Osaka, to start.
Mike and I began our trip to Japan in Osaka. In the days before our arrival I was obsessively following a typhoon that was headed right for the Kansai Region. Thankfully, the storm wasn’t nearly as strong as anticipated. By the time we landed, there weren’t any signs of severe weather.
To be honest, my memories of Osaka are a bit colored with uneasiness. It was there that I discovered that my debit card would not work. According to my bank, the PIN was incorrect. According to me, my bank was to blame. I had somewhat recently used my card in Korea, so I knew the PIN was fine. Then I systematically tried every single PIN number it could possibly be, just in case I was mistaken. Well, nothing worked. Thankfully, I have a very generous travel partner who gladly pre-approved me for a large travel loan.
Memories of Osaka that don’t involve running around to various ATMs include visiting Osaka Castle and the Dontonbori district.
In my opinion, Osaka Castle is best enjoyed from the outside. The inside is a small museum but unless you can understand Japanese you’ll miss out on a lot of the good information. The view from the top was nice but not spectacular. I think I enjoyed gazing at the castle while eating a shaved ice much more. However, it was a pretty hot day so that may have been a factor.
The famous “Running Man.”
Takoyaki on the right.
In Dontonbori, we walked along the canal and through the crowds. The neon lights and over the top signage lured tourists to try some new culinary experiences. Mike opted for the famous takoyaki octopus balls. He described them as “molten” in the middle and couldn’t finish the batch. Just another moment I was happy to be a vegetarian. Although I got off to a rocky start in Osaka, I really enjoyed our guesthouse and would recommend it to anyone looking for a quiet and peaceful place to stay.
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