Day 11 - Sendai and Hiroshima??

This building is so pretty, even better than it looks in pics

The monument marking lives lost in the boshin civil war

Kansenden

Zennoden, the mausoleums of Date Tadamune and Tsunamune

Love this vine action

Now Sendai Castle

Well, where it was at any rate

Has a nice view of the city

Some visually neat monuments

This red on bridges is the best.

This one still has a green vine going up

The shrine on the grounds

Back to the station because I wanted to sneak in some shopping

I have to say I think the sightseeing bus that Sendai has is pretty cute in terms of name

Wait I missed a chance to get stuff signed by Shinkai by like 10 days we are pissed

I went into this store after a bit and it was a huge mistake because they had a stand full of Shinkai works after I'm riding the movie high...

Hm

I should have gone back to buy these books later so I don't have to carry them around... 🙂

Random omurice and pancake, that's an easy 2 check marks

Might have to eat fast, I'm close to the station but the train leaves in 49 minutes, I mean, worst case I can reschedule the train but I'd rather not get there toooo late

There being... Hiroshima is the leading candidate for now

Oh it's fast, we should be good, here's the omurice, it's with a beef stew sauce, pretty tasty

And pancake! Berry ver.

On the Tokyo bound shinkansen, should be an hour thirty ish. Now to research where to sleep...

But first some shinkansen video action

Booked a place for Hiroshima, some random hostel that had a 9.2 score and was only $20 a night, INSANE value as long as it's not completely terrible

Seems decent enough? I dunno about that crossed out price being real but

Tokyo and switching trains

On the train to Kobe where I'll switch (because while this one gets to Hiroshima it takes like 30 extra mins due to not being as express), that should be in around 2.5 hours from now, then arriving in Hiroshima like in an hour or so after that + transfer so in around 4 hours

The East-West Tokaido (non-Nozomi trains) are noticeable older I think than the North-South Tohoku ones, also in the last 30 mins I've seen 4 attendants walk through and one cop vs not one attendant ever on Tohoku save for those offering snacks

Glad I didn't try to sneak into the Nozomi express that isn't covered by the JR pass after never seeing anyone checking the trains at all on my way down to Tokyo, I had briefly considered it but it only saved like 40mins

Oh no, guy that sat next to me is a smoker, of course smoking on the train is banned but... Ugh, his clothes reek (it's reserved seating so I can't just move around)

Also their wifi sucks compares to the Tohoku ones... Just easier to turn it off

Alright, one stop to go before transferring, since I cheaper out at Hiroshima I'm 100% boolin' with my Tokyo hotel for the last 3 nights, it should be an.... interesting hotel 😋

At Hiroshima now! Time to hostel

It's not bad for $20

What kind of fool would use these measly showers when there's a public bath but 20mins away

Night Hiroshima

It's a bit weird that this is the first time I've spent time in a city I went to in my previous trip

If it's open until 1 anyway, the bath, night as well eat something and there's an Okinawan food place close to it so...

Getting some Okinawa soba and umibudo, some kind of algae

Good sign, she asked if I can eat them if I get a large quantity of soba, don't mind if I do

The umibudou (sea grape) had a really interesting mouth feel and nice flavor

Okinawa soba had nice noodles but was more a nice ramen-y dish than anything else

The funnest part was talking to a guy sitting next to me that delayed me from going to the bath for like 30 mins, I'll talk about it more later but it was a lot of fun, right now bath before it closes