn out tatoos on his arms with his hat in his hand and tears in his eyes while he read the descriptions on the displays. If you’re ever in Japan, I highly recommend checking out the exhibit.
On a lighter note, we went to Okunoshima, an island inhabited by tame rabbits. They were everywhere and were happy to hop up to you if you had food to give them. I think I liked these better than the deer in Nara because they’re much cuter and won’t headbutt you for food. One of the guys we met in Tokyo recommended that we buy some fresh veggies at a supermarket instead of relying on the dry biscuits that the people on the island sell, so we picked up half a cabbage at a nearby store.
We wrapped up the day by getting Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki, it’s like a pancake with cabbage, eggs, soba noodles, and meat topped with seaweed, dried fish flakes, mayo, and a sauce that tastes like hoisin sauce. They pre cooked it and then put it on a grill in the middle of the table to keep it warm. This is definitely something I’m going to crave when we get back home.
We’re heading back to Tokyo tomorrow and we’ll be heading home on Saturday. We have our shopping lists written up and I’m tossing all my old clothes to make room for stuff to bring home.
