Japan Day 5 Miyajima

Day 5 in Japan! We're having noodles again for late breakfast and still, we didn't seem to be sick of it! I guess this is proof that we're really Chinese. The variation of noodles and broth in Japan was just too enjoyable to be boring.

Enjoying curry udon before heading off to Miyajima.

We took the train from Hiroshima and then a ferry to Miyajima, which took about an hour in total. Once we alighted from the ferry, we were greeted by hoards of other people alighting from other ferries! Miyajima is a popular tourist destination with the Japanese and non-Japanese alike. It's heavily populated with school children as well (on day trips?) and deer.

One of the main streets of Miyajima.

Tents, just in case it rains. They do think of everything!

The local deer harassing human beings for food.

Oysters are another specialty of Miyajima. We saw plenty of restaurants and shops selling oysters for what we guessed was a reasonable price.

Not a big fan of raw oysters to be honest. But I must say, the ones we had later on tasted really fresh.

Hot roasted chestnuts!

You know you're in tourist land when they charge an exorbitant amount for roasted sweet potato. I love sweet potato and yes I was tempted.

Hello Kitty is everywhere!

Once again, we stopped for a bite. We had cuttlefish wrapped in bacon and cheese and squid on a stick. Wow, these tasted even better than the one we had in Kyoto. Probably because the seafood is fresher.

2 sticks of seafood, 2 Japanese beers and 2 oysters for what was less than £7.

A Japanese couple on their wedding day!

Hahahhaha....

We continued on our way, finally getting to the temple (it's hard not being distracted by the myriad of shops and food) to view the floating Torii (Japanese gate). Here were some of the views around the temple.

It is not REALLY floating, although Someone (the person in the photo) tried to convince me otherwise.

View of the temple.

Huge!

Hmmm....I could've sworn I've seen this pagoda somewhere else before.

A very tired tourist taking a break from all that wandering around and eating.

At about 2pm, we checked into the traditional Ryokan called Iwaso. Here are some of the absolutely stunning views of the Ryokan from the outside. Despite the number of tourists who frequent the island, this area where the Ryokan is situated in was surprisingly quiet and deserted.

The front entrance of Iwaso.

A red bridge, close to Iwaso, overlooking a stream.

Love the rocks and the stream. The weather was pleasantly cool.

Once we were shown into our room, (a very traditional and bare-looking room!), we were given some very high quality green tea and cakes. The cakes looked suspiciously like the "kueh bahlul" you get back home in Malaysia (not my favourite) but filled with red bean paste. We thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon tea break, just looking out of our window and drinking in the sight of autumnal red maple trees.

Unwinding at the little coffee table with two comfortable chairs, hot green tea and cakes.

I gave mine to the hungry person seated across from me. Almost everything had the stamp or shape of the maple leaf.

Cakes weren't enough sustenance, we brought out the "laminated" sandwich we bought from a convenience store in Hiroshima. I want to know how they managed this feat!

Look at what was inside!

The burst of colours outside our room window.

You can only hear birds chirping...no humans! Very peaceful.

On the other side, more traditional-looking houses.

We then put on our yukatas (cotton kimono-like robes) and went to the onsen or Japanese hot baths. The Ryokan has its own private onsen, which can be utilised by guests only. Suffice to say, I loved the onsen very much! In fact I went twice on the day I arrived and once again before we checked out the next day! I found the act of showering and scrubbing myself clean very therapeutic. Plus soaking myself in the indoor and outdoor hot bath (completely naked) was quite a relaxing experience. Yes, it does take a bit of getting used to, after all, it's not everyday that you are buck naked around other people.

My Fiance, looking very uhh...serious, in his yukata...

...showing us how to tie the knot properly.

In my yukata.

The full getup, including the little cloth bag to carry my belongings and the makeshift coat to keep me warm.

Before we know it, it was once again time to eat. Dinner was served in our room itself. Here are some photos of our traditional Japanese dinner. It was a dining experience not to be missed! The food was delicious and fresh and not to mention, healthy!

The lady (who was dressed in a kimono) who served us our meal was friendly and laid out the table in a very artistic way. This is us at the start of the meal. I look tired because I just got back from the onsen.

Starters: Gosh, I can't remember what this one was! Doesn't help that I can't find the menu that came with it (menu was in Japanese though).

Starters: Sashimi! Mmm...

Starters: Very strange tasting tau foo and steamed fish and radish.

Starters: Fresh raw oysters and something quite mushroomy.

Mains: Beef steak and mushrooms with radish and special sauce. Very tasty.

Mains: Tempura with cornflake batter! Delicious!

Mains: Vegetable rice was cooking for about 20 minutes whilst we ate our starters.

Mains: Miso soup, vegetable rice, preserved and pickled vegetables. Staples for a traditional Japanese meal.

Dessert: Green tea ice-cream in wafer and fruits.

We could hardly move after eating so much! But convinced ourselves that we should wander around Miyajima island in our yukatas to take a few night shots of the floating Torii. We were not disappointed.

My furry Russian-looking hat kept me warm.

Notice the skin-coloured socks we were wearing with our slippers.

Some bits of the island were a little scary at night.

Oh what a day it was! I was especially tired out after having been to the onsen twice in a day. Our traditional Japanese beds were laid out on the floor when we got back to the room. It was really comfortable and great for straightening your back. Blisssssss...

Aaaah....sleepy time.