Himeji and Hiroshima
It has been almost two weeks since my parents left for home. Well it was great having them, with all the noise and liveliness in the air. Since I got my driving license, it is time to bring my parents around with a different view of Japan - by driving around Osaka, Kobe and to Hiroshima (stop by at Himeji).
My father particularly likes to observe everything rather than just being a plain tourist. So while on the road, he could roughly know what is the Japanese road manners in comparison with Malaysia and other parts of the world. People say Osaka is the toughest because of their manners but I believe it still can't match the outside world.
When my parents arrived Osaka, I decided to rent an SUV so that I can pick up the extra goods. 2 luggages 2 boxes and 2 hand luggage. The taxi's boot is too small as it is taken up by its Natural Gas Tank. So I might need 3 taxis to transport all of us from the Airport Bus terminal to my apartment.
This time was the new Nissan X-trail 2.0 . My brother in law has the older Nissan X-trail of the same engine displacement and I think this is quite a major upgrade to the older model while it still retains its vehicle trademark (like of Pajero, Landrover, and Jeep).
Well its bigger than its predecessor. No more centre meter cluster. An upgrade of interior materials and a quieter yet powerful engine. It still looks the same with the old one but I have no problem with that. Keep the trademark looks, it will create a reputation of its own.
I returned it on that day itself and decided to rent a Nissan Skyline to Hiroshima but as it is costly, I decided to move it to another SUV. Not another X trail as I think once is enough for the experience. So this time a Nissan Dualis / Qashqai.
It is famous for its catch-phrase "The power of suit" which the car could turn itself into a robot - which in reality it can't !!!
The interior is rather simple but the fit and finishings is good. One particular thing that interests me is the swivel air conditioning duct which is very useful. I think it has more freedom than the ducts you find in Mercedes and expensive cars.
However, I still can't find the button for it to change to a robot *sigh*
So we left Osaka at 9.30am and off to Himeji. We got stuck a little bit in the jam on the elevated highway - the usual rush hour time. But we managed to reach Himeji at 11.00am. I got lost a few times especially on what lane to choose as the GPS Navigation is rather misleading and slow - but it served its purpose, or else I have to depend on my heart to lead me to Himeji...
Once reached at Himeji Castle (or some people call it Shirasagi castle). It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fortunately it survived the war but of course renovation works had to be done to keep it standing. I'm not going to put further details about this castle, but what I can say it is HUGE. You have to go through several checkpoints before you reach the main building. So imagine back in the warring period (sengoku jidai), I guess nobody will make it to the top alive (with exception of ninja perhaps).
Well what I know that 10 generation of the Sakai Clan have been the lord of the castle. So my mom (a former high school history teacher) joked about it as in Malaysia there is an indegenious tribe called the Sakais - "I didn't know orang sakai (sakai people) have ruled part of Japan for 10 generations , have to put that in our the history book."
Then we left for Hiroshima at 1.30pm and the journey would take about 3 hours drive. The drive was kinda tiring and of course what amuses me is the number of tunnels !!! I lost count the number of tunnels and assume that there are only 40 tunnels from Himeji to Hiroshima while my dad said 30 and my mom said 50. So I decided to count the number of tunnels from Hiroshima to Osaka when we go back.
We reached Hiroshima at 5.30pm because in the middle of the way I had to stop at a few Rest and Recreation area to take a fresh air and a good cup of coffee. The Dualis didn't really fair well on rough roads as the noise from the road and tyres are rather intrusive. What not the seats are rather uncomfortable and my mom complained that the rear passenger space is small (even for a 5ft4'). The pick up was good for such a mini SUV but it is only meant for the urban jungle. It would be great for a couple with extra seats at the back for emergency but never meant for 4 adults full time. The CVT transmission is silky smooth and you won't get those rpm drop upon gear change.
So we checked in at Regalo Hotel which is an affordable yet comfortable business hotel. The staff are really friendly and it has a very good Italian restaurant. I will definitely stay there for my 2nd visit. After checked in, had my Asr and Dhuhur prayers (Jamaa Qasr) and we had dinner right after that. Then I drove around Hiroshima at night, just to see Hiroshima's nightscene. We passed through the A-bomb dome, and the memorial park at night. Unfortunately we couldn't see anything.
What confused me was the trams because this is the first time to drive with a tram line. How to make a turn ? What to do if I'm blocking a tram's path ? That is the toughest part compared to driving in Osaka (which they don't really have trams).
It was Wednesday and the weather was bleak. Rain with gusts of wind spoiled most of the trip. So, my parents and I decided to go to the Atomic Bomb museum at the Peace Memorial Park. Well for your information, Hiroshima is known for its first Atomic bomb explosion on a city with innocent men, women and children.
In the museum there were information about what led Japan to the World War II and how this "Weapons of Mass Destruction" wiped out Hiroshima (in particular) and almost every detail about what happened during the explosion and the aftermath. Well I was told that the radiation will only be gone after 75 years (i.e Year 2020), so that means I have a slight dose of gamma radiation *sweats*.
It was on August 6th 1945, 8.15am. Hiroshima's fate is sealed by the blast...
This is how Hiroshima city centre looks like before the blast
and after
The gigantic red ball represent the initial blast of the atomic bomb which occured 580 metres above sea level. I was told that the initial temperature of the blast was about several million degrees centigrade which is roughly close to the heat of the sun ?
The explosion caused shards of shattered glass piercing through a concrete wall and whoever was in the way wouldn't have survived the flying shatters of glass.Then those who were within the hypocentre would have been vaporised on the spot leaving the shadows. Those who regained consciousness realised that their skins melted and disfigured, and were in dire thirst due to the heat only to realise that death is just steps away. Many thought that the water in the river was good to cool them down, but realised that the water was superheated from the blast, and died from the boiling water. Those who were in dire thirst ended up drinking boiling pus from their bodies and died.
The explanation was detailed and brought me down to tears as this is depicts the condition of Hell.
On the way out,I saw a few books about the Atomic Bomb especially Tales of Gen. It is just too gruesome to read as it is incredibly sickening. The illustrations alone were too awful for me and it is not fictional, it was the reality.
Then on the way out, I had a good birdseye view of the Memorial Tombstone and the A-bomb dome
Then we went back to the hotel and took a rest as we couldn't go anywhere else due to the rain.
It was Thursday and a windy one. Initially I decided to go to Miyajima but had to cancel the trip due to the poor weather. So then we drove back to the mountains and off to Kobe. This time, my dad and I decided to count the number of tunnels till we reached Kobe.
Initially we decided to estimate about 30...
but it went to 40...
my dad said, "Fine ! There are only 60 tunnels"
but we passed through the 70th
then at the 80th tunnel, my mom made noise
As we reached Kobe, we passed through the 90th tunnel...
So in total Osaka- Hiroshima- Kobe about 170+ tunnels !!! The most number of tunnels we've passed through in our life LOL....
We went to Kobe mosque for Dhuhr and Asr Jama Qasr and reached Osaka at 6.00pm.
My father particularly likes to observe everything rather than just being a plain tourist. So while on the road, he could roughly know what is the Japanese road manners in comparison with Malaysia and other parts of the world. People say Osaka is the toughest because of their manners but I believe it still can't match the outside world.
When my parents arrived Osaka, I decided to rent an SUV so that I can pick up the extra goods. 2 luggages 2 boxes and 2 hand luggage. The taxi's boot is too small as it is taken up by its Natural Gas Tank. So I might need 3 taxis to transport all of us from the Airport Bus terminal to my apartment.
This time was the new Nissan X-trail 2.0 . My brother in law has the older Nissan X-trail of the same engine displacement and I think this is quite a major upgrade to the older model while it still retains its vehicle trademark (like of Pajero, Landrover, and Jeep).
Well its bigger than its predecessor. No more centre meter cluster. An upgrade of interior materials and a quieter yet powerful engine. It still looks the same with the old one but I have no problem with that. Keep the trademark looks, it will create a reputation of its own.
I returned it on that day itself and decided to rent a Nissan Skyline to Hiroshima but as it is costly, I decided to move it to another SUV. Not another X trail as I think once is enough for the experience. So this time a Nissan Dualis / Qashqai.
It is famous for its catch-phrase "The power of suit" which the car could turn itself into a robot - which in reality it can't !!!
The interior is rather simple but the fit and finishings is good. One particular thing that interests me is the swivel air conditioning duct which is very useful. I think it has more freedom than the ducts you find in Mercedes and expensive cars.
However, I still can't find the button for it to change to a robot *sigh*
So we left Osaka at 9.30am and off to Himeji. We got stuck a little bit in the jam on the elevated highway - the usual rush hour time. But we managed to reach Himeji at 11.00am. I got lost a few times especially on what lane to choose as the GPS Navigation is rather misleading and slow - but it served its purpose, or else I have to depend on my heart to lead me to Himeji...
Once reached at Himeji Castle (or some people call it Shirasagi castle). It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Fortunately it survived the war but of course renovation works had to be done to keep it standing. I'm not going to put further details about this castle, but what I can say it is HUGE. You have to go through several checkpoints before you reach the main building. So imagine back in the warring period (sengoku jidai), I guess nobody will make it to the top alive (with exception of ninja perhaps).
