Trina's Travels: August 2013

Hi!

Last week I was on holiday and I went to Osaka, Japan. It was a great trip and I got to know the city really well. My only regret is that I didn't travel outside of Osaka. There were so many things within a few hundred kilometers. However, that just gives me a reason to head back to Japan.

The first few days were packed with things to do. I got a pass that gave me free subway and free admission to most of the local sights for two days. On the first day, I went to the science centre/museum, Osaka castle, the zoo, and rode on one of the largest ferris wheels in the world (or so they say). The science centre was pretty interesting, but it would have been ten times more interesting if they had any of the information in English. The highlight for me was sitting next to Einstein (I'll post pictures at the end). Osaka castle was wonderful. It had two moats, and outer one filled with water, and an inner one filled with foliage. It was beautiful. Osaka was hot, I mean hoooot. So, it was obviously a good idea to climb up 8 flights of stairs to the top of the castle, but there was a good view, and going down was fairly easy. The zoo was kind of cool and depressing all at the same time. It was cool to see some of the animals so close, but there was a polar bear that made me sad. It was in its' own area, which was probably good for the other animals, but it only had a foot or two of water, and with how hot it was there was no way that water was cold. It had scars all over its' face and kept pacing back and forth and had a little froth around the mouth. It really depressed me to see that. Poor polar bear. The ferris wheel was kind of cool. I'm normally fine with heights, but I got really nervous as we ascended. I felt fine after I realized we were going down again. It was a really slow ride, but it only lasted about 15 minutes (one rotation).

The second day I went to the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan, cruised the harbour in a larger replica of the Santa Maria, and went to the Osaka floating observatory. The temple was a huge complex and there was a garden I was able enjoy, although I paid with bug bites for the rest of the trip. The harbour cruise was nice and relaxing and I saw cargo ships from all over the world. Osaka is a major shipping port. The floating observatory provided an amazing view of the city, and I went about an hour before sunrise, so I was able to enjoy the view in both day and night.

The rest of the trip was pretty relaxed. I walked a lot, checking out the stores. My favourite shopping area was a restaurant supply area. It had more traditional Japanese items. Japan seems to be more westernized than Korea, and it was hard to find traditional items. Overall though, I think the trip was a success and I'm glad I went and am happy with the few souvenirs I did find. I hope you enjoy the pictures.