Haunting Miyajima...

Our hotel in Hiroshima was located next to the Seto Inland Sea rather than the downtown core, making it an easy launch point for a quick trip to Miyajima, one of the holiest villages in Japan.

In the 800s, monk Kabo Daishi descended Mt Misen and made this spot the site for the Shingon sect of Buddhism.  Over the years, great care has been taken to preserve the town's classical Edo-era look, giving insight into what life must have been like over 1,000 years ago.  The connected Miyajima Shrine, now a UNESCO heritage site,  appears to float on the water at certain points in the day and has become one of the most photographed sites in all of Japan.  

What started off as a grey day, turned to rain just after we bought our non-refundable boat tickets and escalated to a full-fledged downpour by the time we reached the quaint town.

Unable to change our plans, we carried on, huddling as best we could under our one small travel umbrella.  Within minutes we were absolutely drenched.

Regardless of the weather, the town itself was lovely, with charming Japanese homes, well-maintained cobbled streets, gorgeous cherry blossoms and the striking orange shrine nestled on edge of the water.  The experience was made all the more sweet by the deer that randomly wander through the streets greeting all the guests.

In retrospect, we have convinced ourselves that the rain and fog made the town feel all the more mystical.   But in reality, we know that the potential flu we are likely to catch from being so wet and cold was all the result of our last minute decision to change our travel plans and head to Numazu the next day, rather than giving ourselves the extra day in Hiroshima we had originally scheduled.  Naturally, our switched travel day that we spent on the train to Numazu was stunning and bright.  And our day in Numazu poured with rain and prevented us from seeing Mt. Fuji, our entire reason for visiting....