After using the "do you speak English" method of distraction, I hopped on the wrong train to my hostel. I went about 20 minutes in the other direction. My eyes started to brim with tears of exhaustion. My trip to Hiroshima was beginning to feel like the descent down Mt. Fuji. I made it to my hostel at about 10:30 PM. The hostel was really nice and their was a Japanese girl in my room who invited me to a festival the next night. I felt half asleep but made the promise I would try and make it if I had time.
The next morning I walked to the nearby Peace Memorial Park. The location of my hostel, the park and the Peace Memorial Museum were all part of the area that had been completely destroyed by the atomic bomb. When the bomb first dropped some said nothing would grow for 75 years so just walking through the park felt a little surreal. I knew that I wanted to go to the museum but stepped into it hesitantly, bracing myself for unavoidable depression.The museum was really intense. I learned about the past, present and future relationship between Hiroshima and the atomic bomb. The exhibits were impressionable and the museum did a great job explaining the events prior to the bombing. One particular section was very difficult to get through. It began with an immediate aftermath display. The very real looking mannequins had flesh hanging off their skin, burnt hair and tattered clothes. There were individual stands with actual articles of victims and the audio guide told their stories. I made it until a story about a three year and I started crying. But what I really liked about the museum and the park was the promotion of peace and the desire to achieve something positive from something so tragic.
After the museum, I walked to the target of the atomic bomb which was the Aioi bridge that has since been rebuilt. It stands next to the A-Bomb Dome. Whether or not to keep the A-Bomb Dome (which used be the Industrial Promotion Hall) was a controversy for years. The people of Hiroshima finally decided to keep it standing as a reminder of the tragedy.I took the tram and then the ferry to the island of Miyajima in the afternoon. The island was lined with stores and restaurants and deer. I spent a couple hours there before going back to Hiroshima Station to meet the Japanese girl from my hostel. The festival was such a blast. With kids, balloons,decorations, games and food my senses were overloaded with Japanese culture. We watched traditional Japanese dancing, kakura, and I ate the most delicious mess of egg, cheese, cabbage, dough, shrimp and other ingredients that I can't remember. It didn't look appetizing but when Yuka gave me a bite, I instantly fell in love with Okonomi yaki.
After the festival, I convinced the girls to do some karaoke. I giggled when we went to a place called Billy the Kid. I giggled even more when they requested that I sing Mariah Carey. And even more when they told me what a good singer I was. I am so happy I met Yuka because that night was definitely a favorite in Japan.The next day I headed back to Korea. I decided to be bad and try to use my expired JR pass all the way back to Fukuoka. I felt guilty because everyone was so nice when I diverted them from looking at my ticket. I tried to justify what I was doing but I really couldn't so I figured Karma is a bitch and it will catch up to me sometime. Arriving in Busan, I instantly felt back in Korea where everyone stares and rude men cut me in line. I felt it again when I was sitting next to a man who was yakking, moaning and hocking a luggie the whole way to Seoul. He didn't speak to me the whole time but when he got off the train he said loudly and cheerfully, "BYE BYE". Ahhhh Korea....it's good to be home???
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