10-hour Bus round-trip for Hiroshima!

Summer Study Abroad program schedule was modified because of increasing fuel cost and losing value of dollars. Hiroshima peace study trip was completed with some host family members and KIA teachers and other regular students! The chartered bus left Kyoto at 7am and arrived in Hiroshima peace museum at 1pm just in time for scheduled A-bomb survivor's talk. On the way from Kyoto to Hiroshima, the bus stopped several Oasis for short breaks as well as for quick lunch. Though there was insufficient time for exploring the entire peace park including the actual A-bomb dome and hypo-center, visiting the peace museum itself was quite meaningful and striking for students to think about how they live towards their future which they are certainly in charge. Students were able to visit Miyajima-island by 10-minute ferry boat ride to see the huge Shinto Torii Gate standing/floating in the inland sea of Seto. Lowest tide gave the opportunity for students to actually walk to the Gate before visiting famous Itsukushima Shrine where they bump into the wedding parade! The return trip of 5-hour bus ride back to Kyoto was a little too much for students. Hopefully they can rest and recover on Sunday to be ready for another Hike on Monday, the visit to the Silver Pavilion in front of which GTS was born!