Osaka Dreaming

Here in lies the tale of what Adam and I did in Osaka, presented to you through the miracle of "Interweb"

DAY ONE

Adam and I met up at Nagoya Station half an hour before the bus left.　After a quick stop at Starbucks, we headed to the bus port. The seats were pretty cramped, but on the first hour and a half of the trip it wasn't bad. We talked a lot and watched the Mikawa plains came to an abrupt end in the Gifu Mountains. As we drove through the mountain crossing we saw what I imagined a Japanese winter would be like- forests and snow divided by a huge Expressway. Our bus was also being followed by a pick-up truck with a 666 license plate from somewhere in the Kanto region. It wasn't until the second hour mark that the deep vein thrombosis set in and I lost feeling in my legs.

We made it to Osaka roughly on time, despite some traffic delays on the road- everyone and his dog was going back to their hometown for the New Year's holiday. Despite an initial moment at Osaka station where we were pretty lost, we headed to Shinsaibashi and checked in. After that we explored around Osaka-jo (sadly closed due to the New Year's holiday) before going back into town and scouted out some interesting places to drink.

My main impressions of the first day was the extreme pain I got in my lower body for being cooped up in such a small chair for so long as well as the Osakan's response to my traveling companion. Adam is what we in Australia call "bloody tall." Although he says that he gets it a lot in Nagoya too, wherever we seemed to go; the cry of "Deki Hito!" (Big Person) was not far behind.

DAY TWO

After waking late, we rode the train lines until we arrived at Universal Studios Japan. We didn't have time to see everything, but we got to see the main attractions- the ET ride, T2:3D, The Amazing Spiderman adventure as well as the Back to the Future ride. There was an explanation or back story to each ride, but I couldn't make it out- everything was dubbed in Japanese, even the Steven Spielberg introduction to ET. The lines weren't that bad but the food was more expensive than I had imagined in even my wildest nightmares.

We got kicked out of the park early because I had tried to hijack the Delorean from Back to the Future. Also, the park was having a special New Years event and we weren't invited. But that was okay, because we had other, more glorious plans. We started our New Years celebration at a bar in America Mura. There were a few Gaijin already there, including another Aussie also from Nagoya. He had been in Osaka for a few more days than us, and he knew a good trance nightclub we could go to afterwards. It cost a lot to get in, but apart from that it was an absolute blast. I haven't heard that type of music since I got to Japan, so it was just like being back in the clubs at home. The Japanese girls were well dressed and wore a lot of makeup, but they couldn't hold a candle to the bishie boys. Adam got cracked onto by at least five guys, much to his distress. I decided to get the hell out of there after I had someone who was not a woman stroke my waist. Eeek

That would have been enough for one night, but we went back to the bar we started at for a few more drinks. Lets just say I wasn't feeling the best the next morning :-)

DAY THREE

My world was full of miserable pain all day long. We didn't do much. Everything was closed in Osaka, so there wasn't much to do anyways

DAY FOUR

I felt a lot better. We got up early to take the slow train to Nara. This was our first day of serious sightseeing, so of course it had to start raining as soon as we got there. Our first stop was Todaiji temple, the largest wooden structure in the world which contained one very large Buddha. In one of the giant support pillars is a hole the size of the Buddha statues' nostril. If you can crawl through the hole, you are guaranteed good fortune for the rest of your life. Or something. It's pretty easy if you're a child, but a lot harder for a fully grown adult. Not impossible, just hard. I managed it by gong in hands outstretched, sliding around to get my shoulder's through and squeezed through until I could get my hands through the exit and pull myself out. The people watching did clap, so I guess it was worth the damage to my neck

There were a lot of deer in the surrounding area. Adam tried to teach me some more Japanese while hunting deer. He wasn't successful in either Endeavour. The weather still wasn't the best, so after a quick visit to the Grand Shrine we headed back to Osaka

There were a few bars that were open that night, so we made the best of it at an English bar The place was okay (they played some Monty Python songs over the stereo system!), but the crowd wasn't friendly or particularly interesting.

DAY FIVE

We got up early, checked out and wasted the rest of the day until we could catch the bus back home. The return was a faster and less painful process. I listened to some old pod casts and managed to find an empty pair of seats where I could stretch out. As such, I still retain the ability to walk.

I'm sorry that this took so long to write, but every time I mean to sit down at the Internet cafe and type I always get distracted. So to all who read this, have (a late) Happy New Year

Blake
-2007 AD