After staying in the concrete jungles of Beijing & Shanghai plus our emotionally heavy visit to Hiroshima, I was super excited for our day trip to the majestic Miyajima Island.
It was a quick ferry transit & we immediately got views of the infamous Torii Gate, which seems to be floating during high tide but allows revelers to walk up to its massive base during low tide.
Most of our group chose to partake in a traditional tea ceremony & calligraphy class, but I knew this was a day that needed to be celebrated outside by hiking to the top of Mt. Misen. It was a steady 2 mile climb with seemingly endless uneven stone steps. But I hadn’t a care in the world, so I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge.
En route, there were numerous traditional Japanese bridge crossings & temples to appreciate. I always try to find a lunch spot near the summit, so parked myself on the cliffside rock face & throughly enjoyed my peaceful perch high above.
I bounded down the mountain with limitless energy & end-capped the journey by trying some of the local street food & creating my own custom chopsticks. After 29K+ steps, I enjoyed the breeze & bench break on the return ferry before stepping up to the next challenge….. solo navigating the crazy public trains to head back to the city center without getting lost.
I’m happy to report a seamless trip & I even splurged to satisfy my tempura craving to end another awesome 15 hour adventure.
FearlessAdventures 