The morning has arrived, and I have arrived at Miyajimaguchi station, making my way down a coastal road toward my hostel, feeling glad that I didn't pack my bike for this trip. Half way there, I'm unable to bare the pain in my hands any longer, I wear my overly warm gloves to cushion my hands against my bag straps. After turning a corner, I see this little concrete building that would be my new abode. I hope it's warm inside. I open the door, shoes off, slippers on. Another friendly welcome and another accommodation place that has an afternoon check-in policy.
"Yo, have you had breakfast yet, kid? There's this great bakery close by. Come on, I'll show you." Such hospitality in the morning is surprisingly.
With my things neatly dumped on the floor of the common room, I follow my host to the cute country cottage themed local bakery.
"Hmm. They're normally open by now," my guide exclaims as he looks through the front window "Wait, I see someone. Obasan! You open?" After the auntie inside opens up the bakery's doors for me, my host leaves me to buy some breakfast as he goes off to run some morning errands. I'm sure you'd believe me if I told you that there wasn't a thing inside that you would pass up, given the means, but I'm on a budget, so a modest mix of 5 buns and rolls with a strong latte it was for today.
Back at the hostel, with a strong milky coffee taste lingering in my month, I'm about to pass out at the dinner table. "Ohaio!" The hostel was beginning to wake up, what was to be six of us, so I bid those around me good-day and walk the block to the ferry terminal to sail the morning waters for Miyajima Island.
The grounds of the island are still moist from the evening dew, and the shoes I'm walking in are still fresh from when I bought them in Osaka. That's cool, I packed a spare pair that I'm willing to have dirty. The moment the zips on my bag open, they're there. A family of deer. What I assume are; papa, mamma and little kiddy deer. I should also mention that I packed my bag with the remaining baked goods I didn't finish off at breakfast. Like zombies they approach. Slow and nonchalant but in such a way you believe they'll just walk on past. But they don't. I now forget which one dived in first, but which deer it was, my innocent curry bun didn't rise a chance to it. Juggling my two cameras and exposed bag, I escape with half my lunch lost as a sacrifice for the safety of my more valuable goods. Clutching my bag and looking down at the deer, mindlessly eating my former lunch, I admit they deserved the bun more than me. Bloody cute animals, they are.
***
Idiotically, being use to the brilliant battery life of my old D60, I didn't recharge my camera's battery before heading out. So the rest of my day is digitally lost for me to share with you. What I can tell you about my hike up Mount Mishen, was I finally witnessed snow. Of course I've seen snow before. I've been to the snow mountains during the Winter season at Mt Buller, but seeing fresh flakes of snow fall onto the leaves around you, and subsequently on you, is an awesome experience.
PS. When you're making your way up a mountain's walking path, and you see a path going off on a tangent to the one you're currently on - take it.
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