Loving the A-bomb Dome

Hiroshima is one of the two cities that the USA dropped an atomic bomb on in 1945. At first impressions, the city is quite international with a lot of tourists buzzing around. Being tired, dirty, and hungry, I got busy looking for a place to stay. I opted for a cheap hostel near the Peace Park and A-Bomb Dome. With a lot to see, I planed on being in the city for at least 2 days. to give myself time to regroup and energize.

After wolfing down some tsukemen, noodles in spicy sauce with pork, I checked into the hostel at 3, showered, and fell into a deep sleep. I woke around 7 and strolled through Peace Park on my way to an Internet cafe. The A-bomb dome is looms at the north end of the park just to the left of the epicenter of the blast. The park surprisingly flat and has more concrete than plant life and is much different than Nagasaki's, which is a labrynth of hills and greenery.

The flat expanse of concrete and stone has a river bisecting it and park benches and grass toard the periphery. Besides the skelleton structure of the A-bomb domb, the most eye catching landmarks are the love hotels flickering toward the edges of the park. Lovers converge on the river to sit on the benches and hold hands. I found the park to be very romantic and warming at night. The irony of future romance and love making taking place near an epicenter of destructive history was quite uplifting. Like the A-bomb dome, the park is both haunting and heart warming.

I'll take my time tomorrow to go to the museum and catch up on the history of Hiroshima after getting more of those noodles for lunch!