When we arrived in Hiroshima we had some sights we wanted to see but we knew we had to spend some time getting our bikes packed up and shipped beforehand. The whole process went so smooth thanks primarily to the manager of our hostel, Kenji. Honestly he embodied the Japanese hospitality and thoughtfulness that we had experienced throughout our trip. He helped us with everything from printing labels to tape and even double checking our measurements and restrictions. During the rest of our stay we spent a lot of time chatting with him, overall he really made a difference in our stay in Hiroshima.
While in Hiroshima we continued our "food tour" by trying the local specialties including Okonomiyaki and oysters. We also took in the two main sites, peace park and Miyajima. Both were very interesting and worth checking out. The peace museum was especially well laid out and displayed. In Miyajima we took in the shrine at high and low tide. We also walked around the island where the fall leaves were especially colorful. It reminds us how lucky we are in Canada to have our leaves as we saw so many tourists so excited to experience this phenomenon we see yearly. We were also surprised to find that the morning after Miyajima, having hiked around a small lookout point, to find our legs really sore! More so that any day biking!
After comparing the costs for the high speed train with the bus, we opted for an overnight bus to Tokyo. It worked out great as the seats reclined and it was decently comfortable. Once we arrived in Tokyo we hit the ground running. Over the next two days we ate amazing food, walked tens of kilometers through district after district and Chad finally got to a true Japanese whiskey bar. Highlights from the food included sushi near the outer fish market where we waited in a huge line wrapping round the block to get in and tsukemen ramen style noodles. Of the districts we explored we really loved the akihabara gaming area and shibuya crossing. After covering so much on foot we spent our third day going to Disney Sea!! It was the kind of fun day that only Disney can offer. The incredible park themes and attention to detail in each part kept us amazed all day. Thanks to some planning ahead and taking advantage of their efficient pass system we got to do everything in the park we wanted to in a jam packed 12 hour day!
Today Chad wanted to check out one last museum and I spent the morning getting organized and wandering the area around our hotel (Yes, I opted to skip the history museum on the edo period specifically...) In the next hour we will head to the airport and fly to Hawaii! We will wake up tomorrow in Maui ready to set out in our campervan!! Although very excited, we are so sad to leave Japan. We will never forget this incredible experience and opportunity like no other. We biked across a country, met the nicest people, saw amazing sights, ate the most delectable food, challenged ourselves daily and furthered our own relationship by doing it all together.
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