Well what I know that 10 generation of the Sakai Clan have been the lord of the castle. So my mom (a former high school history teacher) joked about it as in Malaysia there is an indegenious tribe called the Sakais - "I didn't know orang sakai (sakai people) have ruled part of Japan for 10 generations , have to put that in our the history book."
Then we left for Hiroshima at 1.30pm and the journey would take about 3 hours drive. The drive was kinda tiring and of course what amuses me is the number of tunnels !!! I lost count the number of tunnels and assume that there are only 40 tunnels from Himeji to Hiroshima while my dad said 30 and my mom said 50. So I decided to count the number of tunnels from Hiroshima to Osaka when we go back.
We reached Hiroshima at 5.30pm because in the middle of the way I had to stop at a few Rest and Recreation area to take a fresh air and a good cup of coffee. The Dualis didn't really fair well on rough roads as the noise from the road and tyres are rather intrusive. What not the seats are rather uncomfortable and my mom complained that the rear passenger space is small (even for a 5ft4'). The pick up was good for such a mini SUV but it is only meant for the urban jungle. It would be great for a couple with extra seats at the back for emergency but never meant for 4 adults full time. The CVT transmission is silky smooth and you won't get those rpm drop upon gear change.
So we checked in at Regalo Hotel which is an affordable yet comfortable business hotel. The staff are really friendly and it has a very good Italian restaurant. I will definitely stay there for my 2nd visit. After checked in, had my Asr and Dhuhur prayers (Jamaa Qasr) and we had dinner right after that. Then I drove around Hiroshima at night, just to see Hiroshima's nightscene. We passed through the A-bomb dome, and the memorial park at night. Unfortunately we couldn't see anything.
What confused me was the trams because this is the first time to drive with a tram line. How to make a turn ? What to do if I'm blocking a tram's path ? That is the toughest part compared to driving in Osaka (which they don't really have trams).
It was Wednesday and the weather was bleak. Rain with gusts of wind spoiled most of the trip. So, my parents and I decided to go to the Atomic Bomb museum at the Peace Memorial Park. Well for your information, Hiroshima is known for its first Atomic bomb explosion on a city with innocent men, women and children.
In the museum there were information about what led Japan to the World War II and how this "Weapons of Mass Destruction" wiped out Hiroshima (in particular) and almost every detail about what happened during the explosion and the aftermath. Well I was told that the radiation will only be gone after 75 years (i.e Year 2020), so that means I have a slight dose of gamma radiation *sweats*.
It was on August 6th 1945, 8.15am. Hiroshima's fate is sealed by the blast...
This is how Hiroshima city centre looks like before the blast
and after
The gigantic red ball represent the initial blast of the atomic bomb which occured 580 metres above sea level. I was told that the initial temperature of the blast was about several million degrees centigrade which is roughly close to the heat of the sun ?
The explosion caused shards of shattered glass piercing through a concrete wall and whoever was in the way wouldn't have survived the flying shatters of glass.Then those who were within the hypocentre would have been vaporised on the spot leaving the shadows. Those who regained consciousness realised that their skins melted and disfigured, and were in dire thirst due to the heat only to realise that death is just steps away. Many thought that the water in the river was good to cool them down, but realised that the water was superheated from the blast, and died from the boiling water. Those who were in dire thirst ended up drinking boiling pus from their bodies and died.
The explanation was detailed and brought me down to tears as this is depicts the condition of Hell.
On the way out,I saw a few books about the Atomic Bomb especially Tales of Gen. It is just too gruesome to read as it is incredibly sickening. The illustrations alone were too awful for me and it is not fictional, it was the reality.
Then on the way out, I had a good birdseye view of the Memorial Tombstone and the A-bomb dome
Then we went back to the hotel and took a rest as we couldn't go anywhere else due to the rain.
It was Thursday and a windy one. Initially I decided to go to Miyajima but had to cancel the trip due to the poor weather. So then we drove back to the mountains and off to Kobe. This time, my dad and I decided to count the number of tunnels till we reached Kobe.
Initially we decided to estimate about 30...
but it went to 40...
my dad said, "Fine ! There are only 60 tunnels"
but we passed through the 70th
then at the 80th tunnel, my mom made noise
As we reached Kobe, we passed through the 90th tunnel...
So in total Osaka- Hiroshima- Kobe about 170+ tunnels !!! The most number of tunnels we've passed through in our life LOL....
We went to Kobe mosque for Dhuhr and Asr Jama Qasr and reached Osaka at 6.00pm.
Comments
should be voice activated la~