OSAKA 1日目

It's been more than 2 months since I returned from the land of the rising sun- that's more than sixty days of procrastinating to write this blog. Well, here goes something...

This city is known to be the second largest in Japan and is all the more famous for its fantabulous cuisine.

From Kansai International Airport, I took a bus (aka airport limousine) to New Hankyu. My hotel (I forgot the name) was not even a kilometer away but I really needed help to get there. I then had to rent a taxi to bring twenty five kilos of luggage and myself, to a hotel just two blocks away, and paid what I think is the flat rate- JPY 650. I stayed in Umeda, which is probably the business hub of Osaka prefecture. My hotel was hands down THE MOST CONVENIENT, LET ALONE COST EFFICIENT  choice anyone would have to make. Its proximity to the mall and train stations was surely the best pick for a short stay in Osaka. 

Fig 1. Watermelon Soda (Burger King, Osaka).

Figure 2. Avocado burger. (Burger King, Osaka)

First place I headed to was Shinsaibashi, which is still part of downtown Osaka. I had originally planned to go church there, but the iPhone I rented did not point me in the right direction. After walking around for an hour, I was pretty sure I was late so I decided to drop by another day. Instead, I ended up eating lunner (this means lunch and dinner in Krantzl's dictionary) at Burger King. I know what you're thinking... BK in Japan, WTF right? But if you were in my place, you too would be a coward to eat in a Japanese restaurant on your first night. I speak very basic Nihongo and I had forgotten how to order; plus I was on my own. Though I didn't mind eating something raw, I did want to eat something familiar like raw fish. But before travelling to Japan, I had made a deal with myself to save all the sushi for when I arrive in Tokyo. The Kansai (west) region would be more appropriate for other foods.

     

Fig 3. Where I got lost on day 1.

Fig 4. Shopping plaza near my hotel.

Figure 5. Green tea pudding- not as delicious as
I dreamed it would be.

Fig 6. A snack stuffed with chestnut paste.

Well, I didn't have much luck in the culinary sense on my first day. In fact, it rained so hard that I wanted to take a break from walking outdoors. I took a train back to Yodobashi Umeda, walked through the endless aisle of a department store of food, and bought a lot of snacks which I planned to eat for a midnight snack later that night. All the walking made me hungry. I walked and walked till I found something both my stomach and wallet could handle. I found myself at seven eleven looking up shelves upon shelves of flavored ice cream, energy drinks, milk tea, and other items I can only find at a convenience store in Japan. My eyes finally settled on a six hundred fifty-worth bento meal. I briskly made my way back to the hotel, while video chatting with my parents and chatting with some of my students who couldn't believe that I was in their country. I realized then that Iphones really ARE handy. Not only do they give you directions and GPS, but also provide you VIRTUAL company if you're travelling alone. :D  It's a good investment to have a smart phone with you when travelling. Thank you Softbank (phone carrier which lent me the phone).

Fig 7. Bento meal from Seven Eleven. 

Fig 8. Diversity of  Lipton beverages at Seven Eleven.