Margie on the platform at Iwakuni JR Station. We're waiting for the 9:35 train to Hiroshima. Hiroshi-san and Eiko-san will join us at Ajina. We're off for an overnight trip that they have been kind enough for plan for us - and I'm very excited!
A freight train rumbles through the station. We're at Track 4.
Stan on the train. It's right on time (of course!) and we can't wait to start this weekend's adventure!
Stan said the conductor stood at attention when he asked to take his picture.
Oh look at that cute train car on another track.
And we're off! Now, we're crossing a river at low tide. The smokestacks are between Iwakuni and Otake City.
I LOVE train travel! And of course like any good Japanese tourist, I'm wearing my camera - waiting for the perfect shot!
Beautiful yellow daffodils blooming at a station platform.
It's a cloudy, gray day, so my pictures are not as colorful today, but still it's beautiful. It's supposed to rain later today but we're both prepared with raincoats & umbrellas.
Eiko-san and Hiroshi-san have joined us at Ajina and we're getting reacquainted. Eiko-san has just recently retired. We haven't been able to spend as much time with her as we have with Hiroshi-san, who retired years ago, so it's fun seeing her again!
Stan & Margie on the train. We had a quick stop in Hiroshima to change to the Kure Line, and our next stop is Kure - a very famous shipbuilding port city.
Passing Hiroshima's Zoom-Zoom (Mazda) Stadium. No game now - stands are empty, but maybe later today or tomorrow?
As we walked from Kure Station, we passed through a beautiful new You Me Town department store, so we stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant - sorry no pictures. (Guess we were hungry . . . ) Eiko-san on the elevated walkway facing the Yamato Museum. It's only a 10-minute walk from Kure Station to the museum - and no traffic!
The beautiful
Yamato Museum. It's been cloudy all day and has just begun to rain a little.
Stan's taking a picture of the gigantic submarine!
Wow!
I think that's Neptune - God of the Sea - or maybe Poseidon? See his trident above his head?
Eiko-san pointed at the blue building, half-way up the hillside. That's the hospital where her son-in-law is a doctor. Below you can see the bright pink You Me sign.
View of a giant sub and area in front of the Yamato Museum.
Artifacts outside the building.
Walking inside the elevated & covered walkway.
Large ship in the harbor.
Looking toward the city and bike parking lot below us.
Colorful poster outside the museum.
Hiroshi-san is the captain & the rest of us are his mates as we pose inside the museum. Behind us is the model of the famous Yamato, the world's greatest battleship ever constructed in Kure. Hiroshi-san told us it was sunk during WWII.
This is HUGE! I can only show half at a time.
See that plane on the deck?
Hiroshi-san said this battleship's technology was obsolete by the time it was completed. It burned coal. That plane on it's deck was a scout plane & was launched by catapult.
This amazing model was extremely detailed! See the little man in blue uniform on the deck?
This ship was too big to get all in one picture and it was only 1/10th of it's actual size! WOW!
There was an entire exhibit of the history of Kure and it's shipbuilding, but photography wasn't allowed in most of this area. Stan did take these of this very old 3-wheel truck. There were beautiful photos on all the walls in this area behind the exhibits.
Hauling barrels of sake, perhaps?
It's a Mazda! Stan said he took these for his friend Bill . . .
That's one of the "Zeros" like we have on display at MCAS Iwakuni. I didn't realize they were all made of metal - very heavy, but very sturdy.
And from above as we continue up the ramp to the second level.
This is one of the Kaiten human torpedo subs - sadly, it was a one-way trip for those pilots . . . We have been to a museum in Yanai that features these small subs. Very interesting but very sad.
Eiko-san patiently waiting for us above. As we walked around the first & second floor, Stan and I each listened to a radio-controlled set that explained everything in English - how thoughtful & informative!
This is the area for children to learn about maritime science. WISH my grandchildren were here!
But of course with Stan & Hiroshi-san playing on everything, it was nearly the same . . .
