Camel Rides and Pear Museums.

New updates. This week was spring break and I went on a couple of trips during my free time. The first destination was Tottori city in Tottori prefecture. We rode camels in the morning and climbed a mountain in the afternoon. At the top were some castle ruins and Japanese Keanu Reeves. The next day was a total bust. Our intended destination took 3 hours to reach, so we decided to change the plans. We first stopped at the pear museum (the only one in Japan), which turned out to be closed. Then we went to a see a temple on the side of a cliff, a national treasure, which turned out to be closed. Then we wanted to go to a hot spring, but it turned out to be right next to the highway and full of naked dudes and radon. The Japanese style hotel was awesome though. Amazing Japanese breakfast. Pictures.

Also: 7 for 33.

And: Several types of sashimi, rice, boiled tofu, lotus root salad with citrus, shoyumame (basically big edamame, shelled, roasted, and soaked in sweet sauce), mirin boshi (sweet pomfret jerky lightly fried with sesame seeds), and sake.

And: Spicy ramen with egg and pork belly topping, a fried rice ball with dried seaweed, kimchi pickles, and rooibos tea.

And: Soba noodles with wasabi tsuyu dipping sauce and green onion, a fried pork cutlet bowl with sweet red miso sauce and cabbage, and green tea.

If You Have Any Problem Please Tell Me the Staff

I am not amused.

Over the weekend I took a trip to Hiroshima to hear from an atomic bomb survivor. Her name is Matsubara Miyoko. Her story is long and very graphic, but it was worth a listen. There are only about 20 survivors who are willing to speak to the public, so it was a nice opportunity. I'll spare you the details as it's very disturbing. If, however, you're interested, there are videos of her account readily available on the internet. Simply Google "Miyoko Matsubara." She is mostly deaf from the bomb, so her English is very difficult to understand.

After a heavy morning, we all took the ferry to Miyajima where we ran into more stinky beggar asshole deer like in Nara. The place is really famous for its sunsets, so naturally it got really cloudy right as we got there. The whole island closes at 5:00, so we took the ferry back and ate Hiroshimayaki. It's essentially Okonomiyaki with soba or udon. Mine had natto and, as the menu said, 'onions and ginger on them tops.' We then went to a hostel where a naked man with a one inch booger hanging out of his nose asked me personal questions while I brushed my teeth. The next morning my friend found blood stains on his sheets. Hostels are fantastic! Picz.

Also: 6 for 32, but two were Jehovah's Witnesses who proselytized during the photo...

And: Women from Hiroshima seem to really like tall American guys.

And: Fried chicken, fried pork cutlet, sweet potato tempura, inaka miso soup with white radish, rice, a salad made from flowers, and steamed vegetables. In your face.

And: Okonomiyaki with soba and natto topped with ginger, green onion, seaweed flakes, and crushed red pepper.

And: Curry rice, minced fish croquette with soy and white ginger, kimchi pickles, and miso soup with eggs and green onion.

And: A fish with a sweet sauce whose fins are delicious (Maybe mackerel? My host family called the spine a "bone cookie"), rice, soup, and flower salad.

And: Fish egg spaghetti, creamy potato soup with ham, and steamed broccoli. It tasted like tomato cream sauce. What the what?