May 10th. Hello Busan.

 As you know, today we left Japan and flew to Busan. Meghan and suitcases on the train. It didn’t last.

What can you say about waiting for an airplane?

Duty Free doesn’t mean cheap. But still. 

Our Cole Love grandson look alike. Really. With beard. 

How Meghan flies. 

Busan here we come. I mean here we are. After a ride from the airport to our hotel with a very chatty taxi driver we arrived at our hotel a little before 2:00pm. 

Rooms not quite ready but who cares. 

From our window  

Meghan enjoying an ice coffee, but the homemade Strawberry ice cream was to die for. Ordered it twice. 

Guess who with a croissant?

The lady of the harbor statue. 

So we still had to eat dinner so we went to a place not far that we had been to a month ago. It did not disappoint. 

And then a stroll along the boardwalk and home. 

Discussion about how tall this building is. 40? 50?  

Only one way to decide. Meghan and I go in. Mary Ann to hotel. 

And the answer is. 100 stories. 

Did I mention that they have a sky bridge. Glass you can walk over 100 stories up. Yes I did it. Several times. 

Meghan no fear. 

Foot showing way down. 

After all that it was tome to descend one more time today and go to bed. Tomorrow we go to my favorite temple. 

May 9th. Baggage, Buddha & Burgers

 Woke very early because Meghan and I were riding on a train to see swords being made. Well actually we were both so tired of traveling on trains, we both canceled. She ate breakfast later while I slept. 

Did I say tired of trains? Woke up and decided to get our luggage that was in storage in Kyoto. So Meghan and I boarded a train Kyoto. Get off and since we will need small bills to pay for the extra time, I have Meghan buy us 4 Tasty Cream Donuts. To be eaten when the lockers are found. It took some time since Kyoto is one of those confusing stations. 

We retrieved them and were on our way back to Nara hoping to get to the largest buddha and wooden structure in the world. 

On the train back, I had to be on the lookout for Godzilla. 

We made it back, put the luggage in lockers till tomorrow and got a taxi to Buddha. 

The Buddah closes at 5.30 pm and it is 5:15 pm. I send Meghan running on ahead so at least she can see it. I did some 50 years ago. I do make the ticket office in time but no Meghan. Get ticket hoping Meghan went on ahead. 

Meghan calls me as I get to the building. Here is Meghan at a smaller Statue

Meghan and the Great Buddha. 

Nice thing about being last. The closing of the doors. 

So we walk towards town, get a taxi to the train station and walk to find something to eat. 

Guess what we found?  

And that is Baggage, Buddha, and Buggers. 

Goodnight 

May 8th. Miyajima to Nara

 Sounds simple enough. But Japan train stations are really hard to figure out. Seems like you need to know who owns and runs the railroad and what the last station is. And then one of us looses the ticket that will get you on free. So they have to buy a ticket for every time we board a different train. 

So we said goodbye to Miyajima early and that was sad but wise. 

The Tori is in the water now at high tide.  

Even the deer were still sleeping 

A scroll in our room that Mary Ann thought looked

Like Shakespeare 

We took a fancy tour train from Kyoto to Nara. The conductor didn’t want to let us on because he had never seen electronic tickets before. The lady who sold me them straightened them out.

Went to see big buddha and wooden building but it closed 10 minutes before we got there. 

Michael wanted the deer of Nara to bow to him. 

Lucky for us that it was closed because we found the best sushi bar tonight. It had a total of eight chairs and we got three.  

And a nice walk home. 

 

Goodnight. 

May 7 th. Travel day

 It never helps to get a late start on a travel day, but that is what we did. But Michael jumped in and took over till we hit water. See we were going to Miyajima today an island off of Hiroshima. And we were using discounted tickets Jenna and I had purchased a few months before that had to be converted to tickets. So Michael found the right counter, but I am getting ahead of myself. We started for the train station but then opted for taxis because of all the luggage. One shows up but can only take three people due to the amount of luggage we have. Luckily another came along and followed us with Jenna and Mary Ann to the station. Meghan and I stow our excess baggage in lockers and follow Michael. 

As I said Michael got all the info needed to get us to… but wait I forgot to tell of the frantic search for Michael’s watch and less frantic search for Mary Ann’s ear rings. Open all Michael’s suitcases and bags, look thru dirty clothes but no watch. Also no ear rings. 

We arrive at the dock and just the smell of the air reinvigorates everyone. We don’t need to know what time it is our have rings on our ears. 

Yes we went back to Miyajima with grandchildren because we loved it so much all those 50 years ago. And it really hasn’t changed that much. Maybe a little more touristy but I saw the same wonderment in their eyes that I know were in ours way back when. 

So Meghan settles into her room and us into ours. That means that Michael and Jenna are in a different hotel. It is around the bend as they say but has shuttles here to the shrine and village. 

 

Above is the view from Jenna and Michael’s room!

Here is the view from our room. 

Unless you look a little left. 

Meghan, Mary Ann and I go grab something to eat. Curry rice for Meghan, and Mary Ann and I split eel&rice. And a beer of course. 

We then met Michael and Jenna and walked out to the famous tori in the water. 

Yes there are deer roaming everywhere on Miyajima. 

We talked to Meghan but none of us were especially hungry so we decided to just nibble on the things we took for the trip here and were not eaten. Plus I had bought Macha Mocha and besides the couple that Meghan ate, I jad the whole box. Watched the lady pack them after I bought them so I knew they were fresh. 

And to make the day just a little brighter, Michael’s

watch and Mary Ann’s ear rings were found at the house we just left and we can pick them up when we are in Japan with Patricia and Jonah. 

So as the last Ferry pulls into Miyajima for the night (well maybe not the last) we say goodnight to another fun day with grandchildren. Tomorrow we go to Nara.