Back Again and News

Okay, talk about out-of-date blogs. I have indeed returned from Sendai, and there's a post 90% done waiting to be posted, after I add pictures. In fact, here's some to tide you over:

























And not only am I back from Sendai, but I'm back from Hiroshima as well: spent three days earlier this week in Hiroshima and Miyajima with Jo, before coming back to the cold, harsh reality that is work. Bah.

The first day in Hiroshima was amazing; we had great weather, and started off by visiting the stunningly autumnal Shukkei-en (park). After a couple of hours there (it was that nice) we walked around the city, saw Hiroshima Castle, the A-Bomb Dome, the Cenotaph (the record of everyone killed by the bomb and related effects), and the Peace Museum. Sobering to say the least. Not so lucky the next day; it rained almost all day, but we managed to see the Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum which was displaying works by Salvador Dali and the Bauhaus school, as well as various childrens books illustrations. Weird.






Miyajima, or Itsuku-shima as it's actually named (for some reason), is the home of the floating torii of Itsukushima-jinja. It's famous as one of the three most beautiful (read: "popular") sights in Japan. Also took the ropeway/cable car to the top of the mountain, saw the Japanese Inland Sea, and watched it get patrolled by submarine. Just like Red October.

They also have crazy rickshaw drivers who feed deer.






Ate more than our bodyweights at dinner: Hiroshima's famous hiroshima-yaki (okonomiyaki with fried noodles), basashi (horse sashimi), and a big caesar salad. Ate lots of oysters on Miyajima as well. Oh, food.

A good trip, all in all. The shinkansen trip there and back was fun; like flying, but on the ground. I was wondering why we don't have something like it in the U.S., but then remembered that it would still take two days to get across the country. Anyway, I'll write more about the trip soonish.


Other news: I suppose it had to happen; my Lonely Planet Japan is out of date. So I figure there's only two possible courses of action: buy a new edition, or choose a new country.

I went with the latter.

It's official: Jo and I have booked a flight to England for January 23rd, and I turned in my notice at Nova last week. I have about fifteen working days left, excluding a week in Tokyo around New Years and a week off at the end for paid holidays. The plan right now is to spend a couple of weeks in England with Jo, checking out the country and potential schools, then coming back to the States to work for a few months before heading back to England. Lots of travel, but lots of adventures too. Good times.


Sorry this is so disjointed; I'll write more soon, when I'm feeling less sick...