8.07.2009

Eclipse



Although it was forecast to be cloudy... the sky partially opened up for us for the eclipse. From hiroshima it was 80% or so covered... and I think this was my first solar eclipse viewing.

On our way down... 3 bikes 4 people..


It was kinda on and off cloudy...




but the planetarium supplied some equipment for the viewing, which was really cool


Like these lens that let you stare at the sun


... shoot! Forgot my eclipse glasses.


Here's Bom and his daughter... we were at his bar the night before.


And they also put out a kids' play area for the really little one that had no interest at all in what was going on.


After a few minutes of looking... we went inside where they showed live broadcasts from various parts of the world... and I gotta say... a total eclipse would be really, really cool... it looks like sunrise/sunset 360. I had no idea...

Check out this guy... nice ride.


p.s. we're in Busan, S. Korea now... Lovin' Kim & the Kim Chee...

I <3 Okonomiyaki.



Hiroshima is famous for Okonomiyaki. Like many Japanese dishes, there are regional variants, and in Hiroshima... ingredients of Okonomiyaki are layered instead of mixed all together.

Becca took us to her favorite Okonomiyaki place as soon as we arrived in Hiroshima, Lopez... (that's Fernando Lopez above) I think I talked about this... but after trying 4 or 5 other places... we agree. It's the cheese and Jalapeno.

First, they make the pancake...


Then the shredded cabbage is fried for a bit...


Some tempura squid bits placed on top....


And some sprouts and some pepper on top of that...


And some bacon...


And the noodles are steamed.





Any any other toppings (this one has Natto!)...


And Kim Chi! (Lopez puts Jalapenos on top)


Then the egg is cooked...


Placed on top of everything...


And topped off in Okonomiyaki sauce...


And topped with green onions...


And Voila! The best part is you eat it right off the hot plate that the chef cooked it on.


And you'll have a smile for a good 15 min afterward... then you're stomach starts a revolution... yeah, I'd say max. 3 per week...

A quick guide to Hiroshima...




Here is Becca's top 3 Must Do... she seemed to have more than these, but these are the must-must dos...

1. Peace Memorial Museum
- The museum is very impressive... I think I've said enough about it in the other blog... but the whole area is worth spending a whole day. Personally, I easily get museum-ed out quickly so it was nice going back there for a second look. Anyone with a beating heart comes out of this place a hippie... I swear... everyone goes in looking like they're from NYC... and come out like they're from Berkeley... The entry fee is 50 yen.

2. Miyajima
- Known as Itsuku-shima, this island is an easy day trip from Hiroshima. This is where the famous "floating torii is... classified (by who?) as one of Japan's three best views. The island has great temples, great walks and the most domesticated deer I've ever encountered... even more than Nara... and these didn't even need the "deer crackers." I was tempted to see how long I could ride one for... but didn't want to cause too much of a scene in such a serene environment... maybe next time. There are some nice beaches, great hiking (up Mizen takes a few hours... we didn't have time), oh.. and we saw a monkey. And monkey's are awesome... making Miyajima awesome by association. You could easily spend 2 days out here, though most folks opt for the day trip.



At low tide you can walk out to the torii


Doing repairs on the floating torii... it was built in 1168... so yeah, it requires some maintenance.


3. Mitake
A quick bike ride from town...


Mitake is a shirine up in the hills of Hiroshima. Mitake literally means 3 waterfalls, and so, as you can imagine it's beautiful. This was also a refreshing place to visit as it's not a big tourist attraction (I didn't find it in our Lonely Planet)... anyway... add numerous statues everywhere... some rock carvings...


And you get a beautiful place to think for yourself. There is a spring here, and the water is supposed to be very healthy. Becca told us that there are folks who visit every morning to fill big tanks of water to use at their ramen restaurant, etc... There are also numerous hikes that start here. Two thumbs up.


Now for my observations...
... I've been constantly frustrated with people not taking advantage of the natural playgrounds which are so abundant in all of Japan (the whole place is filled with mountains, rivers, etc)... but more so in my time in Hiroshima.

I don't know if other folks noticed from my other blog post on Hiroshima... but Hiroshima is like Venice... there are so many navigable rivers going right through town. AND... if you recall ... the lanterns floated UP river during the flood tide. AND there are countless islands from the Hiroshima port... talk about a sea kayaking heaven. You could kayak with the ebb tide out to the ocean, and come back via different route on the flood tide. And if you live in Hiroshima... you can't be more than a stones throw away from a river.

And how many sea kayakers did I see? Zilch. We did see 2 river kayakers taking advantage of an artificial rapid created during the periods of heavy rain we recieved (while camping...). which is another bonus... but every time I saw the river (numerous times everyday) I was thinking, boy I'd love to be out there paddling right now... and why isn't there anyone out there? Anyway... if you come to Hiroshima, bring yourself a nice folding kayak... and you'll never leave. You could kayak before, after, or to and from work... this would be a major quality of life bonus if you ask me.

On top of this the city is surrounded by small mountains everywhere. And there are trails...nice ones everywhere... The hiking guide to Hiroshima is broken down to 2 volumes... For example, from Becca's house I can get on a trail with in 5 min... and run for 1.5 hrs where I don't cross a single road. All this on a beautiful trail.

And how many trail runners did I see? Zilch. I've passed a total of maybe 5 hikers (all probably in their 60s)... and I've run it 4 times now. Where/how are the young folks getting outside and playing? Hiking in Japan seems like an old person's hobby... and I guess trail running hasn't caught on...

Anyway, it is possible that I missed every sea kayaker, and every trail runner... but I've seen no signs of them existing. Not one car rack! At the lantern float... I kept on thinking that if this was SF, there'd be 100s of sea kayakers out enjoying the unique experience of paddling while surrounded by 1000s of wishes for a better world.

OK... my rant is over.