Climbing Mt. Misen

As mentioned in the previous post, the girls insisted Stan and I climb Mt. Misen after lunch. The plan was for them to meet us at the top of the gondola or "ropeway". At the edge of the village we found the trail head for the Daisho-in trail and started up.

  It was a long hot 500 meter vertical climb, almost all of it on stairs built and carved along a trail through virgin forest. Think - two hours on a stairmaster in a sauna. The vistas, shrines, waterfalls and temples along the way made it all worthwhile. Besides, after the way we have been eating, we needed the workout. 

  At the Daisho-in temple:

Stan announces our presence on the mountain.

The climb:

 

At the top:

360 degree panorama from the observation deck on the summit (click to expand).

As it turns out, the girls didn't make it to the gondola after shopping in town. We started getting panic cell phone calls while on the observation deck. It was 5:00 PM when we took these pictures, and it seems the last direct bullet train to Kobe leaves Hiroshima at 7:00 PM. We were a gondola, a ferry, and a commuter train away. We also learned that the gondola stopped at a different peak than the one with the observation deck. Scrambling back down the trail, we found the fork leading to the gondola and climbed back up.

Along the way Stan left an offering at the shrine with a flame tended by monks and burning for over 1,000 years. Probably the best investment he ever made.

We got down to sea level and boarded the ferry as they were pulling up the gate, stepped directly from the ferry on to the local train heading back to Hiroshima terminal, and after a sprint through the station, we were in our seats on the bullet train at 6:59 exactly. 

 No harm. No foul. 

 The girls did not talk to us the entire ride back to Kobe.

Miyajima Island and the Itsukushima Shrine

My favorite shot of the Itsukushima Shrine (photo by SW)

We decide to forgo the Hiroshima war memorial and shrine in favor of spending a day on the divine island of Miyajima, site of the Itsukushima shrine, the Daisho-in Temple, and sacred Mt. Misen. This requires another train to the coast, and ferry across to the island. Our Japan Railpass is good for both.

On the island, we take many many pictures of the shrine: Stan and I snack on grilled octopus tentacles, served on a stick:

While one of the many tame deer on the island snacks on Stan's map:

Sigrid is is fascinated by visitors wearing Kimonos and a wedding party in traditional garb we find underway at the temple. This becomes her photographic focus:

Lunch in a restaurant in a village on the island. Sitting traditional Japanese style, we enjoy grilled oysters from the beds just off the island in the Ohnoseto Strait. All washed down with Asahi beer in a frosty cold mug : After lunch, the girls encourage Stan and I to climb Mt. Misen, which we will leave as the subject of the next post (falling a bit behind now). There is a little more on the topic of said climb found at the link here. Of particular relevance is this line - "...just make sure you give yourself enough time to catch the ferry back to mainland." To which we would also add - "...and to catch the last bullet train to Kobe."

Bullet train to Hiroshima

We take the bullet train to Hiroshima and a day on Miyajima island. First we had to get to the station. Hayley and Chachi meet us at the hotel and guide us through multiple local train connections to get us to the correct station. Hayley, Lisa and Sigrid apparently had enough of us and chose to ride in the Ladies Only car on the local commuter train.

We kept an eye on them from the next car.

 

Our guides figure out the correct train, schedule and fares.

 

Mike, Sigrid, Hayley, Chachi, Stan and Lisa in the JR bullet train station. A station official took the picture.

Our train arrives (with bonus self-portrait).

On board and speeding toward Hiroshima at 160 mph: