Picture: The Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima Peace Park

Yuko, the young Japanese lady on S/V "Cara", went with me to the Peace Memorial Park as my guide. The rally group did not sponsor a tour to the Peace Park, or Miyajima, like it did the first time. Yuko said she had been to the Peace Memorial Park many times but each time she focuses on a different aspect. It was a rainy day so it matched our solemnest feelings as we contemplated the devastating day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. We held our umbrellas as the rain slowly and steadily came down. My prayer for this visit is for the souls of the children who lost their lives in the war.

After we got off the city bus, we visited the Atomic Bomb Dome, above which the bomb exploded. Then we joined a group of Japanese and foreign tourists. I did not mind joining a tour group because last time we were a bit rushed and did not have enough time to digest the information. All the people inside the former Industrial Promotion Hall were killed but the shell of the building, including the frame of the dome, partly remains. It was preserved as a memorial to the city's tragic past and became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1996.