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And to Fukuyama. Loving the manhole cover!
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And back to Coco Curry joint just across from the hotel.
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2 nights “rest” stop, catch up with laundry and bit of planning. Not much here but cute little fishing village to the S.
Sweet old bus. We’ve seen that type of bus in museums, this one was still carrying fare paying passengers.
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It’s a bit famous for its lighthouse, SWMBO wasn’t impressed.
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Then back to the city and another day, another sweet castle.
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And we were there on Fukuyamanimae event, much strangeness at every turn but a refreshing change.
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And these were the tame shots, much weirdness was there but didn’t want to encourage them.
25th Oct 2023 9:28 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
Train from Fukuyama to Hiroshima involved a little stop at Omonichi to climb, well after the ropeway, the hill for “spectacular” views.
Missed the famous rock on the way up.
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But the views from the tops were truly spectacular!
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Always nice watching ships going back and forward, here delivering steel to the various ship sub-assembly plants in the area.
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And back on the trains to Hiroshima, next stop.
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25th Oct 2023 9:35 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
And to Hiroshima. Another day (yesterday) and another fantastic oasis of peace in the middle of the busy city. This time Shukkeien Gardens.
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And, for something completely different, the Mazda museum and factory tour. The Mazda site here is truly massive and just the drive to the viewing area was something else. No pics allowed from the bus or in the production viewing areas but it did happen, honest.
Gratuitous pics, legally, of Mazdas.
Showroom for potential buyers, getting out of the MX5 just reminded me of my age!
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SWEEEEEET Bongo van, remember seeing an Aussie car finders prog re finding a Bongo in the middle of the desert for restoration.
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Wanted to take this home but they said no!
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Last edited by DSL on 25th Oct 2023 10:22 am. Edited 1 time in total
25th Oct 2023 9:57 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
And to today, Miyagima Island, as on the beer featured earlier. Pic from just after sunset but this was our destination. Luckily when we headed out we didn’t appreciate what was ahead!
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Ferry across, incl in our tourist card.
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Sweet cats and dogs aren’t allowed!
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Who says they don’t have a sense of humour here!
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Then the hike to the top. And it was quite a hike!
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From the top.
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This is a temple where the fire has continuously burned for 1,200 years. Was smouldering, just!
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SWEEEEEEEET
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A welcome sight!
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And the world famous Miyajima Tori in the sea. Tide was coming in fast though!
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As seen on beer. Hic!
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Back on the ferry to the “mainland”.
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OK, we might be the only tourists in Hiroshima that aren’t heading straight to the Peace Park but we were there in 2019 and want to avoid all the school wannabe reporters out to interview a foreigner. Here’s a shot of the dome from the tram.
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Tomorrow we’re off to the Japanese Navy sub museum and the Yamato museum, and seeking out the best Captain’s Curry.
Last edited by DSL on 26th Oct 2023 8:15 am. Edited 1 time in total
25th Oct 2023 10:17 am
PROFSR G
Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 5075
Super pics again Del, looks like a fantastic country to visit and thank you for sharing them!
As for the 1200yr old fire burning at the above temple, and judging by it's now smoldering condition are you sure Nigethecat hasn't beaten you to it.
Keep em comin Del. yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ
25th Oct 2023 2:30 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
Nige doesn’t need that wood, he’s no doubt got lots of mine his own!!
25th Oct 2023 10:18 pm
nigethecat
Member Since: 11 Sep 2016
Location: Marnoch
Posts: 4252
Gentlemen please! If I were responsible for said fire it would be roaring away and consuming all the free wood left lying around unattended... in local sheds for example I want to see the sweets before I get into your windowless van... I'm not stupid!
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25th Oct 2023 11:00 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
And a very nautical day was had. Hiroshima to Kure, a main naval base and lots of history back in the Imperial Navy days. Of course went by ferry. Pretty much the same price as going by bus and a lot better views.
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Cheeky little Honda car carrier sneaking out of the Mazda car plant city, no doubt up to mischief. Goooooooooo Honda, though might be biased.
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And one of the Japanese helicopter carriers (officially “destroyers”) out in the bay, there were 2 more in the base.
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And the Yamata museum. Centrepiece is a mahoosive model. Lots of other info re the Yamato and Kure naval base before during and after WW2, it was certainly a busy place.
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Zero interest in this a/c. See what I did there? Along with “kamikaze” midget submarines.
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The other museum just over the road is the JSDF naval museum, and it’s not often you see one of these perched over the main road.
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But great dog “sculpture” out in front of the Yamato museum. Glad I snapped a pic as we didn’t get to see it up close/forgot about it (delete as appropriate).
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JSDF Museum was mostly dedicated to mine clearance (a much under appreciated endeavour) and, of course the sub. You can get in a small part of it and get to drive the boat, even with the movie like red lights on. Needless to say I didn’t manage to make it dive, dive, dive.
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And for something completely different, but related, Captains’ curries. Some 19 eateries in Kure that do curries approved by captains of active Japanese subs, ships and at least one base. Our choice was for an eatery that was approved by the captain on the JS Bungo MST464. Not saying our choice of curry was made by the English on the front of the restaurant, but it might have been.
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And very tasty it was too.
And then on the bus down to the viewing gallery for the fleet. More warships than you can shake a stick at and lots of pic taking opportunities.
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And on the RHS of the 2 the one and only JS Bungo. Unfortunately we weren’t invited on board to discuss the merits of the Captain’s curry!
