Today was another dreary day – maybe just the type of setting to visit the somber Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park, and Museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Like a visit to the 9-11 Site in NYC, there is no way to really capture the suffering caused by these horrific events. The flame in the Park is kept burning, and will be extinguished when there are no more nuclear threats – unfortunately, I don’t believe in our lifetime.

The domed ruins have been left as a reminder of that tragic day. The actual target was the unusually shaped bridge nearby and the site of impact is on the other side of the park. The huge museum was jam-packed with visitors from all over the world. Not surprisingly, I found the most impactful part of the museum the stories of lives lost and forever changed. Captions will give a few examples. One tip, if you are with a group, you skip the long lines and come in through a separate entrance on the opposite side of the museum.

The city itself is completely rebuilt and modern; full of life today. Since I’ve been asked, I will say the Japanese people we have met have been totally welcoming to Americans. We are solid allies these days.

In the afternoon, light rain began as we boarded the 10-minute ferry to Miyajima Island. Considered a divine island, it is the home of the vermillion-lacquered Itsukushima Shrine and the iconic 50-foot-tall Otorii gate of the same color, which during high tide appears to be floating. We had light rain on and off as we walked around this 6th-century (first built in 593) UNESCO Site, but it didn’t interfere with what we wanted to see. I was surprised to learn the entire shrine had floating walkways and can also appear to be floating. Tides today were not high enough for that vision. But as the normal tide pulled back farther, people began to walk out to the massive 60-ton gate. The current (9^th) wooden gate was built in 1875 and is considered one of Japan’s three most scenic views.

The hilly, wooded island also hosts other Shinto shrines and the 5-story Goju-no-to pagoda dating from 1407. Wild deer are protected and roam freely, and although tame, do aggressively approach visitors to try and eat anything, including paper. The area is also very commercial with an aquarium at one end and several pedestrian streets lined with cute shops, restaurants, and food stalls. We enjoyed a very tasty chocolate ice cream cone on our walk along the various paved and sandy paths back to the ferry.  

Tonight, during dinner back on board the Azamara Journey, we watched the rain come down in torrents, thankful we had such a light rain in the afternoon.  Tomorrow promises to be a better weather day. Fingers crossed.