This is it, we made it!
We've reached the end of the road for this blog, since I am back home and, for the most part, adjusted back into some kind of routine.
But, like promised, here are pictures from my trip to Kansai:
This was where I got breakfast right after I got off of the night bus.
For Riverrun!
It's actually a chain in Japan. It wasn't until a friend of mine got me interested in the Game of Thrones series that I even noticed it.
Across one of the bridges in Osaka.
Some statue.
Sure enough! Says "Osaka," right there.
Trust me.
I had as many bird friends as a cookie could buy.
I was sitting and enjoying the view of a river right after I got into Osaka, and I wasn't particularly hungry, so I shared my cookie with some birds.
On the way to the aquarium.
...
Okay!
I went on it after the aquarium. The view was fantastic, despite the fact that it was overcast.
Aquarium.
Says so.
Up to the entrance.
Octopus!
Another buddy.
It's blurry, but it's also a baby whale shark.
Crabs.
The ticket for the ferris wheel.
View of a boat.
From the ferris wheel.
This was my hotel room. I didn't do too badly in picking it out, I don't think.
On day two, I was supposed to go to Nara, but I decided to skip out, like I told you in last week's post.
I opted to go to Osaka Castle instead.
Here are some pictures from that:
Walking on the way.
A map of the park--it is quite huge.
They had two moats! I would be happy with just one!
May I have a moat, please?
A well just outside of the castle.
On the way to the castle at one of the gates, there was a hawk.
Skyline from the eighth floor of the castle.
Lunch.
And it was delicious.
If this picture could get much more Japanese, besides people in kimono, I don't know how.
Kitties!
He was my friend.
They had a flower garden, and they had just barely started to bloom.
I bet they're beautiful right now, or next week.
White and pink.
One of the last shots I took before returning to the hotel. The sun was going down by this point.
The third day, I spent with one of my best friends and her friend. Her friend lives in Osaka, and she gave us a tour of the area.
On the fourth day, we went to Kyoto together.
I didn't get much in the way of pictures on the third day, but here are the few that I did manage, and some from Kyoto:
Don't know.
Inside one of the malls, they have life-sized red whales hanging from the ceiling.
Not sure why, but all right.
Terrified me at first. Surprising to walk in and have this stare at you right off.
But the baby one was cute.
I liked the art.
Went to go do purikura.
To dress up and whatnot, the lines were insanely long.
But here are some of the costumes you could dress up in.
I wanted to be a chameleon (yes, they had the outfit), but the line was too long, so we just took the pictures.
Valentine's Day is pretty huge in Japan.
So there was a chocolate fair that we went and saw.
More from the chocolate fair.
On to a shopping area.
If you rub his feet, it's good luck.
I cannot remember his name.
Sumo wrestlers.
Dragonball, maybe? I cannot remember.
I'm probably wrong.
Edit: And I was!
Friend corrected me.
Ultimate Muscle.
"During the security camera operation."
Okay?
... What happens?
I'm on the edge of my seat, here.
His eyes moved up and down.
Osaka is famous for it's takoyaki.
To the point that they base golfballs off of it, haha.
Look Mom! I didn't go in there!
Hurray!
I found my first legitimate headshop.
It was wondrous.
I'm not a smoker, myself, but I do enjoy the fashion (?) sense.
Our dinner that night was an omellet rice that I had purchased earlier.
I don't eat well on my own, I think I mentioned.
So I bought that when I met up with my friend.
Only to not get to eat it.
And Kyoto:
Just some things near the station that I thought were pretty.
Security camera, but the walls were really pretty, what with all the flowers and everything.
Part of the Sanjuusan-gendo, a Buddhist temple.
The restaurant my friend and I went to. It was super old, historic, and traditional.
At first, I didn't even realise it was a restaurant. I just thought it was a sweet shop.
The restaurant was behind it.
I think it was just decoration, but it was lovely.
Food.
Udon noodles and sweet bean and mochi for desert.
It was fantastic.
The Inari (fox god) shrine.
It says so.
We went to Gion!
By the time we got there, it was really dark, so I couldn't take many pictures.
Except for this Gion-style Lawson.
The McDonalds that was in Kyoto was also toned down and Japanese themed.
One of the shrines near Gion.
I forgot it's name, too.
It was pretty, though.
Dinner at Kyoto Station, my last sushi in Japan.
I miss sushi so badly.
The guardian arrows at the shrine near Gion.
They were massive.
I found a Café du Monde!
Now if only they had begniets.
There was a doughnut shop right beside it, though.
So it was okay.
My friend and I like the surprise boxes you can get in some of the stores.
We went a little crazy with everything.
Our second hotel room was Japanese styled and absolutely beautiful.
A bridge on the way to the bus station for my return ride home.
Somehow we're back at the shrine because my picture order is confused.
Oh well.
Anyway, there was this. For miles. My friend and I wanted to go all the way up to the main shrine, but it was exhausting, we didn't have time, and there was too much else to see.
So we went a little over halfway.
This was from the first temple, I think. Not even the shrine. Haha.
After Kyoto, I headed back to Tokyo, stayed the night with one of my friends from the US, the one who has moved over to Japan, and headed out the next day.
My ticket to get me back to Narita Airport Terminal 1.
The train tracks to get there.
On the train.
My last picture of Tokyo/Japan.
It was difficult coming back, I won't lie to you all.
And I'm still having some troubles.
But, I got into Chicago on Wednesday night, my plane arriving a little earlier than it was supposed to. Usually, my planes run late, so it was a pleasant surprise. My aunt was there, everything was running smoothly. I even had Chicago style pizza upon my return, my first food, besides some Flamin' Hot Cheetos, to eat back in the States. I took a picture, but my camera is too far away.
Trust me, though, when I tell you that it was delicious.
The second day, I didn't do much. Jet lag struck me and kept me asleep from 11AM until about 3PM. My aunt and I went for dinner at about four-thirty, and a snow storm had started. It was tough, finding a cab after we had eaten, but we managed. Afterwards, I met up with my local Chicago friend, swapped Christmas presents, and hung out.
The next morning, my aunt and I checked out of the hotel and hopped a train down to St. Louis, where my Mom met up with us and drove the rest of the way down to Mississippi. I was grumpy and jet lagged still, though, so I slept most of the ride there, when I wasn't nauseated from the speed and lack of track-following, since a car is not a train.
We arrived home on Friday night, I ate dinner and fell asleep. Saturday was pretty slow, apart from a brief visit from a friend and a trip to Wal*Mart, where I promptly bought myself a rice cooker. Sunday, some family came over to see me, and Monday, I resumed classes and began catching up with friends and my Japanese professors, as well as passing out presents and souvenirs.
Got my hair cut on Tuesday, and yesterday muddled my way through a headcold from my Mom.
Leave it to my last post to be the longest and one with the most pictures, hm?
Japan feels like a dream to me now.
Which, of course, I knew it would.
I still have a lot to learn about myself and everything around me, but oh my, if travelling and being away for so long didn't help me in that process.
So, for those of you considering studying abroad?
Do it.
It's one of the best experiences you can have, of that I am sure. I loved it so much.
For those of you considering studying abroad to Japan, on a budget?
Start from the beginning of this, and work your way though. Good luck.
There are scholarship links on the first entry of this blog: apply early and be sure not to miss any detail in requirements.
I hope this blog been of some help to you, if not for ways to save money for those not travelling to Japan, at least in entertainment and a way to pass time. Maybe see some pictures you didn't expect to see. When I start travelling again, you can likely bet that I'll do this all over again.
Happy Valentine's Day, and thank you all.
-RD
