Saijo Part Duex

The thing that is interesting about traveling on your own, is that you end up deciding to do what you want to do. Which happens mostly because there's not somebody else around to tell you when your ideas are bad. This can be a good or bad thing. Who knows what sort of trouble you'll get yourself into.

Apparently in Japan hotels must clean the room everyday. On my first full day in the hotel I decided I really didn't want to go anywhere. It was one of the first opportunities I had to just sit down and rest, so I enjoyed that fully. In the evening when I finally dragged myself out of my room and went for a walk to get some food, they informed me in a manner both friendly and direct that I should let them clean my room the next day. It was a request but didn't seem quite like it at the time. Ah well.

When I actually ventured forth into the city to see where my little feet would take me, I ended up on the train from Saijo to Hiroshima proper. I came out from the station only to be greeting by a large crowd of police officers all blocking the way onto the local buses, which I had been intending to take to purchase a ticket to Fukuoka. I wondered what I had done wrong until I realized there were also accompanied by a special car full of waving people, as well as a marching band. I assume that either I am a lot more popular in Japan than I had previously imagined, or there was some sort of event going on.

Making my way from the station and basking in the glory of my own miniature parade, I was able to purchase my own tickets without too much fanfare (though I wouldn't have been surprised if there was another parade in the making).

Around the bus terminal there were large signs labeled showing the way to the Atomic Dome and Peace Memorial Park. Something I need to do ... but still couldn't quite bring myself to go to yet.

On the bus to Fukuoka I was faced with a long ride on a crowded bus. For most of the way there I listed to my Zune and tried to avoid bumping the elbow of the elderly gentleman sitting next to me. Near the end of the trip he seemed to be having some allergy problems, so I offered him a small packet of Kleenex I happened to have with me. We struck up a conversation, and it turned out that he had been a professor at Hiroshima University before he retired and moved to Fukuoka. Small world! We ended up exchanging contact information and impromptu omiyage. He seemed like a very nice fellow, and encouraged me to contact him if I had any questions about the university.

So now after my bus arrived late I am now in the home of my friend Yukika, who is elsewhere for now waiting to have a job interview tomorrow.

~Jeff