Day 30: Hiroshima to Miyajima: A gruelling ride to Shrine Island
Not so gruelling, actually. This was virtually a day off from the saddle: merely a flat 15 mile ride along the coast to the ferry terminal for Miyajima, one of our favorite stopovers of the tour. Miyajima is a small island just off the coast, separated from Honshu by perhaps a few mile-wide strait. It's a very famous place, and commonly referred to as one of the three most scenic spots in Japan (they number everything - 3 best castles, 5 best shrines, etc). It well deserves its rating, and is very beautiful and fascinating. Miyajima is apparently not its actual name (it's Itsukushima); but Miyajima (meaning shrine island) has been adopted as being the more descriptive. It is best known for Itsukushima shrine, which is right on the bay; and for its famous huge torii gate perched well out in the open water. The bright red gate, subject of probably a billion photographs and posters, is a very dramatic and lovely structure from all directions, in all lights. The bright red shrine is also very lovely though - it's perched atop of posts much like a waterfront dock, and at high tide is largely surrounded by water. If this wasn't enough, there is also another bright red 5 tiered pagoda nearby, and tame sacred deer walking around everywhere as they do in Nara. Away from the waterfront and up the hill is Daisho-in, a riotously colorful Buddhist temple. The walkway to the temple is a long staircase lined with bright, colorful banners and centered by a row of engraved brass prayer wheels. There are curious groups of little Bhudda statues along the way, some very quaint and humorous. One of the main buildings in Daisho-in contains a huge painted sand mandala that was created on site (of course, since you couldn't transport it) by monks from Tibet, in preparation for a visit by the Dalai Lama.
Five tiered pagoda, and the highlands of Chugoku across the sea.
