New Hankyu Kyoto

... and Jack proceeded to take me to a local bar.

Turned out though...the bar was closed (on a saturday night???). We couldn't believe it at first, so Jack, thinking the door was perhaps jammed, put perhaps a bit TOO much force into the door, which, somehow, opened it, in spite of the lock. Whether the lock was only half in or Jack broke the door completely, we'll never know, but it did open! And...there was no one in there. Lots of ...

... Osaka is definitely known for food and we have not been disappointed. We immediately went for the Kansai specialty of okonomiaki (Japanese pancake). Washed down with some shochu, our okonomiaki meal was excellent.

Our travels also took us through a very exclusive part of Osaka with many upscale shops such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc... I was asked if I would write in this blog something that would make fun of these establishments. At the time I said that I ...

Seconds please. I had to go back to Osaka, one way or another (my return flight was leaving from here). Ate just as well if not better than the first go around. Went to the Takoyaki museum at Universal city walk but it was more tako vendors than museum, not such a bad thing. Had simply amazing Kobe ...

... spend with them.

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NIGHT #2:

Our second, and final, night was spent with Haruna, a 21 year old college student. Her loft apartment was very small, but she graciously hosted us. We were very thankful. She gave us a guided tour of the old city, plus threw an autentic takoyaki (octopus balls - no, not those kind!) party for us! How's that for native flare! We enjoyed talking about travel, language, music, and ...

... unfortunately the unexpected rain and people without raingear prompted the shop to up the sale price.Me and a colleague managed to follow the guide (one other decided otherwise) to the place by the pond surrounding the temple but couldn’t go further. Here the guide told us that the original temple was set on fire by a monk who was not happy with the ...

... is designed to imitate the Kyoto Imperial Palace on a three-fourth scale.
Dinner was with the restaurant chain that owned the "Large Crab" in Dotombori, Osaka. The food were good. After the dinner, we went to the famed Gion district.... the most interesting part of our visit to Japan. For once, we have become paparazzi. We were hunting ...

... straw floor! Although much different to what we had used to, we both slept very well that night after an exhausting day. We caught the morning bus the following day to visit the famed Golden Pavillion. The building itself is covered in pure gold leaf, and along with the surrounding gardens, forest and large pond in front, it made for an astonishing sight. After a long walk around the idyllic ...

... souvenir. I'm not really much of a shopper. The palace that wasn't Opting to spend the rest of the day just wandering around Kyoto, I ended up at the Imperial Park. I was able to see plenty of people out enjoying the weekend, including baseball players, tennis players, dog-walkers and cyclists. I wasn't able to see the Imperial Palace, however, as it's closed to the public and surrounded by high walls. On the way there, I ...

... and I decided to stay there on the spot. The rate was 2200 yen nightly per person. After I checked in there, I made a plan for the next day, checking what to see in Nara with my guidebook and brochures picked up at the tourist information of Kyoto station. It was half past seven in the evening, I found an interesting brochure about Tokae Lantern Festival in Nara. The festival was held between seven to ten in the evening during early August. I was still in ...

... si era cierto que en la ciudad de México había una calle que nunca acababa. El otro día al subir a la torre de Tokio entre luces psicodélicas, en el según dicen el elevador más rápido del mundo, guiada por aeromozas con guantes blancos quienes al parecer escondían sus alas blancas, me preguntaba si las calles en Tokio nacían en el cielo y desembocaban en el suelo. Geishas que caminan con bolsas de Chanel por las calle de Ginza. Niñas en uniforme escolar yéndose de ...