Tuesday 10 April 2007

Himeji's Kooko-en park, and bullet train to fancier digs in Hiroshima - Mon 8 Apr

I went to Kooko-en park, just west of the Himeji castle. A carefully sculptured garden built around water features, waterfalls and a carp-filled pond, it was peaceful and cosy.




The huge carp were holding a gathering in one corner of the pond, conveniently for photographers.


A man with a vocoder voicebox I'd seen at the castle was here too. He would press a microphone of sorts to his throat, and a sing out a string of robotic speech at one pitch. Very cool to hear!

While I was sitting on my shinkansen at Himeji, waiting for its departure for Hiroshima, another flew past on the immediately neighbouring track, scaring a little of the bejesus out of me. About twelve rushes later, spaced like polite claps, it was gone. It was remarkable. The one pictured is not that one, as you may have guessed. It was helpfully stationary.


I'm glad to say, my Hiroshima room is double the (very cheap) price of the Osaka room, but easily double the quality! When the taxi driver pulled up and I saw the the foyer, I thought he may have brought me to the wrong place. I'm on the 9th floor, and the hotel is right near the Peace Park. I think I'll treat myself to the continental breakfast tomorrow :) My word, this is quite a few steps away from Hotel Chuo New Annex in Osaka.

No comments: