Hiroshima onto Kyoto

Mirajami Island

Our next day in Hiroshima was a visit to Mirajami Island. The weather had improved so a very nice day, low 20s centigrade so nice for walking round the island.

The island includes the classic Torii gate out in the sea and Itsukushime shrine as well as lots of others and the Doshein Temple. There are gardens as well so a really good place to explore. We also experienced a tea ceremony which was fun. One thing we didn't realise is this is Golden Week in Japan a week which a lot of people have off as holiday so places like the island was busy.

The island also has these crazy deer which hassle people for paper bags. One wouldn't leave us alone and hassled Liz repeatedly. No way was it going to steal her lunch though.

We found a brewery and enjoyed a local beer and I was able to replace my lost Antiguan Brewery t-shirt. I also had a conger eel kebab which was delicious.

In the evening we went looking for food but most places near the hotel are small Ishiyaki's and seem to be for locals. None could accommodate our party of seven. We eventually found a Chinese restaurant and once figured out their App we shared some great food.

Kyoto

In the morning we travelled to Kyoto. After a group lunch we visited Nijo castle an impressive place built in with a lot of Japanese history. By the time we got there the weather had changed from rain to sunshine so we spent most of our time looking round the gardens. Inside we liked the pictures of tigers that were painted when the artists had never seen tigers they looked bizarre. They based then on pictured they had seen but then put them into their own style. Aparently, humans posed with skins over them hence the very weird shapes. After the castle we walked round Kyoto and the Gion area which is famous for the Geisha tearooms.

So far Japan has been impressive and not as busy with us tourists and holidaymakers as we feared. Also, not as expensive as we were expecting, for example gin and tonic £4, craft beer £5, meals just over £10.