Kyoto - Stepping Stones

Abbey saw the stepping stones from the bus one day and she was adamant that we had to go and check it out.  So on our final day in Kyoto, it was on the bus in search of these stepping stones! Not sure its a tourist site as I could not find it in the guidebook, so we just jumped on a bus that headed down the river.  

The morning bus commute in Kyoto

And sure enough, after a couple of stops we found the stepping stones, which as it turned out was called the turtle rocks because there were a few that was in the shape of a turtle!

After the girls exhausted themselves on the stepping stones we took a stroll along the river and discovered that the Japanese don't really spend that much on their playgrounds! 

Hmmm, playgrounds needed a bit of an upgrade 

These were the scenes as we strolled along the river. 

Lunchtime was a mixture of sushi, udon, tempura and eel on rice! 

For dinner we decided to grab some takeaway from the food courts we saw at one of the big departmental stalls.  Lots of variety but we found that it was probably more expensive buying our dinner here then it was to go to a small casual eatery! 

Kyoto - Day Trip to Miyajima Island and Hiroshima

Today was a huge day trip.   We caught the bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima and the bullet train was an experience in itself as we watched bullet trains whiz in and out of the station, cleaners and conducts bowing to the train as it pulls into the platform and cleaners cleaning a whole carriage in unison and in under 2 minutes! 

First stop was Miyajima Island whichi is a small island less than an hour outside of Hiroshima and is famous for its giant torri gate in the water that looks like it is floating on water when the tide is high. 

On the ferry to Miyajima

Getting onto the island, the girls spotted some very tame and greedy deers who seemed determined to get the girls corn!

Lunch was fish burgers! 

It was also Halloween so guess what we came across ...

We caught the ferry back to the main land and then a train to Hiroshima where we saw the Atomic dome.  Hiroshima off course is unfortunately known for the city that had an atomic bomb dropped on it and whilst the city itself is completely rebuilt and bustling, there is still a couple of reminders of the atrocity such as the A-Bomb Dome (also known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial). When the bomb exploded this building was one of the few buildings to remain standing and remains as it is.     

Within the Peace Park area where the bomb is the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb victims.  it is an arched tomb for those who died because of the bomb and under the arch is a stone chest holding a register of the names of everyone who died (over 220,000).

Eloise had also done a school project on Sadako, a little girl who was 2 years old when the atomic bomb was dropped. Sadako survived the bomb but 10 years later she contracted leukemia  and it was found that the leukemia was linked to the atomic bomb and became known as the "A-bomb disease". One of Sadako's friends came to visit her when she was sick and brought with her some origami paper and told her the legend of cranes living for a hundred years, and if a sick person folds 1000 paper cranes then that person would get well.  Sadako decided to fold 1000 paper cranes in the hope that she would get well.  However, when she died she had folded a total of 664 cranes and so Sadako's friends folded the rest and formed a paper crane club and raised enough money to build a monument in her honour and its now known as the Children's Peace Monument and sits within the Peace Park area.  

Children's Peace Monument

Sadako and a paper crane

So it was quite moving for Eloise to actually see the monument with her own eyes and to fold a few paper cranes in Sadako's memory. 

On the way out we met a number of Japanese school groups on excursion who all wanted help with their English homework!