Day 5 - Snow, War and Golden Arches in the Old Year

Today we woke up to snow! Our first snow together. Naw! It was absolutely beautiful but by the time we set off for Hiroshima Peace Park it had mostly stopped. We kick started our day with a late breakfast at an American-style diner which we found on our way to the historical park. I (Bec) had a cheese and prawn toasted sandwich. It seemed too obscure not to have! I love it when cultures combine and you get something totally delicious that no one has thought of before. We also treated ourselves to some banana and chocolate waffles, telling ourselves the treat was OK as we'd walk it off. Really, it's just too damn hard to say no to waffles, especially when it's snowing!

The walk to Hiroshima Peace Park from our Hotel (ANA Crown Plaza) was a short one! Basically we walked one block, over a beautiful little bridge and we were there!

The park was huge and filled with statues, fountains and memorial gardens which pay tribute to the thousands of victims of the 1945 Hiroshima nuclear bombing. Each monument had descriptions of various factors relating to the event. It was extremely interesting and drew tears on a few occasions. It made it very clear that the people of Hiroshima are determined to ensure a peaceful future, but it also illustrated their belief that a nuclear bomb (opposed to a regular bomb) is a step too far in war. We learnt that many of the victims of the bombing were not only the people who were actually there at the time, but those thousands of people (many child soldiers) who came to help afterwards and over time, developed cancer and other diseases from their exposure to the contaminated area. We also found it interesting that the bomb didn't actually hit the ground, but exploded 600m in the air- this caused the rooves of buildings to crumble, crushing those underneath.

We visited A-Bomb Dome which is the remnants of one of the few buildings which was still (partly) standing after the blast. The dome was once a beautiful hall where concerts were held, but it now stands only has a reminder of the devastation caused, and the importance of peace. We also spotted another building which amazingly remained intact through the blast. The building was once the major bank in the city, and while the inside was destroyed by the 400•c heat of the nuclear blast, the outside of the colonial building is still in near-perfect condition.

We spent the afternoon strolling the bank of one of Hiroshima's many canals and then relaxed in the beautiful hotel lounge with numerous cups of tea.

We spent our New Year's Eve at a fine restaurant known as the Golden Arches, munching on classic Big Macs! Apparently this what happens when you don't book a table on the busiest night of the year.

Still love Hiroshima. Snow, war, golden arches and all.

Happy New Year! Sayonara!