It was soon lunch time. We went to a Chinese restaurant downtown just for a
break from the all-Japanese food we had in the previous days. The outcome was
mediocre Chinese dishes not quite comparable to those anyone can easily have
in Hong Kong. I would still prefer Japanese cuisine:
sushi, sashimi, ramen (noodles in soup), sukiyaki (miniature hot pot with
beef, chicken, etc)...
A not-too-good lunch was followed by a tour to the Disaster Prevention Centre
also located downtown. It is likened to an exhibition hall where you can learn
much about all sorts of disasters including typhoons & severe weather, fire,
earthquakes, tsunamis, etc and measures one should take in order to cope with
them.
The first place we visited was a wind chamber where we could
experience the impact of a minimal hurricane force (64 knot, 118 km/h or
Force 12)
wind. Without first covering our noses with our hands we could hardly breathe
while facing a hurricane!
The second place we visited was the earthquake simulation chamber
resembling a kitchen with a dining table and four dining chairs except that
the whole "room" could rock horizontally. We sat on the dining chairs ready
to be shaken out of our wits. The intensity could be adjusted by steps. It
began with a Richter Force 5 followed by a Force 6 and finally a Force 7. It
was quite an interesting sensation since I had my last experience of a
genuine, devastating
Richter 7.8 earthquake
way back on
31 May 1970
in Lima, Peru. Memories to remain for life...
In the fire simulation room a short film is projected on a large
screen showing how a fire starts and grows. Fire extinguishers are ready for
the visitors to practise their use. We tried to "extinguish the fire" by
pointing the nozzles and spraying jets of water towards the screen. Needs
some practice, however, otherwise the partially extinguished fire would grow
again engulfing the whole screen!
Shown below are some (antique) fire engines and a helicopter:
Fuel powered
That's me in the helicopter!
I did not spend a lot apart from a few drinks, some cakes and an umbrella
made in China but bearing the American RONSON brand name.
After shopping for a whole afternoon it was time to return to the hotel where
we were first lodged - Hiroshima Prince Hotel. We stayed there for the night
before we
departed
on the 17th July 1999.
