Osaka 23 August Day 6

 Today the plan was to get up early and get to Osaka Castle before the crowds and before the heat really set in. Unfortunately the hotel shuttle to the station doesn’t start until 10am which forced us into a slow start and that wasn't too bad as we are a bit worn out. 

After a sumptuous hotel breakfast overlooking the lovely hotel garden we set off for the station. 

In my last post I said that after the very big and busiest in the world station in Shinjuku we were managing the stations easily. Bha, bha, bha (sounds like doom filled movie music) we really struggled to find our way today. 

The instructions seemed easy, jump on the Osaka loop line to Osakajokoen Station. We wanted to make sure that we were entering the station from the correct side to make it easier. Well we went backwards and forward looking for the red loop line, it was hot and crowded and we must have wasted 40 minutes. Finally we decided to tap in through any gate and as soon as we were in we saw the loop sign and went straight to the platform! It doesn’t stop there … 

Google AI told us platform 1 and we jumped on the train, only to quickly realise that we were looping in the wrong direction. So off we got and jumped on the next train that finally got us there successfully!

Osaka Castle is in a huge park and we had seen that the park had a touristy road train that can take you to the castle. Tickets were purchased and along came the train and it was packed! It was very much like the train that used to take you on a ride around Auckland zoo but had more carriages.

We were directed to the only two places available and slide in next to another couple. Well the train lady could hardly close the door! We were jammed in like sweaty sardines! 

At the castle we had to walk up and over the moat, then further up to the entry. We were undecided about whether we would actually go inside and once we saw the long queue waiting in the heat we decided to just view it from the outside. 

That castle really is magnificent and towers over the city. It was first built in 1583 but was burnt to the ground in 1615 in a battle. In 1935 it was rebuilt and has had refurbishments since then. 

It was worth the effort making this visit to see the castle, and rest assured the train trip home went without a hitch except we were absolutely dripping!

Once back at the hotel I had a shower a washed my dress! Then set off to the Grand Front which is a mall next to the station.

I didn’t buy much but just enjoyed looking at all of the different things for sale. At the point where I entered I stopped and made a note of the way that I had come in because, you know, I could be still in there right now looking for an exit!

There is just a constant stream of people entering and exiting, no matter what time of day. 

Later on that afternoon Lance and I went back to that area for dinner, we had some really great Chinese food at Shanghai Bar right at the station entrance. This was extra convenient as we also purchased our train tickets for the Shinkansen to Yokohama that we would be taking in a few days. Once we finished at the machine a guy came up and asked if we could help him out as he had no money to get home.  This is the first time in Japan that we have experienced any sort of ‘shifty’ behaviour. It should be noted that the guy was not Japanese. 

After dinner we returned to our hotel and enjoyed a couple of drinks before retiring for the evening. 

Kyoto to Osaka 22 August Day 5

 Packing up after a nice slow start to the day we made our way back to Kyoto Station to catch the train to Osaka. There was an option for the bulletin train but we chose the JR Special Rapid which meant we could use our prepaid Suica card. It is only a short trip and was around $5 NZD.

Once again a train was there when we arrived at the platform. After experiencing Shinjuku Station in Tokyo which is the busiest train station in the world these smaller stations are a breeze.

Osaka is a large and very modern looking city with tall skyscrapers and lots of greenery, some on the ground and some incorporated into the buildings.

Our hotel, The Westin, has a shuttle service and remember we sent our large luggage ahead so we only had small cases therefore it was easy walking through the station. Google gave us excellent directions on where to find the shuttle and it had just arrived and we jumped on.

The Westin Hotel is located in Umeda and is close to restaurants and the huge Grand front shopping area. Walking into the lobby we found this to be the ‘poshest’ of our hotels so far. Our room is huge by Japanese standards with a sofa and small table and chairs and we look out to see the Umeda tower which actually reflects our hotel and I could see myself looking out the window! And our cases were here waiting for us.

Our first stop was the mall and we particularly wanted to find Jin’s to purchase glasses. The 15 minute walk was hard work as it was blistering hot and humid with no breeze and we arrived at the air conditioned mall dripping! Unfortunately I couldn’t get and glasses because it takes a week to have progressives made. But Lance got 2 new pair of reading glasses made for $100 each as well as a consultation with the optometrist. 

This part of the mall was quite expensive and we wandered into an adjoining tower through a department store that was jam packed full of stuff from makeup to wine fridges to shower heads! It was really tricky finding an exit and then we worried that we would be miles away from our hotel. We finally made it out and had only a 15 minute walk, but again, the heat was intense.

After an unpack, shower and a rest, Oh and for Lance watching the Warriors beat the Bunnies, we grabbed a cab and headed for Dotonbori

Dotonbori is famous for its food and nightlife, it runs between two canals and reminded me of looking down Times Square.

Narrow fronted restaurants have huge 3D characters, some of which are quite iconic, for instance the Gilco running man. Which we didn’t find, we only found a running cow.

We made a couple of stops to have a bite and found the Hozenji Temple down a little street.It was such a contrast to the madness only a few metres away.

