Nagasaki Holmes!

Last weekend was quite the experience. Saturday and Sunday we did something and explored a bit. We were a little limited for a few reasons but I'm so happy we got our foot into the door and kind of know more than just the Sasebo area.

I already wrote about Hirado but I have yet to tell you about Nagasaki!!!

So much happened...

1. Visited the museum dedicated to the atomic bomb drop. It's actually built at ground zero.
2. Saw a fight...but not like the kind you're thinking...
3. Ate in a little hole in the wall diner that was delicious! And the chef was so nice!
4. Saw a shrine
5. Tried to catch wild cats.

Yeah...seriously, I caught one. Then I realized how infested it probably was and stayed away from the cats. But they are everywhere in Japan!!! This part of Japan anyways.

Alright let's start from the beginning.

First up?! Gas stations. Yes, the gas stations. I need you to close your eyes (but keep one open to read this) and imagine your typical gas station. You pull up to a pump, open the gas tank, get out of your car, go up to the big machine, pre-pay your gas, grab the handle from the machine, and pump. Did I get all that right? Shit, I hope so! Haha.

Ok, now check this picture out. Keep picturing your typical gas station and then spot the differences in this photo...

Do you see a machine to pump from? Hell no! They are hanging from above the cars!! How freaking cool is that?! At these particular stations, there are workers there who pump the gas for you, clean up your windshield, and check your car's fluids...I seriously can't get over the pump handles hanging from above the car. Insane!!!

Ok, so that was en route to our first destination which was the museum of the atomic bombing.

Here is a statue that sits out in front of the museum...

I didn't take any pictures inside of the museum. To be honest, it was boring. Although, there were some "historical facts" I should have documented because the experience was quite interesting.

When you go to a museum that is dedicated to something historical, typically you get some background info as to why something happened. Not here. There was absolutely no mention as to why they were bombed in the first place. They also don't bash America for what happened either. In fact, there were plaques up on some structure of quoted material from United States  politicians and scientists that made it sound like America actually regretted the bombing. Or at least made it known that the Nagasaki bombing was a mistake....yeah....

I never felt bad walking through there. They hurt us as much as we hurt them and that's what war is. Necessary evil. I'm not going to blab about my political views but I just found it hilarious how they never EVER mentioned WHY America bombed Japan. I was even told that the Japanese are not taught about their involvement in WWII. It's completely wiped clean from their history books. Crazy huh?

Moving on! 

Of course we got hungry. So we found a new place to park near the Ginza (mall). We found a little diner that was honestly not much bigger than a bedroom. It's amazing how well the Japanese utilize small spaces! The chef there was very very nice. He even came out of the kitchen for a break to hold my friend's adorable baby boy, Carson.

The chef was also very concerned about my chop stick skills. He actually stopped what he was doing at one point and asked very politely if I would like a fork. Hahahaha. I must have been having a moment because I'm usually fairly good at chop sticks!! Haha.

Last but not least, how about some pics of a shrine?

Oh and I almost forgot...the damn cats!

That's Mason trying to lure one to him to take home. His wife and I had to remind him that they were nasty, wild, and probably had issues beyond what we could see.

That was our little day trip to Nagasaki!!! The ride out there was gorgeous!!! We can't wait to go back and explore some more. There are a lot of things to see in Nagasaki.

Don't be alarmed, Mason hadn't been drinking he just wasn't ready for the picture! Sy takes a hundred photos at once so maybe he was blinking at this particular one. Haha

I'll try posting soon just an update on my days here. A lot of things are coming into focus and it's awesome! I'm working really hard on not being shy, meeting new people, and learning new things. So far, its working out. Haha.

Sayonara!!!