days....I don't remember, too many now!!

We've been having so much fun that I've been too excited and tired to write everything down!!

The morning we left for Hiroshima I chose to sleep in a bit as I was fairly under the weather. I'm glad I did because we had early rain showers, so I stayed nice and dry. A few braved the weather to see the nearby gardens, but reported that the rain made it difficult to see it at its best.

We then boarded a bullet train and headed to Hiroshima! Of all the urban cities we have seen so far this city is my favorite. The people are incredibly kind, everything is nice, and there are lots of things to see. The train ride took up the afternoon so once we checked into the hotel we went out on the town to get the local food, okonomiyaki, which is an 'as you like it' noodle pancake. It was DELICIOUS!!! We then split off and us younger ones went out for karaoke! It was incredibly fun, and we had a great time belting out songs and laughing.

The next morning we could chose one of two destinations, either the Mazda factory museum or the island of Miyajima. I wanted to go to the Mazda factory but am glad I picked Miyajima. This island is home to the massive red torri gate that appears to be floating in the sea during high tide. And the entire island is truly picturesque. We spent the morning and early afternoon wandering a beautiful temple complex in the hills and shopping around the city. Also, they had friendly deer!!

Once back into Hiroshima we were given free reign to view the Peace Park and Museum at our own pace, which was a wise choice as it was a difficult afternoon of learning. Of course we all know that a nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima during WWII, but this museum showed exactly what happened when that bomb hit. I have never felt saddened towards my country before, but at the end of the route through the museum all of us Americans agreed that we felt immensely guilty. The stories of the children who were affected were especially heartbreaking.

On that note, we then had a relaxing evening of some Indian curry and some more wandering about the shopping areas before turning in.

Kurashiki

The next morning we left for Kurashiki and arrived before noon. We mainly used the city as a hub for smaller excursions, and I chose to go with the group to take a bike ride through the countryside. We had a 12 mile ride through the rice fields, small towns, and hillside themes and shrines. It was absolutely beautiful, and I'm really hoping that if I get the teaching position I'm applying for that I am posted to a school out in the country.

We got back into Kurashiki around dinner time and I chose to skip dinner and instead spend the evening to myself and get a very early bed time, as today we are heading to Kyoto!! I wanted to be well rested and ready to go, there is so much to do and see in Kyoto :)