Hiroshima
Evening Chums,
Well im back in Tokyo until i leave in ３ days. Then i'll just have 14 hours on a plane until im kissing Aberdeen Airport Tarmac.
Havent posted for a while as i have been out of contact with the Information Super Highway. But i've been having a Grand Old Time in the amazing City of Hiroshima. Gorgeous so's it is. And the Weather for once was perfect, glorious sunshine but low humidity and only 22 degrees, Lovley.
So i was sitting in the Hostel in Matsuyama and just sat down with a couple of tinnies and started talking to this Aussie Bloke. And one thing led to another and the next day we were on a train to Hiroshima. What an idea! I had seen everything there was in Matsuyama and really wanted to make the most of the time i had in Japan so it seemed like a good idea.
We arrived in Hiroshima and took the tram where Brett was staying and hopefully me as well. The World Peace Center in Hiroshima is THE place to stay. A small traditional Hostel run by, but not in a bad way, an American church group. The two current managers, they chage every few years, are Don and Pauline, a pastor from Washington DC and the two nicest people on earth. Im sure i saw him literaly bending over backwards to help his guests.
However there was no room at the inn for poor scott, and not even a stable to rest his weary head. But a quick phone call from Don had me checked into the Plaza round the corner for a night until a room was free.
After 10minutes of directions from Don, for what was really literally just round the corner, i set off and found the place to be a massive eduactional complex, 13 floors of conference rooms, study centers, and libraries. The top two floors were accommodation and were just perfect, single bed, En Suite and CNN on the TV.
I checked in and headed back to the WPC to pick up Brett and head into town. We set off for the nearest Irish Pub, Molly Malones on the main street and had the worst pint of guiness i have ever had, but also a fine Burger and Chappit Tatties, with a side of Crusty Bread and potato wedges, i was hungry. I dont believe you can fully understand how much you miss a simple thing like bread, when all they have here is bland tasteless white dough, no good for anything, so bagguette was just the thing.
Stuffed and Bloated and not looking for another pint of that stuff they called guiness we wadled into the street looking for a pub. On Dons recommendation we went to a sports bar which was dead, but it didn't matter as we were tired like a couple of pussies so we called it a night.
At a very bright a breasy 8.30 i skipped into the peace center, checked in dumped my bags and we headed out along with another scotsman, a recently graduated Cambridge student with a job in The City to go back to, you know the type, a scottish Ya. We were being given a guided tour of the Peace park and its 65 memorials by one of the Peace Park workers and personal friend of Dons. Standing about 4'6" tall she was a Super Tanker of information about the war and the bomb, and unusually for the Japanese, wasn't a Denier of Japans War Crimes. Infact she was telling us all about them, and she was the first Japanese person i met who was a republican and didnt love the Emperor. Anyway, 3 hours later, and 3 completely interesting hours at that, we bowed our goodbyes and she refused our offers of money, which was good, bacause i wasnt wholey behind that plan!
We toured the Museum, and im not going to go into that. But i do have a more balanced view of the war, and am now a supporter of the Bombs, but still anti nuclear.
We went out at night, but this time we were not tired. I have to say that a hard drinking Aussie Cricket fan is probably the best drinking partner on a night out. Loud, starts conversation with random people, and every 5 minutes at some antics at another table utters "fucking Yanks" and calls be a "Pommie Bastard" and reply with a suitably witty jibe about him being a bloody convict, hand picked by Britains finest Judges.
We crawled out of the last Pub about 4am, staggered into a Taxi and we pushed the directions into the drivers hand and 15 minutes later we were being sick in the sink and toilet of the center, and proudly fell asleep.
At 8am we were woken up by Don for breakfast, and despite the sore head i wolfed down 3 pancakes and syrup, two large glasses of OJ and then went back to bed.
It was 1pm by the time Brett and I shook hands and exchanged emails and he headed off one way and i took the train the other, to Tokyo. And here i am, sitting waiting for my towels to come out of the drier so i can have a much needed shower.
So until tommorrow readers, i will bid you adue.
Well im back in Tokyo until i leave in ３ days. Then i'll just have 14 hours on a plane until im kissing Aberdeen Airport Tarmac.
