2023 Alaska, Asia, Australia, Arabian Peninsula Trip
Day 29/105 - Hiroshima, Japan - Half a sea day and Hiroshima
Remember a couple of days back when I mentioned the downturn in service on this cruise? Today, that all reversed course, perhaps a little too much. Crew was much more attentive at breakfast this morning and some familiar faces have been rotated back into familiar service positions. The new restaurant manager, Yuri, even stopped by to make sure we got our Coke Zero. To us, that wasn't the response we were looking for. We don't want special consideration or special treatment. We just want the usual excellent Viking service for everyone, not just us. We're hopeful that the first couple of days starting in Tokyo were just speedbumps and this new crew is finding its sea legs.
We won't make port in Hiroshima until 2 p.m. so this morning is like a half sea day, sailing past small islands and hilly landscapes.
This morning, since it was a sea day of sorts, there was another round of officer versus guest Baggo, or as the guests like to call it, "Humiliation". The officers were once again brilliant in their play, absolutely destroying the competition, in spite of Arlona's impressive technique.
 | ||
| This is known as Aki-no-ko-Fuji (Small Mt. Fuji of Aki) - similar shape, much, much smaller 278 meters high |
We noticed the structures in the water. They were all over throughout the approach to Hiroshima.
We assume that they are some sort of trap or farming system for harvesting seaweed, or perhaps crabs, lobster, or other seafood.
We ate lunch and prepared to head out on our tour, the included tour, Postcards of Hiroshima, which took us to Peace Memorial Park.
As we left the ship, I could hear someone calling my name. I looked up and our friends, Jon and Margo were watching us head out for the afternoon.
We arrived at the park which also houses a museum. Entry was not included in our tour. That was a good thing as the line to enter was quite long. If you needed to know where the end of the line was, you just needed to find this guy.
The park is built on the site of the first atomic explosion in human history that was used as a weapon. Around 6,000 people were instantly vaporized and a total of approximately 220,000 people died from the explosion or from radiation exposure.
We have visited the Arizona Memorial in Honolulu. There is a palpable feeling of reverence and solemnness there. That feeling doesn't exist here. There certainly is a sense of loss and remembrance, but the park-like setting with children and families exudes more of a feeling of hope for the future. The difference is quite noticeable and intense. The resilience of the Japanese people is evident as is the desire for peace and a sense of positivity.
The first thing you see is the Cenotaph for the A-Bomb Victims - an arched dome to honor those who perished because of the bomb. Viewing through the Cenotaph, you see the eternal flame and finally the Atomic Bomb Dome. This is the remains of the former Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall - one of the few buildings that survived the bomb. An open domed structure was built at the top. The dome survived the bombing and has been reinforced so that it will remain as a reminder of the horror of atomic war.
There is a Children's Peace Monument - built through donations as a remembrance. The large wind chime has a clapper designed like a traditional origami crane plus other crane adornments.
The park features a large rose garden with rose variations donated by countries all over the world.
Several other statues and structures dot the park.
Eventually, you reach the Atomic Bomb Dome. The bridge to the left of the structure was the target that the bomber, Enola Gay, used when it dropped the bomb.
We had free time to explore. We wandered through a large shopping district.
 |
| Today's chip flavor - raw ham and olive oil |
 |
| I'm pretty sure that "Hotel Up High" is not living up to its name |
While shopping, Arlona found a kimono. It looks fabulous. The fitting was extremely complex and took a long time, threatening our ability to get back to our bus on time. Because of that, we weren’t able to fully grasp all the details about getting it on her. There are a bunch of pieces and parts to it so we will be doing some internet research and she will wear it on an upcoming evening, so photos to follow. It will be worth the wait.
We did make it back to the bus but were about five minutes late and the last to board. I absolutely hate being the person that holds up the bus so I was not happy. We apologized to everyone, but there’s still no excuse for holding up an entire busload of folks. It won’t happen again.
We enjoyed a little time in the Explorers’ Bar before a nice dinner at the World Café. Then, it was back to the Explorers’ Bar for evening trivia with Harry. Jon & Margo formed a team with us. Our 12/15 wasn’t good enough for the win, but we had fun. Our misses:
- Bangladesh is bordered on the north, east, and west by what country, India, Pakistan, Nepal?
- We guessed Pakistan, but it is India
- What is the longest muscle in the human body? (He gave choices that we didn’t get written down)
- It is the sartorius muscle in the thigh
- What actor played Gray Grantham in The Pelican Brief?
- We didn’t know – it was Denzel Washington
Tonight, Viking brought aboard a destination entertainment event. This is a Viking standard, bringing local, cultural performances onto the ship to expose guests to entertainment they might have no other way to see.
Tonight, it was Kagura Performance, a local music and dance performance group. They told the story of an old man and woman and their daughters. All their daughters were taken by serpents except one. A hero fought the serpents and saved the last daughter. They lived happily ever after.
We remain in Hiroshima overnight and will spend the day here tomorrow before sailing for Beppu.
No comments:
Post a Comment