japan- part six

 after touring the peace memorial museum in hiroshima, we took a train, and then a ferry to the island of miyajima. it is famous for this beautiful torii gate.

this was another moment on our trip that was just so surreal! i wanted to pinch myself, i couldn't believe how fortunate we were to be in JAPAN! it was the most beautiful day, and the scenery was so exotic. not to mention there is something about being on the water, and in a ferry that is just magical.

then, we get on the island, and there are tame deer! they were everywhere, hanging out in the crowds of people, eating scraps of food, napping in the landscaping... amazing!

 unfortunately, the torii gate was being renovated, so we didn't get a good view. but it was hard to be too disappointed on such a gorgeous day.

we saw some other beautiful sights instead, and just enjoyed the atmosphere and being together. it was fun to be there just as couples, and have a chance to catch up and reconnect.

isn't this pagoda beautiful!? it was so striking. you could see it from the ferry, and we knew we wanted to hike up to it for sure.

we had such a great little trip-within-a-trip! equal parts sobering (hiroshima) and happy-beautiful (miyajima).

i also really loved traveling on the shinkansen,  i think i mentioned how cool it was to see some of the countryside, but i was also really excited to be passing through the area that my oldest sister served a mission in! 

 here is a picture at the stop. okayama.
it was so surreal to be in the same place that she was in so many years ago. i would never have imagined that i would someday travel to this country.

i took so many pictures from the train window, thinking that maybe she would recognize something! 

she was the first of my sisters to go on a mission, and i think i maybe felt more connected to her/her mission because of that, and because i was so young and less involved with my own life!

i just have to give some cred to my awesome sister-in-law, jen. she is such a rock star at planning/organizing things! she had everything ready to go for us- the best things to see, places to go, places to eat, etc.
we loved spending time with them, and will remember this trip forever!

p.s. there is still more to come! hope you're not getting tired of it!

see more here: part one, part two, part three, part four, and part five