Japan - pictures later

Our second trip to Japan was as great as the first one nine years ago but very different. That trip was in November, colder weather. This trip was in the spring; we had perfect weather for every day of our visit. The ship went to two different ports in Japan, Kobe and Yokohama. On the morning of our first day in Kobe we went to the Portopia, the hotel where we stayed in 2000. It was a short distance away on the monorail so an easy trip and fun for us to return there. Later that day we took the bullet train, the shinkasin, to Hiroshima. The ride was fun and definitely fast but expensive. We spent the afternoon at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Inside are two models of the three mile wide ground zero area, one on August 5, 1945 and one on August 6, 1945. The second model shows the whole area destroyed by the bomb. One building is standing, the dome which has been left outside as it was on that day. 40,000 people were killed instantly and another 160,000 died as a result of the bombing and its after effects. One little boy was riding his tricycle at his home and was killed instantly. He was buried at home with that tricycle. Forty years later his family buried him in a proper cemetery and donated the tricycle to the museum. It was so sad to see, as of course, the whole museum was. Some watches were displayed, all stopped at 8:15 when the bomb hit, destroyed by the heat. Temperatures were said to reach 7,000º C. It was quite remarkable to us that our Japanese guide was explaining details of what happened to us Americans. Though we were not alive in 1945 you cannot help but feel a sense of responsibility. We walked through Peace Park and left paper cranes at the memorial as so many others have. The Flame of Peace will burn there until all nuclear weapons have been eliminated from earth.
The next day we traveled to Kyoto. Kyoto was the capital of Japan from 794-1868. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the weather was perfect. We visited several places that we had seen before but that just made us enjoy them more. The Golden Pavilion is a breathtaking Temple, built in 1390s as a retirement villa and restored to keep its original beauty. The Chinese phoenix sits on top of the temple. From there we went to Nijo Castle, the shogun castle built in 1603 with its manicured gardens. We enjoyed lunch at Maruyama Park. I took many pictures as I enjoyed the area and its shrines, gardens, and people. Later we went on to the Heian Shrine, a huge shrine surrounded by gardens and water. It was spectacular, built in 1985 to commemorate the 1100th anniversary of the founding of the capital. Back on ship we watched Lost in Translation again; some of the filming was done at the Heian Shrine and in the gardens there. Our final stop in Kyoto was Kiyomizu Temple. It was a long walk to the top and the views of the entire city were well worth the hike.
We stayed on the ship for the one day trip to Yokahama, though many chose to find places to stay in Japan. I still needed rest from the pneumonia. I do seem to be well now. Yokahama is the third largest city in Japan. Its parks and streets were filled with cherry blossoms too. We saw quite a bit of the city. On the first night we screamed with the rest of the crowd at the baseball game, Yokahama Bay Stars vs. Tokyo Giants. The Giants won 9-2 but that did not discourage the Yokahama fans. A male cheerleader works each section of the stadium, getting the fans to join in cheers, songs and claps, but not the wave. People clap plastic megaphones, beat drums, blow trumpets and wave flags. It is a hoot.
On our final day in Japan we went to Mt. Fuji and Hakone. Mt. Fuji is 3776 m high. It last erupted 300 years ago. 68% of Japan is mountainous and it is some of the prettiest scenery that we have ever seen. The peak is permanently snow capped. We could not go all the way up as hiking season is limited to July and August. We did get to the mid-point and walked in some snow. In the afternoon we visited Hakone National Park. We took a lift to the top where the views of the area with its lakes were fantastic. We ended the day with a boat ride across Lake Ashi. It really does look like The Sound Of Music country.
We are back on ship now with eight days of travel until we hit Honolulu. The students are studying for their second Global Studies exam and I am resuming yoga. Upcoming events are an auction and a talent show. The big end of voyage event is the Ambassador’s Ball after Honolulu.