Osaka!!

So....I've kind of failed with this blog, but here is my last ditch effort to appease you. One more post after this of Kyoto, then maybe one more post of my last couple of weeks. I can't believe I only have three more weeks left! It has gone by so fast! I'm definitely looking forward to coming home to my kitties, clients and friends, but it's going to be hard to tear myself away from Japan. I'm so grateful for the experiences I've gained here and the friends I've made.

Without further ado.....

So my school paid for me to go to Kyoto and Osaka and gave me a week off to do it. How freaking lucky!? So of course I went, and with all of my avid readers (I'm talking to you Mom) in mind I took so many pictures your eyes are going to hurt!

First we went to Osaka for two days. Osaka is pretty cool. Here is my experience!


We went to Osaka Castle, which is a castle they turned into a museum. It was pretty neat! The top floor had an incredible view of Osaka and there were lovely gardens around it. Plus, it had a moat. (For some reason I think moats are the coolest thing out there!)

This is a well right outside of the castle.

 Here's some info on it!

This is the castle!

Here are some pictures of the view from the top!

This was out in the park surrounding the castle. It was huge and we went the wrong way and ended up walking around it for about an hour. But, lucky for you, I found some cool pics!
:)

MOAT!

Pretty trees!

I just thought this was so cool. It looks like it's about to fall into the moat and the contrast from the old building to all of the new ones! Such a neat area!

How close to the edge do you think we could build this?

After the castle (and the hour lost around the park) we were ravenous. So we found a steak and beer joint, because that seemed to be the most authentically Japanese thing we could do after looking at a Japanese castle. 

It was a cute little place and they had some pretty decent beers! It was set up to look like a mine or something and it gave off a very Indiana Jones-esque feel.

Donkey Bier! Yummmmy!

 Steak and fries. Japanese? no. Delicious? yes.

 Afterwards, how could we resist? (We really were starving!)

 Cherry beer. It was very cherry! And yummy.

 CHOCOLATE!

The next day we went to the Floating Garden on top of the Umeda Sky Building. It was probably the most disappointing part of the trip. There was not a single plant. Not one. No garden. It was just an observatory. Which is cool in and of itself, but why the misleading name? I expected a beautiful garden and I got concrete. Lots of concrete. With some incredible views. So not a complete loss, but of course, my camera died. More pics of the Sky Building will be coming via my traveling partner's camera. But I got a couple before my camera completely died.

At the bottom of the building there was a recreation of a 20's/30's Japanese village. It was pretty fun!

In the next day or two, I'm posting Kyoto pics! And hopefully, a few more Osaka pics! :)