An unexpected stop, Nagasaki

Nagasaki

Because of local laws and the fact the while sailing we were inland, we were shut off from the Internet throughout out time in Japan until we left Nagasaki.  I am a few days behind and hope to catch up soon!

Nagasaki was an unscheduled stop due to Typhoon Wipha.   Originally we were to stop in Okinawa, but the rough seas made the trip south along the eastern Japan coast too dangerous.  Instead we had scenic cruising through the Inland Sea then down to Nagasaki.  The Inland Sea had many small mountainous islands with several bridges visible throughout the day.  It was very pretty.  I sat up in what is known onboard as the Crow's Nest, a large lounge area at the front of the ship with floor to ceiling windows and read a book while admiring the views.

We reached Nagasaki around midnight and were able to head out as soon as we were cleared the next morning. We ate breakfast, packed a day bag then headed out to explore Nagasaki. Nagasaki has a great trolley system which was very easy to navigate and would take you throughout the city.  At the port bought a day pass for 5 yen each and we could get on and off different lines all day.







The port area is very nice, as it sets on a large park area where it looks as if they were setting up for a big farmers market when we returned later in the day. Many we're out walking with children and dogs.

We walked to the nearest stop and hopped a trolley to the Peace Park.  The Peace Park is very large and encompasses the Park, ground zero, and the Atomic Bomb Museum. We started at ground zero which was the center of the explosion. There were plaques depicting the timeline and what happened that day, as well as a section of undisturbed land covered by glass as it was left after the explosion.

Next we went to the Atomic Bomb Museum. This museum held many relics, pictures and small exhibits regarding that day as well as on the atomic bomb and it's consequences in a more general sense. The relics and pictures were very graphic and disturbing. The museum was filled with school children of all ages on field trips. It was quite a sad place as can be imagined, but also a good reminder of the actual pain, death and destruction that can be caused in an instant.

 

 

We then walked up through the Peace Park. This park is full of beautiful smaller statues donated to peace, from all over the world. The main attraction of of the park is a beautiful fountain and large blue colored statue of Peace. The park is beautiful, open and full of flowers. Groups of children were lining up chanting "songs of peace".

 

 

After we spent some time looking at all of the donated statues, we decided to hop the trolley and head toward the other end of town to the shopping arcade and Chinatown.  We explored the shops at the arcade and bought a few souvenirs, then browsed through Chinatown. For lunch Ty and I split a McTeriyaki at McDonalds (it looked interesting and was not something available in the US.) then grabbed an ice cream in Chinatown. I had the standby Green Tea soft serve, while Ty had one called "soda" flavor. It was actually really good!

By then we were both very tired and decided to head back toward the ship. Though the port was unexpected and not planned for by us, we ended up finding quite a bit to do and see and it was a great day.