We stayed in YAMAICHI BEKKAN and we totally regretted it!
I booked it because I thought that it will be a traditional ryokan but we were in for a mega disappointment!
The exterior of the building was extremely run down and the interior was even worst!
The only traditional aspect of it was the futon, the soba husk filled pillow and the lack of an elevator!
We had to carry our luggages up 3 flights of stairs! It had a western style bathroom!
Charges are calculated by pax -7500yen + 5% tax not including breakfast or dinner! We ended up paying around around $300 for a room, which could only fit 3 futons and had hardly any room left to open our luggage!
We took a ferry across from the mainland to Miyajima and many sailboats dotted the sea! If you are holding a JR Pass the ride on the ferry is free! The ferry timing is frequent and the ride takes around 15 mins! From the ferry you can catch sight of the Floating Tori Gate!
We went to the Handicraft Centre and we walked into a class of young aspiring bakers! They were learning how to make the traditional spongy cake! A majority of those sold in the shops had a maple leaf shape. I bought one which was filled with custard to try and I didn't really enjoy it! The cake was pretty dense and heavy and the filling was yucky!
Itsukushima Shrine
A big huge rice scoop on display. Becareful of deer poo poo! Do guard your belongings as the deers love to "steal" tourist's maps or anything they can get their mouths on! All thanks to ignorant tourist who keep feeding them all these junk! Roasted Oysters - totally not my cup of tea! Tried the green tea ice cream near the ferry terminal. The stall was on the mainland side. The name of the shop was Padre and Madre or something along those lines! The ice cream was just average, as the taste of the green tea was very weak, but I loved the mini waffle scoop which came with it.
We took the last gondola to the top of the mountain, though it was a little hazy but we managed to catch sight of a couple of islands in the distance.
I loved it when the tide retreated as it gave me the opportunity to be upclose and personal encounter with the massive tori gates. One of my favourite pastime whenever the tide retreats is to hunt for "Lalas" along the sea bed! This time was not exception and I realised I had not lost my skill! The mud will make the underside of my finger nails a little grubby however I do enjoy digging as it is therapeutical! It took me about 10 mins and I was the proud owner of a hand full of clams! Being a good citizen, I decided to return my findings back to their rightful owner!
my feet were sun kissed! Croc Tan - awful or nice?
