From
Kyoto I took another bullet train to the coastal city of Hiroshima. Seeing firsthand the infamous legacy of
atomic destruction was going to be one of the more harrowing experiences for me
while traveling in Japan. While on the
bullet train I tried to mentally prepare myself for what I was about to
experience shortly.
After checking
into my hostel that morning I promptly headed over to the Peace Park on one of
Hiroshima's trolley bus lines. The Peace
Park was built to memorialize the loss of life and commemorate the survivors of
the Atomic bomb dropped there on August 6th, 1945 by the United States of
America.
Once at the
park, I remember sitting alongside the river facing the eerily recognizable
A-bomb domed structure; one of the only remaining structures left standing from
that ominous day for posterities sake, and being captivated by the vicious
images of the bomb exploding near the very spot eight and sixty years ago. True as the words I speak, I tried my best to
try and imagine the destruction that must have taken place that day. Frankly speaking, I know that even my
creative imagination failed in capturing the true tragedy that surely took
place that day in August.
After
half a day's time at the Peace Park I resolved myself to visit something
different that afternoon. Although the
Atomic bomb destroyed most of Hiroshima in 1945 most of the major historical
landmarks have been reconstructed since; therefore, I was able to spend a
couple of hours visiting the re-built Hiroshima castle that afternoon.
One of my
highlights of traveling in Hiroshima was being able to take the city trolley
line throughout the city. The Trolley
itself was a little slow and probably in need of an upgrade; nonetheless, the
line was still the most cost-effective way of traveling in the city. At times my mind harkened back to riding on
San Francisco's historical trolley lines.
Another
highlight from my time while in Hiroshima was meeting a fellow person from
Chongqing. Our auspicious acquaintance
started out harmlessly enough. I was
walking through the busy street stalls of Hiroshima looking for somewhere to
order my new favorite food, Okonomiyaki, when I heard someone implore me in
English to stop at their shop to eat.
After talking with the waitress for a few minutes I was able to
ascertain that she a Chinese foreign exchange student studying in Hiroshima.
Since my Chinese
was actually deemed superior to her English we switched languages during the
course of our conversation. While
talking with my new friend I was somewhat accosted by a young Japanese man and
his fellow workmates from another food stall nearby. This group was lead by a man named
Koskei. Since Koskei's brother lived in
New York City Koskie had a pretty good understanding of the United States which
helped to make our acquaintance all the more fortuitous.
Through the
course of the evening I was entreated to drink copious amounts of Saki while
enjoying the company of my new friends from the Far East. In all honesty, these are the reasons I like
to travel abroad by myself. I am always
grateful for meeting new people in the midst of traveling who share in my
incorrigible love for living, people, and ideas.
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