Entries this day: AM Hiroshima_Bus Hiroshima_Museum Hiroshima_castle Hiroshima_hotel

AM

5:12am JST Wednesday 1 October 2003

Knotted stomach. Will we make our flight? On the train now from Tsunashima to Yokohama. Yay we caught the express train.

Still knotted.

7:13am

Unknotting.

On the plane.

Starbucks is like fifty million miles away from the gate. I thought, "if we're late because of how far away Starbucks is I'll sue Starbucks."

We weren't late, but just barely it seemed.

Not until we approached the gate did janette know we were going to Hiroshima.

Hiroshima Bus

9:06am JST Wednesday 1 October 2003

In Hiroshima now, on a bus headed for the Atomic bomb Museum. Have to go because just because.. Much more green and lush out here than in Tokyo. This is actually quite beautiful compared to Tokyo. Mountains coated in trees and bushes. Little villages like hamlets tucked in the valleys. No towering cities, but some highways and power tower lines scar the landscape.

The flight from Tokyo to Hiroshima is 70 minutes.. Maybe 80 minutes.

9:13am

We just went under a set of cameras - like 3 cameras for EACH lane on this freeway. I wonder what is being so carefully monitored.

Hiroshima Museum

12:51pm JST Wednesday 1 October 2003

Have just visited the Hiroshima Peace Museum and the other thing honoring the deceased and.. wow.

Hey Bush, before you unsign the anti-nuke thing, maybe you should come visit Hiroshima. That bomb was fucked up.

Did you know there was 50 kilos of uranium in the bomb that fell, but only 10 kilos actually detonated? I didn't. This shit could have been five times more destructive. Damn.

Certainly newer technologies would be less likely to waste 80% of their payload. Just how much uranium is planned per detonation these days?

- - - -

LOTS of little kids from elementary to senior high are out here. Many are running amok. janette and I watched a ceremonial offering of folded paper cranes to the outdoor paper crane display. Probably 1000 paper cranes were presented by this elementary class.

Soon as they were finished, the next elementary class began their ceremonial offering of 1000 paper cranes.

Hiroshima castle

2:59pm JST Wednesday 1 October 2003

After the museum we visited Hiroshima Castle, which had little remaining except a pagoda tower thing which had been rebuilt since the bomb. Originally built back possibly as early as 600s, it was definitely built by 1500s and went through a variety of owners over the years.

The rebuilt tower is steel and concrete, almost certainly not what it had been before the bomb, but whatever. They had some interesting(?) suits of armor and other collectibles on display. No cameras allowed though.

Hiroshima hotel

7:13pm JST Wednesday 1 October 2003

The hotel staff woman correctly told me how we can get to Starbucks, where I bought for Carla at work a mug that says Hiroshima. janette didn't want to buy / eat / drink anything.

I've got a bit of a headache now, but we're going to go eat to see if that helps.

All the walkin' with no water today probably was a big factor.