Current mood:	bouncy
Entry tags:	osaka

Osaka..14th and 15th April
This is hard to put together but it is trying to be a trip blog all of a sudden :P, so I am trying!

Tuesday and Wednesday

First, the flight(s) were alright, I had never been on a plane before so to me it was somewhat of a deal but it was totally uneventful. saw K-20 and I had wanted to see it! Just before the arrival, like 2 hours before we hit turbulence so I got my motion sickness back after that but it was deal-able.
The Japanese customs officers or at least 2 of them think "this strange gaijin is an alcoholic! So tiny but she drinks a lot." I know who will understand why...most don't ;P!
Getting off the plane and having been warned against the Haruka being crowded even in the reserved seats' car, this aho gaijin bought the priciest ticket possible and sat with some (rich or as aho) nihonjin alone in the Green Car. That was quite the typical tourist thing to do.

A photo from KIX, the outside-inside concept that is embraced here.



Anyways, took pictures out the train window that is like cheating, isn't it...like I have been there...well, it is totally different but it gives you the first taste of what you're getting into.
I heard that it was thought the entrance to the city is not so pretty - I would not say it, or maybe it looked quite familiar or at least comparable with Tallinn - there were greenhouses and all the balconies full with drying clothes. I liked this unassuming way Osaka unfolded itself.
Some of the pictures I took








Found the hotel really quickly and left the luggage here and waited for a friend. Well, I more like went back to Shin-Osaka Station and walked around, saw one bookshop, went in and could only gawk, went out and saw another one but made my break since I knew I would then be too late.
Since I was speaking of the hotel, this is the view out, actually the morning of Thursday:



Then came time for okonomiyaki! It is so filling I could only manage something under 3/4 of it. The most fun is how they make it!! And got a compliment as a bonus :D:D!

Since I had been mentioning mountains, that was the next spot - Mino Falls that look like the ones Kanjani members (Yoko's "favourite" habit) have been made to stand under ;D. Totally beautiful and breathtaking, even I could take amazing pictures there.









Iero aka me at the falls



Then more up the mountain and saw a dam but funny, it looks like i did not take any pictures of it. And it was so hot! Something like 25 degrees!!!

After that came back and had a cold drink since it was so so warm and since I was sleepy from the flight, I came to the hotel by 6.30 pm.

The evening was not uneventful - first i did not figure out how to get the lights working- it involved the key but when they told me in Japanese I did not figure out it was for the lights, thought it was for the door and was surprised when the door opened with the key. Oh, and of course, typically like me, when I went to ask about it, I ran into a table in the reception hall and got a small hole onto my leg- I tell you, it was a hole, not a scratch. Did not notice even that it was bleeding before I started to take the socks off.
Then did not get the internet here...basically it is 24 hours and then it switches off, so you just take the cable out and put it in again and it works the next 24 hours or something.

.But I guess this ended also the first day in Osaka. I was going to write about today too but have no time. As a spoiler I can say it involves walking:)!!