We will describe it, and we will show you the pictures, but none of that can do this place justice. When we exit our hotel (past the giant bums, and their giant heads), and walk down the street (of what seems to be called the "Dotonbori District") it is like entering the most insane carnival of lights and sounds that either of us have ever seen. It was mind-blowing sensory overload! Everything was flashing and blinking like an epileptic's worst nightmare. Every other shop seemed to be a restaurant, its front window lined with fake food displays of what it had to offer. We entered an arcade, where downstairs there was a group of people silently fishing in a pond. After some tense silence, one lucky girl pulled a live fish out of the pond and landed it on the ground where she unhooked it. However, when she tried to put it in her net, she dropped it back into the water.
Ordering dinner was a completely different adventure, as was figuring out our space-age hotel washroom, but the details will have to wait until later. Shortly we are being met by Nova staff, and being taken to our new home in Nagoya. If it's anything like Osaka, we'll have plenty more to report soon...
Ian enjoys his first Japanese vending machine experience with a can of Bubble Man II.
Ian: "I hear it's even better than the original Bubble Man!"
A few shots on the bright Osaka streets.
We just realized this morning that we have an internet connection in our room, that's why we're able to post some pictures on Tara's computer, and also use a more English keyboard.
Other important notes: Yes, we DID enjoy karaoke last night. It took us the first 20 minutes to figure out how to enter songs into the machine, and then where the English songs were located in the book. Our hits included Bohemian Rhapsody, Come Together, and Wonderwall, among other classics.
Stay tuned for more!
-Ian and Tara
