Miyajima to Osaka

 We got up early and walked to the Itsukushima shrine. It was high tide and the tori gate was “floating” in the water. Dave opted out from going further, thus the photo of him on the bench. We toured the shrine, asked for good luck from the Shinto gods (which are all nature based), learned about the Sake offerings, etc. The shrine complex was all on piling built over the water at high tide or over mud flats at low tide.

Mayumi, Milo and Sean carried on to Daishoin, the Buddhist temple. The Buddhist temple and Shinto shrines are usually in close proximity. I went back to the hotel, getting lost on the way. I stopped to ask the way from a couple of police, but they knew little more than me. The G7 is going to be here in a couple of days and there are a lot of police around, but they are mostly from other parts of Japan. Luckily a young lady happened upon us and offered to lead me home so all was well. I was only a couple of blocks out of the way.

We all gathered back at the hotel and went for breakfast in the hotel.

Following breakfast we almost made our way to the ropeway station (walking and shuttle) but the climb up the stairs to the actual ropeway station frightened Dave and I off. We settled in for a peaceful time in the woods, listening to a small waterfall and the breeze in the trees, and enjoying the visiting deer. Mayumi, Milo and Sean went up those stairs to the first ropeway station, then some more stairs to a second ropeway station, then tons more stairs to the top of Mount Misen. It had turned into a hot day and Sean said it was exhausting but did have the advertised good views.

Dave and I meanwhile made it back down to the seashore, enjoying a cold drink on the way. I took a photo of the Great Tori Gate at low tide. We both loved the little resort town of Miyajima.

We all then took a ferry back to the mainland, a local train to Shin-Hiroshima and are now on the Shinkansen to Osaka.