Soloing Japan Day 2

First off let me just say that its always a good day  when you see something new and unique. And that certainly happened today. Most specifically, i saw a 60 year old woman playing Animal Crossing DS on the train today. It was so precious to see her go at it and get so into it and be just as enraptured in her device as all the other young-uns on board.

Sadly to say she's hopeless at catching butterflys. Pick up the pace gram, that museum isn't gonna beautify itself!

Truly though its been an exhausting day and i'm ready to call it quits. MAN! Vacationing is haaaaaard.

So much fried food and a great view from the top.
Now if only they were open on a Sunday morning...

I was on my feet sightseeing nearly all day. Seriously.  8 - 8. AM to PM. trotting along the trails or standing in the trains for practically the whole time. Not to mention LOST most of the time, but that's really how you get around new places- being hopelessly lost in them.

Other unique things i actually spoke with  today were a gaggle of Korean Girlies, also on vacation and from Daegu of all places too! So we chatted in Korean and took pictures and posed like PSY. The whole shebang. 





















We split soon after as our groups separately ( them in theirs, I in mine) explored Osaka Castle and its surrounding gardens.

Graciously gorgeous and wonderful to see even in the dreary winter season. A castle park as big as three city blocks! The different areas all with their own histories and stories (all of  which i've forgot but that's what pamphlet are for, right?)

The castle heights making a genuinely worthwhile view of the city. (And i'll just say now, WOW. Japan has a ton of tall buildings. I've been through big cities before and seen how the business sectors are always the high rise areas- but UUUAAAAOOOOUUU its like these thing keep getting propped up like a metalwork game of Jenga......which admittedly is not the best analogy but i am honest about how big these things seem to get.

The entire castle grounds was so amazing! I'll be sure to visit again with an actual translator!

My plan for the rest of the day was to head to the Umeda Sky Garden and get another eyeful from  a 80-story viewing platform. So i got off the nearest station and trotted around thinking I just had to walk in the general direction and find the biggest building, right? right.

Doofas. I had to quit looking or otherwise risk being lost and walking all the way back to Korean.

And let me say right now, the Japanese as a society are GREAT at many A thing. Amazing food, beautiful architecture, heroic history-

And did i mention the amazing food?

Something they're terrible at? Making maps.

GOD DAAAYUM  these  people lack common sense when it comes to making instructions. I was lost for three hours- THREE HOURS- because i was a big enough fool to forget my own wits and trust the directions offered by local maps. The fault in this? None of these maps are oriented in the same direction.

WHAT BACKWARDS BROKEN SOCIETY MAKES A MODERN DAY MAP WITH >NORTH< POINTING TO THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER!?

Its barbaric.

Its unspeakable.

Its unforgivable.

And its my fault for expecting the world to make sense.

Hell, even when I did ask a guy for directions- he sure as hell didn't know which way to point me. He had to stop three more grandmas to ask which way to go on my behalf, and none of them were quite sure where they were.

Next thing you know we got a possie all huddled around  my map and  the boys phone GPS all trying to make sense of it. Bless their souls to Heaven and back but lack of direction must just be an inherent Japanese trait. Cuz guess how far I had to go....

Three blocks up and around the corner.

Embarrassing revelation and pain in the ass to find but once that was finally figured out I could rest these sore feet at a great Royokan Sauna (for free thanks to the tour package i bought) and just melted away in those hot baths in the cool night breeze. Especially breezy  since it was located at the top floor of a ten story Pachinko and Gambling hall - another fact they failed to mention on either the property listings or the maps on hand.

That melted all my troubles away- and as it did i came to the blasphemous conclusion that it may well be my last experience in a bath house for quite some time. They really are not common amoungst the US and even more so in Oregon and the west coast.

Where else am I going to find a bath tub I fit in though!? Life truly is cruel.

How cruel? Take a look at this sweet display. Absolutely delicious and completely out of reach...  

The only way to ease my suffering is by turning in early under the influence of 200Yen Whiskey, sleep in till 11, go to the cool districts i neglected today, eat fried foods, shop, buy gifts, and spend the evening on a slow train to Kyoto to crash at the next hostel.

OH THE AGONY!