(30. November – 7. December 2018)
I went from the temple to Kurashiki to search for a place to stay overnight. I found a Hostel close to the river which flows through Kurashiki (pictures are coming soon). To pass the time to the check-in, I went through the town exploring and looking out for my dinner. I ended up talking to a Japanese man whose daughter is living in the USA. He invited my to try a croquette. After that I strolled back to my Hostel and decided to have dinner at the restaurant/bar of the hostel with the aim of getting some information of the places around Kurashiki. The next morning came and as nothing held me in Kurashiki, I went to the next city further west (as I have a new offer from a Host from 7. Dec, which is close to Hiroshima city).
The name of the city is Fukuyama. Firstly I went to a close and cheap Hostel to ensure my bed for the night. There I met Yukari, the staff of the Hostel. She patiently tried to explain to me some of the famous sights and opportunities to go. During the days in Fukuyama I was either busy with exploring e.g. the cities castle, the shopping mall or I was having long talks with Yukari and/or the owners of the Hostel. One day one of the owners invited me to go together to a temple nearby and afterwards to his parents home. The temple was very beautiful and when was with his parents, we have had a little tea ceremony together. I also got a lesson of Shodo (traditional Japanese calligraphy) and we cooked vegetarian Okonomiyaki together (I was surprised as they told me that I was the first vegetarian they had ever seen in their entire live). Everything was very tasty!
After Fukuyama I moved to Onomichi. On the way to the hostel in Onomichi, where I had reserved a bed, I met many nice people, asking me about my journey and telling me stories and showing me photos from their travels around the world.
As I arrived I was greeted very warmly and the hostel owner gave me a map and drew everything important onto there. Later on I met his kind wife who was highly pregnant (their home and the Hostel were both at the same place). At the first night Yukari suddenly stood in front of the hostel. We drove to a hill, climbed the stairs of a tower and looked over Onomichi at night, which was colorfully light up by the lamps at the street and the harbor.
The next day we also met up and visited many places, like a chocolate factory, a pancake restaurant and also again Fukuyama. Mainly because she had to work a little bit. While I had the chance to cook our dinner! (I was very excited, as I have lived the past days just by eating raw veggies, some fruits and bread, which was not really satisfying/ But without a kitchen it is quite hard.) So I prepared a big portion of stir fried veggies with egg for Yukari and me. After the dinner she drove me back to Onomichi.
The next day it was again time for me to leave beautiful Onomichi and go to my second host to Takehara.