Day 14 Okayama - Himeji

Up, out and onto the speed train back to Himeji to see Himeji castle which is an extremely well preserved and restored castle from the samurai period of Japan. It sits high on the hill overlooking the city and surrounding area. On the way to the castle we rented some bicycles from a vending machine which got us around the town a whole lot faster and was loads of fun. Basically the castle is a huge fort with all sorts of features designed to make it easy for the Warriors to defend the lord when under attack. This castle was never actually under attack and even survived close by bombings in WWII.  It is a very impressive castle. I managed to pick up a free tour guide along the way who explained lots of details and stories about the castle which was handy.

After riding all the way around the castle and enjoying some lunch we caught the train back to Okayama to visit the beautiful gardens.  The Japanese gardens are simply beautiful and so tranquil. 

A big day with sore feet all around.  Moving on to Hiroshima tomorrow morning.