What a great museum! We're walking back over the covered, elevated walkway toward the train station. What a convenient, safe way to walk above the traffic!
Beautiful garden below us.
Pink sakura snow.
Back inside Kure Station, it's time to board our train for Ohkunoshima!
Looking across the tracks at a train on a different track . I love that the platforms are elevated so we can just step right onto the train.
Waiting to change trains at Hiro Station platform.
Cute sign.
Map of area. We're still in Hiroshima Prefecture. Look at all the islands!
This is a beautiful trip right alongside the Seto Inland Sea, but it's raining and cloudy today. Those are oyster platforms - like the ones we see at Miyajima.
Beautiful sakura at a station.
And bright yellow canola flowers along a roadway.
Hiroshi-san looking out the front window of our train.
We have arrived at Tadonoumi Station, but we have to wait almost an hour for the next ferry to Ohkunoshima - Rabbit Island, and our final destination today.
We are told that the ferry landing is outside and since it's raining, we'll wait here inside the combination train station & community center. Very nice area with restrooms and only a 5-minute walk to the ferry station from here. There were several HS students here studying.
Sign outside on the main street.
Not much traffic, although this is a highway. I'm glad because we're walking right on the edge of the road toward the ferry landing.
Good - we're going the right way - to Tadanoumi Port.
We turn right & walk over the tracks, where an old lighthouse still stands.
This is the "station" for the ferry. Pretty wet inside, although it is covered, but glad we waited at the train station.
And now it's time to board our ferry.
Looking out from inside the ferry at Tadanoumi Port.
It's nearly time for the ferry to depart. It's only a 15-minute ride.
Eiko-san, Hiroshi-san, and Margie on the ferry.
That's the schedule for this ferry.
Beautiful views even though it's raining today. At least the seas are calm.
Passing another ferry.
Eiko-san looking out the window as we approach Ohkunoshima - we didn't know it at the time, but that bright blue bus is heading to the landing to pick us up and deliver us to the hotel.
One last look back at our ferry from the pier.
After a very brief bus ride, we're inside our hotel looking out.
Beautiful, large lobby. This whole island is a National Park and the company that runs the hotels at all National Parks in Japan is called Q.
British-style phone booth, but white instead of red.
Upstairs on the 4th floor (top floor) in our
Japanese room. I love these beautiful shoji screens! Hiroshi-san tried to get "Western-style" rooms for us, but there are only 2 in the entire hotel, and they were already booked. No problem - this is beautiful!
And when you slide them open, we have a beautiful view of the large lawn and the sea beyond!
Wow!
Wow!
Stan on his bed. Hiroshi-san has kindly asked at the desk for us to have cots delivered to our room so that we don't have to sleep on the tatami mats, since we're not accustomed to it. I would probably STILL be trying to get up if we had . . . The fitted sheet is on the bottom of the down comforter for cleanliness, instead of a separate sheet. The bed is always hard in Japan, but very comfortable.
It's dinner time, so after we unload our stuff and refresh, we're headed to dinner. Dinner and breakfast are included in our room, and they are buffet-style. Yum! This is only one of the buffet tables.
Click this link for more fabulous food photos. Japanese food is always beautiful AND delicious!
I'm trying to eat healthy, but too many tempting goodies here.
This is one of Stan's plates - see the cute green "package"? It's rice tied up inside a leaf. And see the shellfish? Hiroshi-san LOVES theses & suggested Stan try one. Can't remember what it's called though.
They were a LOT of work to pull out of their shell (yes they ARE cooked), but Stan finally got the creature out! He said it was delicious, but a little chewy . . .
Desserts - and even a chocolate fountain!
Stan in front of the gigantic bunny photo in the lobby. Right after dinner, we all retired to our rooms and then went for a nice bath in the 2nd floor onsen (men & women separate of course). No photos allowed, but be sure to check this out -
a link so you can see how nice the baths are! It's been a fun, but long day & the bath always is so relaxing! Can't wait to see what's in store for tomorrow . . .
Click "Older Posts" below right to continue with this story & see the real bunnies!
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