Havent posted for a while as i have been out of contact with the Information Super Highway. But i've been having a Grand Old Time in the amazing City of Hiroshima. Gorgeous so's it is. And the Weather for once was perfect, glorious sunshine but low humidity and only 22 degrees, Lovley.
So i was sitting in the Hostel in Matsuyama and just sat down with a couple of tinnies and started talking to this Aussie Bloke. And one thing led to another and the next day we were on a train to Hiroshima. What an idea! I had seen everything there was in Matsuyama and really wanted to make the most of the time i had in Japan so it seemed like a good idea.
We arrived in Hiroshima and took the tram where Brett was staying and hopefully me as well. The World Peace Center in Hiroshima is THE place to stay. A small traditional Hostel run by, but not in a bad way, an American church group. The two current managers, they chage every few years, are Don and Pauline, a pastor from Washington DC and the two nicest people on earth. Im sure i saw him literaly bending over backwards to help his guests.
However there was no room at the inn for poor scott, and not even a stable to rest his weary head. But a quick phone call from Don had me checked into the Plaza round the corner for a night until a room was free.
After 10minutes of directions from Don, for what was really literally just round the corner, i set off and found the place to be a massive eduactional complex, 13 floors of conference rooms, study centers, and libraries. The top two floors were accommodation and were just perfect, single bed, En Suite and CNN on the TV.
I checked in and headed back to the WPC to pick up Brett and head into town. We set off for the nearest Irish Pub, Molly Malones on the main street and had the worst pint of guiness i have ever had, but also a fine Burger and Chappit Tatties, with a side of Crusty Bread and potato wedges, i was hungry. I dont believe you can fully understand how much you miss a simple thing like bread, when all they have here is bland tasteless white dough, no good for anything, so bagguette was just the thing.
Stuffed and Bloated and not looking for another pint of that stuff they called guiness we wadled into the street looking for a pub. On Dons recommendation we went to a sports bar which was dead, but it didn't matter as we were tired like a couple of pussies so we called it a night.
At a very bright a breasy 8.30 i skipped into the peace center, checked in dumped my bags and we headed out along with another scotsman, a recently graduated Cambridge student with a job in The City to go back to, you know the type, a scottish Ya. We were being given a guided tour of the Peace park and its 65 memorials by one of the Peace Park workers and personal friend of Dons. Standing about 4'6" tall she was a Super Tanker of information about the war and the bomb, and unusually for the Japanese, wasn't a Denier of Japans War Crimes. Infact she was telling us all about them, and she was the first Japanese person i met who was a republican and didnt love the Emperor. Anyway, 3 hours later, and 3 completely interesting hours at that, we bowed our goodbyes and she refused our offers of money, which was good, bacause i wasnt wholey behind that plan!
We toured the Museum, and im not going to go into that. But i do have a more balanced view of the war, and am now a supporter of the Bombs, but still anti nuclear.
We went out at night, but this time we were not tired. I have to say that a hard drinking Aussie Cricket fan is probably the best drinking partner on a night out. Loud, starts conversation with random people, and every 5 minutes at some antics at another table utters "fucking Yanks" and calls be a "Pommie Bastard" and reply with a suitably witty jibe about him being a bloody convict, hand picked by Britains finest Judges.
We crawled out of the last Pub about 4am, staggered into a Taxi and we pushed the directions into the drivers hand and 15 minutes later we were being sick in the sink and toilet of the center, and proudly fell asleep.
At 8am we were woken up by Don for breakfast, and despite the sore head i wolfed down 3 pancakes and syrup, two large glasses of OJ and then went back to bed.
It was 1pm by the time Brett and I shook hands and exchanged emails and he headed off one way and i took the train the other, to Tokyo. And here i am, sitting waiting for my towels to come out of the drier so i can have a much needed shower.
So until tommorrow readers, i will bid you adue.
posted by Scott Leiper at 11:49 am
2 Comments:
Sorry about mixing up the Hiroshima/Nagasaki thing. Completely clear now. From a sensible person's perspective I suggest you have a quiet night on your last night, in fear the airline smell your guihess breath and forbid you to fly! A distinct possibility, I fear. Apart from that message of caution, I thoroughly enjoyed today's blog. Think you should adapt this into a book. Oh, by the way, loved the Marriot bathrobe!
I-pod?
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