Marckam off to Japan

Saturday, 27 August, 2005
Day 8 – Osaka Castle (Osakajokoen), Tennoji Park & Gardens, Umeda

Familiarised ourselves with the JR train system, day ticketsin hand, then went traveling. Osaka Castle was an amazing sight. Inside all done up and not in original form but interesting history displays and great 360 view from top also. Cam took the most expense photo of the trip here. A homeless man, all smiles, Cam gets photo, then he gave him 1000yen, little bugger wouldn't go away.. Cracked me up as he was unrolling a wad of notes a few moments later.

Tennoji Park and Gardens were spectacular. Gardens especially peaceful, although this was an extremely hot day and weren’t nearly as temperature cool as I had anticipated. Photos galore. Thought of Mum all morning – she would love Osaka Jo(Castle) and the gardens especially – I did!!

Umeda (suburb/precinct where hotel was) is a major shopping and food district in Osaka (that’s why we were there!). Yodobashi Umeda (large department store) was full of phones, laptops, tvs, everything. Bought more sunnies (funny, because I need prescription sunnies, not cool looking shades). Unreal coin and turn machines that dispensed all sorts of gadgets and toys. We had a few goes here, for Jess, Finn, and Josh of course, not us big kids.Not half!!

Wandered around Umeda above ground and found ourselves near the enormous ferris wheel we had seen from the sky towers. It starts 5 floors above the ground in a shopping centre called Hep Five. It was huge – maybe top was about equal to 12 floors up but could have been more. Braved it and went on. My small fear of heights was really being tested in Osaka. Was fabulous. So high, slow moving, dangling high as high above the streets (again I note, in a major earthquake zone). Neither of us could look down at all, but Mark took a few photos. The across view was fabulous!!!.

Dinner in the shopping centre – trays of all sorts of things arrive. Morsels of raw fish and tiny dishes of pickled things. Was really quite nice. I have discovered Asahi Beer...mmmm