Day 5, OSAKA!

12th October 2008

Osaka

Day 5 in Japan

It took about 8 hours by night bus to get from Shinjuku, Tokyo to Osaka. I arrived about 7 or 8am ish (can`t quite remember as I was knackered). Had to get 2 trains from Osaka station to Tsurugoaka and then walk a few minutes to my hostel (the stadium!). Managed the trains ok somehow and found the stadium quite easily as it was HUGE! Well after all it is a stadium. Check this-



I got there, had a shower (defo needed one) and read someliterature about Osaka that a worker at the hostel had given me. It turned out that there was a parade going on sometime soon. I asked the receptionist about it and a guy who was also staying at the hostel overheard me and was just on his way to the parade too! So I tagged along with him.

His name is Eli (short for Elimelec) and he`s Mexican but has lived in Canada since he was 7. Anyways we went to the parade (called the Midosuji Parade- see above pic). There were some quite crazy sights, like this guy in a bin just walking around the streets!

It was a nice day and it was good to have someone to hang out with plus he speaks Japanese really well and is really good with the subway/train systems and knowing where to go. Bonus! After the parade we went to the Umeda Sky Building. To get to the viewing deck at the top we have to get in the lift. So we went up one way but the Japanese lady said we were in the wrong place, so back down 36 floors and to the other lift, but at the top another lady said it was the wrong place too. Argh! So back down 36 floors and to the other lift... and what a view! It was fantastic. After here we went for some dinner and beers, and after a loud, slightly drunk conversation on the subway went back to the stadium (I like calling it the stadium, it sounds better than `hostel`). It was a good day.

Umeda Sky Building

The View





Eli & Kelly

Me in Osaka