Miyajima

How can I properly explain the beauty of that small island, accessible from Hiroshima? Words are hard to find to describe the magnitude and power of Nature, reigning over Mt.Misen or the joy of seeing deers everywhere, unafraid of humans. Here's a couple videos:







We traveled to Miyajima from our hostel in Hiroshima, dark clouds still covering the sky from the previous day's downpour. We expected rain, mud and not many animals. Fortune smiled on us as we boarded the ferry to the island and the first rays of the sun broke through the clouds. We met our first couple deers and walked towards the main gate, still at low tide. People walked near it (which they couldn't do later, as you'll eventually see from Mat's picture of the high tide, later that day).



After getting ourselves some grilled chicken sticks, we walked towards the forested paths, only to find ourselves amidst a multitude of small rivers and falls:









We finally reached the ropeway (as seen in the video above), which took us halfway to Mt.Misen. Some smaller islands around Miyajima still were under cloudy weather and fog, so the view was quite surreal:





Mat saw a path to the top of Mt.Misen and decided we would walk and climb it. The sun suddenly decided to clear the sky of any remaining clouds. I must have lost five gallons of liquid just by sweating my way up. Steep steps, hidden shrines here and there. It was pretty amazing. We crossed paths with the Reika-Do Eternal Fire Hall, home of a flame apparently 1200 years old. This flame was used to light the torch at Peace Park in Hiroshima. The whole place smelled of smoked and the temple seemed to be on fire, until we got to the gate and found the source:





So, no fire in sight but obviously, there's no smoke without fire so it had to be there.

We climbed and climbed and finally reached it (as seen in one of the videos above). We felt pretty good about ourselves (but exhausted).



We had just enough time to go back to the hostel, take a shower, eat at Ouenya and take the train to Osaka.

In a nutshell, the most beautiful place I have ever seen. During your trip to Japan, make sure to visit this place. It is not too crowded and amazingly, some locals do not even know of its existence. Well worth the trip.

-Pat