After an early rise of around 0600h, we got ready and headed for Osaka Station to catch the train to Shin-Osaka Station (remember that confusion?).
After deciding which train we were going to take there we headed to the appropriate platform and caught our packed train…with our five suitcases. The trip there was around four minutes, so we didn’t have to squeeze in for long. On arrival at Shin-Osaka Station, we navigated our way to the appropriate platform to meet our Shinkansen.
The Shinkansen journey was very smooth and it took around one hour and 25 minutes to cover the 320 kilometre journey.
We passed some seaside areas and there were many long tunnels along the way.
On arrival at Hiroshima, we set about putting our bags into storage, as we were still many hours from being able to check into our AirBNB apartment. We then had brunch at a small cafe and headed for a tourist bus to take us to the sights of Hiroshima.
Our first stop was the Atom Bomb Dome, which was situated almost directly below the Atom Bomb ‘Little Boy’ after it left the bomb-bay of the US Air Force’s B-29 Enola Gay and exploded 600 metres above ground level on that fateful day in August 1945. The location of the Hiroshima Prefectual Industrial Promotion Hall, famous as a Hiroshima landmark for its green dome, 160 metres north-west and 600 metres directly below the bomb when it ignited meant that the main walls were spared from blast damage as force came from almost directly above. Nonetheless, everyone inside the building was killed instantly. In fact, 80 000 people died instantly when Little Boy exploded and around 110 000 more died later from radiation poisoning. In 1996, this building was heritage listed by UNESCO as a monument to the horrors of nuclear weapons and as a symbol for peace. It was renamed the Atom Bomb Dome.
We also visited the Hiroshima Orizuru Tower adjacent to the Atom Bomb Dome. This tourist complex is an amazing place of reflection, with an incredible view over the Hiroshima Memorial Park from the 12 floor. It was very tranquil.
We then walked to the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the bomb's direct and indirect victims the victims of the Atomic Bomb. To get there we crossed the Motoyasu and Ota Rivers on the Aoai Bridge gaining more vantage points for the Atom Bomb Dome.
We also passed the Hiroshima Cenotaph which perfectly alight with the Atom Bomb Dome as well as the Children's Memorial and the Peace Bell.
Whilst there, I saw an opportunity to get close to the waters edge via a set of steps to capture a reflection of the Atom Bomb Dome. There was some green moss on the last three steps, so I knew that I needed to navigate carefully when stepping down those steps. However, what I didn’t realise was that the next three steps above (4-6), whilst appearing to be the same colour as all of the steps above, were incredibly slippery. At the first step, I slipped and fell directly with my back impacting the edge of a concrete step. The pain was tremendous and I quickly went into shock, thinking that I had just broken my back, Others thought the same when they heard the loud noise of my back hitting the step. I managed to amble back up the stairs to a park bench with the family surrounding me. As I sat there my vision began to get very cloudy and I thought I was going to faint. But soon after the shock abated, but the pain remained.
It seemed that all I could do to get comfortable, was to lie on my back, which I proceeded to do for the next few hours with Maureen by my side as Schuyler, Kyle and Jen explored the local area.
We caught a bus back to Hiroshima Station and started to look at hospital options. In the meantime, we told the boys and Jen to go for a few tours around the area as there was no point in all of us being held up by my issues. So after some convincing, they headed off to Hiroshima Castle for a tour.
We phoned the Insurance company who said that I was covered and we went to the Information Desk to see which hospital to visit. At this point, I wasn’t sure if I was going to cry or throw-up, but managed to hold off doing either. It seemed that none of the Hospitals would take me (even the Public Hospital), except one, and they wanted us to give them cash-up-front, so it was back on the phone to the Insurance Company.
At that point, Maureen gave me two Panadol tablets to ease the pain. Shortly after Jen and the boys arrived back from their tour and we seemed no closer to a medical option, so with the Panadol tablets starting to kick-in, we decided to collect our bags and head to the apartment and get some ice-packs organised. They seemed to work a treat. I also spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening flat on my back, followed by a warm shower to try and loosen me up a bit.
Maureen, Jen and the boys headed off to dinner, (Maureen ordered a steak) while I stayed back at the apartment. After a great nights sleep (with lots of snoring according to Kyle) my back was a lot better, though still very sore and my movements remain very gingerly.
Whilst our very short stay in Hiroshima wasn't really ideal, the Atom-Bomb Dome and Memorial Peace Park left a giant impression upon me and really put into perspective my pesky little back issue.
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