Day Eight - Kyoto - Planet Japan

The weather forecast today predicted rain.  They were not wrong.  However, first thing (9.00am) it was fine and Andy met up with an old friend from his days at Disney.  Marie is Japanese and lives in Osaka so it would have been rude of him not say he was in town.  She was lovely.  She has a daughter who will be one

year old next week and she is intending to return to work next week, so we were lucky to actually be able to catch her.  We went to a place for breakfast and the coffee was actually not too bad.  They caught up about old times and people they both knew.  She really was lovely.  Also, for once we did not have to try to explain or make sense of what the breakfast was as she did not have clue what was going on either.  This kind of reassured me that perhaps I had not done a bad job up until now.

The few hours soon passed and it was time to say goodbye, not before taking a couple of photo and being escorted down to the tube station.  By now, still very little rain.  We made our way downtown to find the Sega amusement place.  We thought there was not much else to do in the rain (that still really had not materialised by now).  Needless to say, once again we could not find it but made our way to the Ferris wheel and the shopping centre, yes shopping centre, it was based in.  When we enquired we were told by the woman that the Sega place and closed down completely the day before.  Of course it had, why are you a bit surprised.

Next stop was Starbucks.  When in London I avoid this place like the plague, however when travelling it is handy as you always get free, secure wifi. The

coffee was not too bad either.  By now it had started to rain a bit heavier but we decided to go on the ferris wheel as it would give us a brilliant view of Osaka itself.  I could not believe one huge, and I mean, huge building which was a 5 store (and probably two basement floors too) amusement arcade. They are everywhere.  A whole floor for: bowling, karaoke, pachinko machines, killing thing machines and goodness knows what else.  The Japanese are mad for them and this morning walking down to find some breakfast with Marie we saw them (mainly men) queuing up outside waiting for the amusement arcades (and I use that term very, very loosely) to open.  

After the Ferris wheel we decided to make our way back nearer to our hotel as the weather by now was really starting to turn for the worse. On route, we

Just one of the many amusement arcades

passed a place drawing caricatures and decided for around £13.50 to have our pictures drawn. It was amazing.  Andy went first and I watched the woman, who was so talented, bring his image to life.  I took step-by-step pictures and it totally blew me away how it just come to life. So clever.  It was then my go and Nao (I found out her name afterwards) as smiling away and then she said 'such big eyes'.  I remember this from my travels in Thailand.  Children would come up to me to look at my eyes as yes, they are big and yes, they are blue.  The same can be said about my boobs too and I have this also in Thailand.  I guess these are assets that are not common when living/travelling in Asia!  She managed to capture both and I was absolutely delighted by my caricature.

We decided to go into one of the many (and I dread to think how many there are) arcades and had a go on a couple of things.  For one who does not game, I did not have a clue.  I had a go on Dance, Dance, Revolution and was crap. I guess it would help if I know what I was actually doing! Then I had a go on a hand eye thing and was not too bad until you look at the Japanese who are moving their hands so fast. I don't think I have ever seen anyone move that quick. It was amazing their eye hand coordination.  We had a go on a drum thing where you had to hit the drum to the beat.  That was cool and I as not too bad on that one to be honest.  However, what worries me is these people are sitting there for hours.  I dread to think how much money they are putting into these machines and who is actually making the money.  We described it as Blackpool on Speed! Yet, even then, that cannot describe what it is really like as you really do have to see it to believe it. Utter crazy!

By now the heavens had opened and boy did it rain. I love it when it rains in the East.  It is still so warm, yet the rain just pours from the sky. Normally, after 15-20 minutes it stops, the sun comes out and bingo you are off again; this was obviously not going to happen today.  We decided to go and get a late

lunch/early dinner and found yet another lovely restaurant.  For around £15 I had sushi, tempura, noodles and it was delicious. However, yet again, Planet Japan delivered. I asked for water with my meal and was given a cup of ..... boiling hot water!  This has never happened before.  I can hear you say 'why?' I don't know, I have no clue! We decided to make our way back to our room.  Not ideal but there really was no point just walking round I the rain.  I did not want to look at 1000s of shops; no point.  It is ok as over the past week I have not stopped walking so it was ok to kick back a bit.  The only problem is some of the sites I use in the UK are not allowing me to access here. Frustrating but not the end of the world.

The hotel I am staying in is identical to the one in Tokyo. It is build in a grid system with an atrium in the middle which is entirely open to the elements.  However, the rain does not get in.  It has been designed in such away to stop this from happening.  It is really odd as you open the door to the room and look up and you can see an open roof; yet no rain falls in.  Unusual, but good design. So case is packed, clothes are out for a fairly early start tomorrow to the train

station via the tube, which should be ok as there appears to be lifts and escalators in Osaka; something that was lacking in Tokyo and Kyoto.  I have checked the weather forecast and the time we will be leaving it should be dry (fingers crossed).  I believe the train journey from Osaka to Hiroshima is around 2 hours by a Shinkansen (bullet train).  Hindsight, being that great gift would have resulted in one night in Osaka and two in Hiroshima.  However, I know what I want to see in Hiroshima and I will have plenty of time to have a look.  So until then.

As always, with my love x

Racing at the arcade - as you do!