As Stephanie mentioned, we split up after some time on Miyajima. We could do more damage that way. I headed up toward the Miyajima ropeway.

The ropeway is two sets of gondolas, suspended over amazingly picturesque terrain. But you’ve gotta walk a path and a fair number of steps to the gondola landing first.

Starting out, the path itself is fairly scenic and relaxing:

Once in the first gondola – the smaller of the two – you spend maybe five minutes getting hauled up the slope. The car seated four comfortably, but I had it to myself, likely thanks to the rain. If I put most of the pics I took while in it into a gallery, I could title the exhibition “Nihilistic Frustration: Study in raindrops on windows because your damn camera can’t be arsed to focus on the scenery instead”. Still, a couple came out nice:

That gondola landing immediately takes you to the second set. Larger, these accommodate about 8 people sitting and another 6 standing.  The trip only took a minute or two, which was good because the Australian kid of 8 or 9 kept asking inane questions, and his parents weren’t bothering to answer him or tell him to shut up. “Why is it windy?” he kept saying. After the fifth or sixth time, it took an actual Will save to not turn around and reply, “Because you’re way the hell up a mountain on a stormy day, which your parents could tell you if they gave a damn.”  But I digress.

Precocious kid and inept parents aside, the trip was worth it for this:

That’s Mt. Misen, 535m high summit and a 30min walk from the landing. Unfortunately I got there a bit late, and even if I’d been able to briskly walk there and back, I’d have missed the last gondola down at 5pm. And that would’ve meant walking down. Had that happened, I think I would’ve found Stephanie and said, “I’m planting my ass in a seat at a coffee shop. Text me when shit gets set on fire.”

A few more pics from the final gondola landing:

Looking (I think) to the northeast, Mt.  Misen is to the right. I liked the slanted tree here – reminded me of my art appreciation class in high school. Something about diagonal lines implying action.

Mt. Misen on the right, this seemed a nicely framed shot.

And a shot of the Seto inland sea, which among other things separates Miyajima from the main island.

Continuing my “idiot parents” rant from before. The mother could not stop commenting about what a “nasty, horrible” day it was.  Yeah, it was cold, and wet, and even I, the guy who lives for that kind of day, was less than impressed after several hours out in it. But bitch, you just don’t get the same kind of atmosphere when the sun’s out and there aren’t any clouds. If the stereotypical “nice day” is your thing, perhaps consider a place closer to home, like Bondi Beach.