Day 13, Hiroshima, Miyajima

From Serena:

We went to the Hiroshima Peace park first, where we walked around and read different signs, learned about where the bomb was dropped and rang the peace bell, that was to call for the end of nuclear warfare. 

After that, we went into the Hiroshima museum where we learned that about 140,000 people died but only 21,000 were ever registered. We then split into groups and Savannah and I went to read some facts about the war and watched some testimonies about what people experienced that day. It was all very humbling. 

We then ate a early lunch and had Teishoku, which is a big Japanese traditional meal that is set, you don't get to change parts of the meal which was kinda cool. It was all very yummy! 

Then everyone has free time and the majority of us went to the arcade to play games where Hope won a stuffed animal called Cinnamonroll that Sensei carried for a while and later fell in love with. 

Then we took a ferry to Miyajima where we visited the Itsukushima shrine & Daishou-in temple. 

The temple had actually been visited by the Dalai Lama himself so it was cool to see his presence in the temple. 

We saw a couple of sand paintings (mandala) made by the monks. They take weeks to make.

After the temple we had some more free time so Elise, Hope, Savannah and I went to the shrine gate and we actually walked in the Bay next to the huge gate because the tide was low. Elise and I actually went and touched the gate pillars, it was really cool. 

Then we headed back to Hiroshima for Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki which is really famous because you can only get in Hiroshima. It was really good and filling! 

Elise, Hope, Savannah and I finished supper early so we quickly ran to the arcade to win Sensei a Cinnamonroll stuffed animal because she loved Hope's so much. We won the stuffed animal and gave it to her, then made it just in time to catch the bus back to the hostel so we could prepare for our early morning tomorrow.