Crossing one of the bridges we saw a woman with a cat. The cat was fast asleep on the bridge handrail and was wearing a small sombrero. Many people were stopping to pat it as it slept and she had a little dish for donations. I wonder if it was drugged, it was a real cat, but there was not even a tail twitch?

Actually Dotonbori was somewhere that we were excited to visit and had watched loads of YouTube on it. It is somewhere that you need to see but we were both underwhelmed and were ready to leave earlier than we thought.

A day in Arashyama 21 August Day 4

 After our feast the previous night we were up early to get to Arashiyama before the crowds and before the day heated up too much.

We had the option to catch the train, but the station at Arashiyama is a short walk to the main gate and we wanted to start as close to the bamboo forest as possible before too many people spoiled our experience. The taxi took us right to the path leading to the bamboo forest and was about a $60 fare. The forest walk was quite short but well worth the visit.

A small fee was paid to enter the Tenryu-ji Temple and garden, it was very peaceful and we had a wee wander, actually a wee as well, and sat and enjoyed the beautiful view.

We were not quite sure where to head next and it was beginning to hit 34 degrees when we came across Lucas. Lucas is a stunning looking individual who provides rickshaw tours. He assured us that we would fit and it was a bit of a squeeze but we made it. Lucas took us along pathways in the forest that we would have been unlikely to find, it was a marvel how he managed to haul us along and up small hills at a trot. He stopped frequently to explain the history and interesting facts. 

Lucas is from New Caledonia and is fluent in French (of course), English, Japanese and Spanish.  He had promised to take us to a place where no one else would be. And sure enough we arrived at a small shrine; we had to pay a small fee to enter. The garden was really lovely and made to look like a river. There was also a pretty pink tree called in English crape myrtle but in Japanese it is sarusuberi which translates to monkey slip as the tree has very smooth branches.

Continuing on Lucas took us through a residential area where the homes were very traditional, but the nice cars were very modern. It is quite an affluent neighbourhood and has beautiful views of the mountains.

We were dropped in the Main Street of Arashiyama where there were plenty of eating places and retail stores with a real village feel. By this time Lucas was dripping with sweat, and was off to find another customer. The 70 minute tour was 23,000 yen (approx $230 NZ dollars) which was quite expensive but well worth it, as we would never have seen even a smidgen of what he showed us by ourselves.

The train station is a 10 minute walk from the Main Street and by now it was 36 degrees. As usual a train was right there and we jumped on, thankful for the aircon.

We have used taxis a lot in Kyoto. It has made things easier, especially in the heat, and most fares have been under $20. But we didn’t need a taxi to get to dinner tonight!

Using ‘Tabelog’, an app for finding and booking Japanese restaurants, Lance found Hiro which was just around the corner. Once again it was a meaty meal; we even asked for veges but they only had shredded lettuce.

My menu had English and I didn’t realise that Lance was trying to translate his menu! Pig hormones? Really? Fortunately the young waiter gave him an English menu and we ordered pork cheek, skirt steak, which we cooked over a hibachi bbq. It all tasted pretty good so we ordered another load and also some beef rib, which was paper thin with marbled fat and was delicious.

Back at the hotel we enjoyed a couple of drinks before bed. Off to Osaka tomorrow!

Toilet tips and talk:

One of the panels that I had to use Google translate on.

My advice for people in their 50s and over is to take your glasses with you to the loo and your phone. This not so that you can scroll through social media whilst using the restroom. It is to read the abundance and variety of instructions for ‘toileting’, some of which are all in Japanese, and you will need Google translate hence the phone.

All commodes have a washing button for front and rear, some include ‘oscillating’, more or less pressure, up or down positioning, blow dry, and sound. Most have cold water, which after the initial surprise, is quite refreshing in this heat.

The available sounds so far have been water running: I don’t know if this is to encourage a reluctant urination or to drown out embarrassing toilet noises. But they haven’t lived in our house, they need a tsunami setting rather than the sound of a trickling stream.

The flush: some receptacles have a flush button with a swirling water icon, others have no button and the flush is automatic, although I have had a few flushes whilst still on board the toilet. I have spent many minutes standing waiting to see if there will be a flush, and puzzling over whether it is an automatic late start or not. There other day in frustration I closed the lid (by pushing a button) because I thought that I was just going to have to leave without a flush (wees only) and when the lid closed it flushed! And yesterday in our hotel lobby I stood for ages rereading all of the panel buttons and switches only to find a large mechanical flush button on the wall behind the crapper! Such confusion!

Most public restrooms have a little seat for you to pop your baby in whilst relieving yourself. 

There has been only one normal visit with no bells and whistles and that was for an emergency stop at MacDonalds in Tokyo. I snuck in the exit and ended up walking up 5 floors looking for the loo. I can hear your thinking, but no it wasn’t a huge MacDonalds; each floor was a tiny segment in a triangular corner of the building. At the fifth floor, with waves of sweat and panic, I thought that I would have to run back to the hotel. Whilst waiting for the lift I saw that the ladies was on the 2nd floor. Phew!