Big JapanTrip Take Two: Love Island

An Island for Romance

No, not that show - Miyajima. Apparently it's a romantic island, perfect for couples. What did this couple do on their honeymoon, the most romantic time of their lives after the wedding vows? Climb a mountain in 38 degree heat, that's what!

Well, we took the cable car most of the way, because it was way too hot and I put my foot down and paid for both of our trips.  And it was fine - it was the smoothest car ride ever, no bumps or jerks as it went past the towers holding the wires up and incredible views. What's also fun is that you have to make a transfer - it takes two carts to take you!

View from the summit

It is a 30 minute trek to the summit from where the cable car finishes up. We took a bit longer, cause photographs and my tiny legs not handling the super steep steps! The view was just spectacular. I thought I might cry, seeing the gorgeous blue sky mirrored on the sea, with gorgeous mountains and islands to the distance with a slight mist in front. No photo can do it justice. I did take a video though, in lieu of a panoramic photo; my phone wouldn't let me do it. 😕

Along the trail are a few shrines and temples, including one which has a several hundred-year-old flame in it, which was used to light the Peace Flame in Hiroshima's Peace Park. There were also warnings of venemous snakes and bees, but we didn't see any. 😞 Mixed feelings about that. I did spot a lizard of some kind - it looks skinky to me, but I'm not an expert. It decided to come out of where it was hiding while we queued for our transfer cable car.

These are pictures from our journey up and down again.  Some are a bit out of order, because had to take a couple with my other camera and I don't want to go through and number 61 photos just so you view them correctly. #lazy

5-level pagoda

Once rested, it was time to check in at our hotel. It isn't far from where everything is, which is great. We went back the way we came and were completed with our checking in rituals by 4.40. Had a shower, got changed and headed out to the iconic torii gate at Itsukushima shrine, which is only 2 minutes away. And thank goodness it was! Got there, took a couple of pictures of the pagoda in Golden Hour light, got some of the shrine, very nice... then boom! The battery went. Four days it lasted me and it wouldn't wait another 10-20 minutes. I literally grabbed the room key and legged it back to the hotel (in wedges!) to grab my spare battery. Got back well in time. Turns out the damn sun was behind the gate and it didn't do any of its red flamey brilliance. Not even a hint of pink! Just yellow, like a sunrise. Typical. Still I think there're a couple of nice silhouette shots out of it.

Then it was time to change for dinner. We weren't sure about wearing our Yakutas this time, but the girl who checked us in told us we should do it and that it is perfectly ok to. So we did, cause we saw other guests doing it. Only there is more than one dining room, each with a set capacity. Ours had a capacity of 4 tables. Of the three sets of diners, we were the only ones in yakutas!  Oh well, it's such a tourist spot, nobody batted an eye so that's ok.

Dinner was enormous and heavily sea-food based (can't think why 😉) with sea bream as the main fish. It was all lush, but our favourite part was the bream-fried rice. We had at least 8 courses, including oysters (meh), egg custard (yum), sea bream hot pot, sashimi, beef fillet slices and clear soup. I was honestly so full that I was having trouble with the band of my bra!

It's magnificent during high tide

We walked out towards the beach again, cause the temple and torii gate are lit up after 8. I managed to get some photos, we saw deer sleeping on the side of the pavements, saw lots of other couples out and about before I got stung by something so we turned back. I'm ok, just swatted away something on my leg and it left behind a barb about half a centimetre long! Rude - it landed on me, not the other way round.

Miyajima is a lovely place to visit. It was a thoroughly lovely, tiring day.


Here are all the sunset/night shots: