Il Grande Umeda Osaka

... the d*y:)<br>-----<br><br>PUBLIC B*TH:<br><br>Most westerners h*ve he*rd of public b*ths in J*p*n, but prob*bly h*ve no insight into why they *re popul*r. First, * b*th is NOT where you w*sh yourself. It's * pl*ce *nd * time for rel*x*tion; for rejuven*tion. J*p*nese b*the on * stool to the side of the b*th, if they h*ve * tub *t *ll. So, m*ny use * public f*cility to enjoy * "b*th." Others just enjoy * b*th out, I figure.<br><br>Momok* took me to * loc*l public b*th ...

... a floor made up entirely of wine bottles, very innovative. On our way back to retire for the night, we stopped on the 35th floor of our hotel, for a quick drink in the "Window On the World" (WOW) Sky Lounge. The bar at the top of the hotel overlooks Osaka and gave us a beautiful night view of the city, with all its bright lights, and wonderful sights. That was it for the day, and we then settled in for our nights sleep, before setting out for Kyoto tomorrow.

... train. After the 2nd stop we were fed up with the train system and hailed a cap to take us to the hotel. That was the best 660 Yen we spent the whole trip! The hotel is nice, simple but clean. We are located on top of a subway station, not a train station which I had misunderstood. Our room is on the 30th floor over looking the city. What a massive city this is! It's like NYC's Time Square as far as you can see. The roads are more narrow then ...

... into the blog and falling asleep half way through. We also discovered that Journey to the Centre of the Earth at Disney Sea would be closes for maintainence while we are going to be there! As this is a main attraction I completed some further investigation to discover it closes a day before we go out, but IS open on one of the nights we are in Tokyo this week. So a after 6pm pass and early trip out to Disney Sea could be in order to ride this main attraction!

... year which was when we just so happened to swing by. Hoorah! In Nara, there is a temple where the main rituals occur, the path leading up to which is lined with three thousand stone lanterns that are lit only on that particular day . The temple itself holds its own lanterns, and everyone lights their own paper ones and places them within the temple to bring good luck for the new season. Its was awesome, and felt as though we were part of ancient rite. Maaagical.<br><br>As for ...

... ye*rs old, their roots twisting *nd engulfing every w*lkw*y, the shrines, temples *nd stone structures seem *lmost consumed by * thick moss, giving the *ppe*r*nce of something someone might see from * f*nt*sy flick * l* Lord of the Rings.<br><br>Residing in this little town, however, is *lso one of the most *m*zing sites one could ever set their eyes upon. Not only the worlds l*rgest *nd most extr*v*g*nt gi*nt Buddh* st*tue, but the st*tue itself is situ*ted within the worlds single l ...

... they pretty much butchered * gre*t Sondheim music*l. Pun intended.<br><br>The next d*y we he*ded on to Beppu! A 'sm*ll' town e*st of Fukuok*. It w*s built on *nd *round * highly volc*nic *re*, the result of which is wh*t everyone c*lls 'The Onsen Town'. It is *lso home to the f*mous Snow Monkeys th*t l*ze *round in the hot springs like they own them.<br><br>We didn't get to see them in the hot springs though, but s*w them *t the Monkey P*rk where they run ...

... country wide for its volcanic hot springs - some of which for bathing, whilst others still, though too hot for human flesh, are beautiful spectacles. Sulfuric steam seems to spout from every which drain, gutter and pipe available to it, rising above the houses built upon houses, adding a fantastic atmosphere about the quaint, crowded little town. Our first stop was the affectionately named 'Monkey Mountain Park', home to some 1,200 wild snow monkeys which roam about ...

... by few other places on Earth. The magnitude of the importance of these architectural and aesthetic masterpieces ... well, you catch my drift. Well, Ryan and I are either groundbreaking or incompetent or both, because we found our own way to experience Kyoto. We started the morning off right with a supermarket budget breakfast of melon loaf and cold spam(?) scramble for myself and for Ryan a massive loaf of crusty bread without the accoutrements of cheese, meat ...

Well, I've packed my bag and sold or thrown out almost all of my belongings. I mailed a few things to my friend in Germany that I can't carry with me but still wanted to keep (clothes, my sax, my CDs...) but my apartment's as empty ...