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N of the navy base is an active shipyard that makes container ships, in the same berth the Yamato was made in.
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And a smaller dock with a warship showing off its frilly bits.
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Good Navy Day, leaving Hiroshima tomorrow on want should be, for one leg, a 3 hour train haul. We’ve splashed out on 29 minutes in a Shinkansen to do same.
26th Oct 2023 9:09 am
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26th Oct 2023 10:10 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
Before I took a pic of the carrier in dock through a guarded gate I asked, using my fluent Japanese/sign language (delete as appropriate) the proper navy sentry if I could take a pic, he thought I wanted him to take a pic of me. When he worked out that the daft tourist just wanted to take a pic of the boring grey ship then all thoughts of me being a spy disappeared. Took the pic below, which was followed by much bowing (on both parts) and I even got a salute!! Been a while since I was on the receiving end of one of those!
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Mind you, maybe I’ve clocked the secret weapon of the JSDF, navy bit, the moto! Wonder if they’ve been exercising with the Vietnamese Navy!
26th Oct 2023 10:21 am
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
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And greetings from November here in Japan.
Will bung up pics from adventures later, presently on early (07:51) train from Nagatoshi to Hamada, via Masuda of course. Gratuitous pic of sweeeeeeeet mode of tpt. Another 2 hours in this bad boy until the change, and it’s as comfy as it looks!
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PS And many really great views were had from the train out to sea. Next stop that way is S Korea.
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31st Oct 2023 10:36 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
And greetings from Matsue on the northern coast of Honshu island. Working our way N for the next week before we hop over to t’other side and fly off to the tropics.
When we left Hiroshima, boy does that seem months ago, we had the option of our usual Local trains (cheapest and slowest) but pushed the boat out and booked on one of the fleet of Shinkansen that ply up and down the lines on Honchu. Was nice to be able to follow these signs:
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And get on this bad boy:
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Well for 29 minutes anyway. Deffo zipping along.
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Was then a bit down to earth and back on the local train down to Ube.
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Felt like we were standing still!
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After Ube (not much to do there) and up to Mine (pronounced Mee-nay). The train line had been destroyed by heavy rains earlier in the summer. Didn’t get any pics but tracks hanging in mid air and twisted bridges made us glad JR had put on a replacement bus service. It’s amazing how quickly rail infrastructure looks abandoned! Mine station is looking very sorry for itself.
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Lovely looking old loco in the civic centre though.
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And the reason we stopped off and Mine was a fantastic cave system that’s been opened up and one of very few Karst areas in Japan. Luckily this was the only bear and bat we came across.
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I was scratching my head as to what a limestone area was doing in a volcanic province but these are the remnants of massive offshore reefs that were scrapped off and accreted onto the volcanic arc. Simples.
View of said Karst plateau. The Kiwis wanted to use this as a bombing range after WW2 but they were persuaded to bomb elsewhere.
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You don’t often get a geology map on the bonnet of a single seater “car”. Very useful.
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And along the main street through Mine there are loads of statues of present and geologically passed plants and creatures, this was one of the cutest.
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Once back on the coast, c/o the “Bustitution”, we dumped our bags at the station and headed to the port at Nagato for a trip round the offshore island on a whale tailed boat. Very odd looking but it was ideal for going into caves and through the narrow gaps. Luckily we had an English map as all the commentary went right over our heads!
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Good fun, and boat was full even though it was well out of season!
And to Hamada, where we made the mistake of going cheap re hotel. We went for the “Economy” room. Tiny(ish) room in Japanese style with mattress on raised platform that was slippy as slippy thing with extra slip. Glad to be out of there. That day involved a trip to a fossil beach, fighting a rapidly encroaching tide and keeping an eye on exits.
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Loved the warning sign.
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Had we checked the tide times we could have been there earlier and I’d be the proud owner of a pic of a fossilised whale jaw. That bit was cut off (hump on RHS below) and MrsDSL refused to wade out to get said pic. Just can’t get the staff these days!
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And to today. Cute single carriage train from Hamada to Odashi.
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And more great coastal views. Note blue stuff in top of pic, that’s called the sky and may look different from the sky seen back home!
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Sweeeeet collection of ceramic raccoon-dogs.
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And lots of spiders, obviously getting ready for next Halloween!
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Bit of a hike later to an old silver mine.
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It was a lot lower than it looks, luckily was just wide enough for my svelt frame!
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And geology description for those of geological bent. At least there is a pic to look at!
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Cute old village to wander through, if only to buy 2 very overpriced and not very good icecreams.
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And views from the train over the ubiquitous rice fields. Always photogenic.
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And final pic, great lake view from hotel room for the next 4 nights. Always nice to get a view, last hotel has frosted glass to hide the view of the scenic concrete wall 3m away.
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3rd Nov 2023 10:47 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
So, when you say just popping to the tropics on the other side, do you mean the other side of the street, or the world? Just askin 😜
3rd Nov 2023 12:24 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 73134
T’other side being of Honshu and to Kansai Airport then nip down to Okinawa for a few days, as you do.
Strange to think we’ll be back home in 3 weeks.
3rd Nov 2023 1:26 pm
nigethecat
Member Since: 11 Sep 2016
Location: Marnoch
Posts: 4252
!, Come on Tony, we need to get a move on ! I want to see the sweets before I get into your windowless van... I'm not stupid!
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Along with “kamikaze” midget submarines.
!, Come on Tony, we need to get a move on ! 
