Week #4

Over July 10^th and 11^th I traveled my way to Miyajima Island which is about 45 minutes from Iwakuni. Ryan, me, and three other counselors hopped on a train and then sailed on the ferry to get to the island. Right when we got there I had a “Snow White” moment when I was approached by a family of deer. The intercom people on the ferry warned us that these deer were wild, and they will eat anything you have in your hands. The intercom people were not lying when they stated this. Ryan and I were holding Miyajima maps in our hands and the maps instantly vanished when we approached the deer. They literally ate the maps right from our hands.  After the deer encounter, my group and I walked our way over to the Torii Gate. The Torri Gate is famous for having the illusion of floating on top of the water.

                                          Snow White Moment

After we were done taking pictures by the gate, we ate and then decided to go for a hike up Mt. Misen. I thought to myself that this Mt. Misen would be pretty easy to climb since I was able to conquer Mt. Fuji last year. I soon discovered that this mountain was a little tougher than I thought. It mainly steep stairs the whole way, and I found myself using the sweat rag a lot more than I originally thought. Once 30 minutes passed by, I looked slightly above me and saw two shrines and some people. I thought I conquered this small but difficult mountain, but unfortunately I was wrong. Ryan informed me we still had about 15 minutes of stair stepping (climbing). As I was climbing I kept encountering these little Buddha statues. These little Buddha statues helped keep me motivated to complete the climb. After about 15 minutes, Ryan, me, and another counselor completed the Mt. Misen climb. The mountain had an amazing view on top, and it was worth every bit of sweat and pain for me. We could see the Pacific Ocean and surrounding islands around Miyajima.

                                                                            Motivation

                                                                          On the Top!

The hike to the top of the mountain was overall very pretty with the waterfalls and the nature. Ryan and I even took pictures with a waterfall which was an adventure in itself to climb to. After the climb, we went shopping around the town for a little bit. The town had little shops with souvenirs galore. You can buy anything from key chains, to statues, to very unique hats. The last stop we made through the streets was the Fish Doctor. The Fish Doctor is a place where you can place your feet into a small pool and tiny fish will grasp your feet and nibble on your dead skin. When I first put my feet in the pool it was very hard for me to relax and let the fish nibble on my feet. As time went on, I relaxed and let the fish eat their dinner for the day. After the fish feet massage my feet did feel very smooth and I commend the little fish for making my feet look a little prettier that day.

After all the excitement with the deer, hiking, and fishies we made a decision to call it a day and head home. It was an overall great day in Miyajima and maybe one day I will come back and visit my fish and deer friends.