21st and 22nd March, 2016
Even though the Spring Break at Kansai Gaidai started on March 19th, I decided to take some days to myself before heading out to travel across Japan. I got the Seishun 18 ticket, which is an unlimited ride ticket for JR local trains and buses over certain periods of which spring break was one, on March 20th. On the 21st of March, my journey began.
I am not the type of guy who likes to plan things since it feels to me as if planning restricts the possibility of random occurring. Without a clear destination in mind, I boarded the train in the morning and headed to Miyajima, which is an island close to Hiroshima with mountain trails full of temples and a spectacular view from the top. The island also had a floating Torii gate, a gate that leads to heaven, which was one of its kind in Japan. On the way, I made a random stop at Mihara since I was hungry and discovered a really delicious Okonomiyaki place.
I checked in at Miyajima Backpackers Hostel for one night thinking that the next day I will go to Hiroshima museum and make my way further down Kyushu. However, plans changed or may be I had none. I have always appreciated hostel stays and this was by far the best since I got a chance to meet a cartoon artist from South Africa and his girlfriend, also from South Africa, who were not black, students from America, Canada, and China, surfers from Australia and Brazil, and adventerous travelers from New Zealand, Germany and France. I went out drinking with some hostel residents that night and in the morning hiked up the Miyajima mountain with the group. It was a nice soothing climb up with a spectacular view of Hiroshima and nearby islands. Before our ascent, the Floating Torii gate or the Itsukushima Shrine was not yet submerged yet but was fully submerged when we descended from the top. There were deers around the temple complex and to my surprise, were quite aggressive and hungry for tourist’s food. That night, I went back and went to Karaoke with my new found hostel friends from all around the world.
I extended my stay at the hostel for another night because I was yet to go to Hiroshima.