6000 MABA trip report – Day 11 – oh deer!

NB Apologies for the lack of posts this month – China has awful internet – everything you read about their firewall is true! Hopefully Europe will be a bit better 🙂

< Go back a day

Go forward a day >

Read ALL the days!

This morning we were off on a day trip to Miyajima. I’d read a lot about Miyajima and everyone seemed to love it so thought we’d go check it out. Its also the home of the infamous floating torii gate so I was keen to take the DSLR out for more photos.

It requires a train and a ferry to get there and on route Adam decided it was a bit like the Isle of Wight! Same sort of ferry so it was oddly familiar.

We arrived at about 11am to the port and walked straight onto one, which appear to run very regularly.

Once on the island, first stop was a coffee for Mr Barrowsmith, who can’t function without it.

There were hundreds of deer roaming the island, and we’d have a few run ins with these today!

Post coffee and deer selfie…

…we walked down the main shopping road and saw so many shops (pretty much all of them) making miniature cakes shaped like leaves, full of coloured goo. We later learned that these are maple cakes – the area is famous for them, and they are tiny packets of HEAVEN.

Dammit i’ve just realised I meant to buy more custard ones.

Anyways I digress. We also saw the most stunning koi we’d seen so far… out the back of a shop! I SHIT YOU NOT. Look at this garden!!

We also bought some tiny packets of joy, and some unknown wrapped stick things. Mine was potato (naughty) and bacon, the Mr had asparagus and bacon.

We had a few photos infront of the gate at high tide. Sadly it wasn’t very sunny at this point but its still very cool.

Next up was the five story pagoda. Its a very impressive building as the tiers seem to be only slightly decreasing in size, so physically it feels like it shouldn’t be that high. Its a really vibrant orange as well, which you can’t really see from the photos.

After a pootle around the pagoda I spotted a chicken yakitori stand (chicken grilled on a stick) and they looked amazing so I had to have one.

We perched on a wall a short distance from the stand and I devoured the sticky chicky quicker than I could take a photo as it was divine.

Whilst sitting on said wall, a pesky deer (yes they became pesky rapidly) came up behind us and tried to get into my bag! It then proceeded to steal (and try to eat) our island maps. Cheeky fucker.

Next up was the ropeway to mt. misen, which you could get a bus up to or walk a few minutes uphill. The queue for the bus was massive so we’d have had to wait for the next one so decided our feet would fare us better.

I’m so glad we decided against the bus as the walk was idyllic with shrines and streams as well as deer (less pesky when roaming a forest) wandering around waiting to be shot (by photographers. Harsh).

At the ropeway point we were ushered onto a fairly large car and smooshed into the corners as it was busy busy.

The view is like something out of Jurassic Park though its brilliant! They don’t call it the pehistoric forest for nothing…

Once up, we decided that we would walk to the top of mt misen. It was only 30 minutes and there appeared to be a lot up there. Plus – 30 minutes can’t be that steep right?

WRONG.

There are plenty of resting spaces and the view is so worth it but its hard work. Really hard work.

On route there are plenty of things to see, including the famous fire hall, and buddhist temples.

Once at the top you are met with a variety of boulders (what a reward!)

and the observatory – which actually is worth seeing. Its got seats (required) in the middle and a full 360 degree view of the area.

We were totally pooped by this point so headed back down the mountain to ensure we got time to pick up more packets of heaven. And maybe another chicken stick.

The tide was now out so you could almost walk up to the gate and touch it. I loved seeing it in the sunset.

It had turned into such a gorgeously sunny day whilst we were up the mountain that it was a really nice temperature now. The beach looked almost inviting!

Whilst ambling, we got a message from our friends over in Oz land who told us there was a craft beer brewery and garden on the island – and it just so happened that we were right next door! It would be rude not to go in especially in those instances so go in we did.

I also managed to get more packets of heaven. NOM.

We ended our time on the island with a few drinks and cakes in the beer garden, watching the sun set. Perfect.

A quick hop, skip and a jump (read: walk, ferry and train) back to our hostel, it was time for some scran, and we were sent in the direction of a dining bar near the station. One of the chefs was great – he had been taught english in high school by a teacher from Liverpool so was practising on us. We were more than happy to oblige!

Drinks – lemonn sour for me and a beer for Adam (the usual) and we both went for steak with garlic slices and veg, which was tasty and well cooked.

Back to the hostel we headed for our last night in Hiroshima before moving on tomorrow.