Glory to the Shinkansen making it super easy to get everywhere in Japan in just a few hours. Though my backpack has definitely gotten heavier instead of lighter as I had hoped! I'll have to see if I can mail some stuff before I fly and lighten my load. Good thing I'm a large fellow! Though I do wish they'd make a bigger pack so I could have fit more in.

Anyhow, on to Miyajima. It's a nice small town out on an island not far from Hiroshima. About ~20 min train ride is all. You then hop on the ferry and bam, you're there. Hiroshima has a lot of oysters and I grabbed one of these babies after arriving. Cooked oyster on potato, never a mix I would have thought of.

Little look inside. Trash cans are hard to find in Japan. Not super common at all.

And a first look at the giant "floating" torii gate. It's actually just sitting on the sea floor but looks to float as it's out in the middle of the water.

5 tier pagoda right next to the shrine.

An interesting herb and tea shop I walked into. The road was lined with lots of places to shop but this one stood out considerably.

Automated line to make local treats.

There's a different breed of deer on the island to that which you find in Nara. Far less aggressive and considerably cuter looking. But you can tell they've still been given treats. I was trying to use this one's hunt for food to get a good shot of it and the gate.. but well... it stuck a little close.

The blossoms here are still holding on though you can see that they're starting to disperse. I'd really like to be somewhere that has a reall good sakura-fubuki. I think that would be some fun images to catch and environment to be in.

This fella was taking advantage of the fallen cherry blossoms that had fallen and hoovering them up. I'd try to find one that actually had a little more action but kind of hard to do without being able to look at each individual one.

Yay! Sort of!

This anonymous shadow is Beau from Holland (I'm going to be mad at myself if I spelled that wrong. Sorry! I'm horrid with names.). She should have let me put up the other pictures I took of her, too. A shadow isn't much for representation of who she is. I met her back around the first attempt to get a deer in a shot. It's a good location for getting yourself and the gate. She had also been to Nara and had bag damage from the deer trying to get into it. Rule #1 when visiting Nara = don't feed the deer or they'll think you have more.

She's a very down to earth and good person. I enjoyed my time speaking with her as she's that type of interesting person you could spend a long time talking with. She's also traveling in a similar fashion to myself where she has a month to get around and is her own guide. Choosing her own destinations and the time spent there. I loved how she has two cameras with her. One a normal digital camera you can find all over. And an older film camera for capturing that special picture and doing it in a different way. I can understand and agree with that sentiment.

I can't say how long we talked but it was nice to just sit and speak with her. I won't go into further detail as this is enough to help me remember later on. She had pleasantly surprising and refreshing views on the world and life in general. Really could have talked to her for quite some time. It was wonderful to have met her and a fun connection to have made. Sometimes I fear the world has lost a lot of the people like Beau.

Mr. Purple, aka Walking Encyclopedia - One of the interesting people you can meet while walking around. Loves summer, dislikes winter. Appears to know numerous facts about locations around the world. Also enjoys listening to metal.

Yessssss.. kind of. I'll count it. I should have had a roll or something and got it to follow me out farther. It's too bad Beau had to get back to Hiroshima. I think these are some of my favorite shots (minus the ones I'm not allowed to share) for today.

Will have to crop this guy out... Never mind walking up next to the gate and spending way too long there with a bunch of people waiting for him to leave!

Definitely liked Miyajima Island. It has a nice feel to it and a great sunset. Plus who can complain about meeting a nice person.

I'm also staying in my first Ryokan here (

http://www.kinsuikan.jp/

). Not in a Japanese style room though I went with the whole meal deal. I was also provided my first Yukata (which I still need to find one to take home and now want to even more as it's nice). I will say I feel a little dinky walking around in it by myself, though! I get the feeling all of the actual Japanese people think I'm odd....

Anyways, here's dinner. And I forgot to take a picture of desert. A plum pudding with ice cream.