2010/09/16 – Arrival in Osaka (on the Su Zhou Hao from Shanghai); Osaka Aquarium
2010/09/17 – Koya-san
2010/09/18 – Kobe
2010/09/19 – Osaka-jô
2010/09/20 – Departure for Hiroshima (on the Shinkansen)
Past immigration – waiting for everyone to arrive.
Sam just can’t put that camera down.
And here is our hotel – Hotel Chuo Oasis.
Apparently Sam and Maiko found a place for our first lunch in Japan.
Our first meal in Japan.
After lunch it’s off to the Osaka Aquarium…
…where they have just about everything…
…that lives in water in huge tanks…
…you can walk around…
…on multiple levels.
Here we had the nice sunset we wished for on the ferry.
More penguins.
Walking the streets looking for dinner…
…which we found at Takoume.
Breakfast. Weird American-Japanese crossover.
Brushing my teeth..relaxed-vacation-style.
Off to Koya-san we go…
Time to visit the graveyard…
…which has lots…
…of statues.
Yes, real candle-light is so yesterday…
Further up comes the temple and taking photographs is no longer allowed.
And more statues…
Somehow the old and the new…
…live side by side here.
And back to Osaka…another day over.
After we couldn’t decide on where to go in Osaka, we hopped on train to Kobe instead.
Right at the station we have another street musician.
Was is it with the Japanese and ferris wheels?
The whole Harborland area was hit hard by the Kobe Earthquake.
Looking over to the other side…
Most expensive cappucino ever (700 JPY).
Me and the giraffe…
…and me with Elvis.
Back home with anothe rnew can of coffee.
Out hunting for food with Sam again.
Somehow we ended up at Creo-Ru again.
And apparently Sam has this hobby of taking pictures of sleeping homeless people.
Another day and we’re off to Osaka Castle.
The moat of Osaka Castle.
Getting closer…
…and closer to the main gate.
Looking back at the entrance from the castle wall.
Apparently they buried a time capsule here…
…during the EXPO of ’70 – to be opened 500 years later.
Entertainment is provided for.
A picture from the other side.
Sam showed up as well.
The view from the top is quite good.
And he never fell on his face while we were watching (not for lack of trying).
More street musicians.
After that it was dinner and the Golden Spoon – for aperitif and dessert.
One last look around our home away from home in Osaka…
…with its deluxe toilet…
…which even had a remote control.
Then it’s time for me and my new can of coffee to hop onto the Shinkansen and travel on to Hiroshima.