I took the Sunflower Ferry from Beppu port to Osaka. I enjoy the ferry but it arrives a little too early for my tastes. Unfortunately there is not much to do at 7am in Osaka except barely find a place to get breakfast.

I was going to head to the history museum, but it didn't open until nine.
I grabbed a small breakfast at a small breakfast restaurant. (2 pieces of toast and a hard boiled egg and coffee).

Due to the printers at APU deciding not to work for a few days before I left, I had no maps. Somehow I still managed pretty well actually. Although you can travel pretty easily in Japan without knowing Japanese, I suggest at least knowing how to read the hiragana or katakana. Not their meanings, just how to read them. Sometimes the subways stations on the map are only written in hiragana.

SO DESPITE ALL OF THAT.

I walked around Osaka Castle park really early that morning, killed some time there. Still all beautiful all that. I didn't go inside, since I wasn't here to visit the inside of the castle. Osaka is not my favorite city, maybe my least favorite. Not much to do except eat and I am on a budget. Eating comes second.

I visited Namba, Dontonbori and Shin Sai Bashi which is a long shopping district with modern things such as clothes, kitchen stuff, etc, etc, nothing I wanted to buy. Killed time, killed time.

The real reason I stayed around in Osaka instead of going right to Kyoto was for the Osaka Castle Illuminations which were beautiful!

It's Christmas Eve here and I can't help but feel a little lonely. I know my family would have loved to see these lights and gone out for breakfast. I think they would enjoy themselves here and I want to show them around one day. I hope they have a wonderful Christmas and I miss them a lot. It just doesn't feel like Christmas here, although I am enjoying myself.

This post won't be as long. Although a fun day, we went to one major place: Osaka Castle. This beautiful castle has a museum in it (that you could not take pictures in). It was a total of 8 floors that we walked. The very top is an observatory where we took gorgeous pictures. Again, there only a few clouds in the sky and it was hot, at least 40 degrees, again. (100 F).

Osaka Castle

View from Observatory

Osaka is about the size of the city of Boston (just the city, not the suburbs around it or the water). 86 sq. miles. To me it looks as though it goes on and on and on. The streets are clean, compared to what I've seen in cities (New York I'm looking at you) and it's exciting.

I will say I enjoy Beppu City much better. Why? Well, walking down the street you can say Ohayogozaimasu (Oh-Hi-Oh Go-Zai-Mas) to people on the street. (That means good morning!) People are friendlier and less city like in Osaka. I still love that city though, very fun and exciting.

Downtown Osaka

Takoyaki Restaurant

We then parted ways with Akane and met up with her dad and brother who took us through downtown Osaka which had amazing restaurants and shops. All name brand stuff including Fossil (a brand on Newbury street in Boston!)

 For dinner that night we made Yakoyaki! Which is very very good. It's a ball of wheat flower with octopus in it. Sometimes beef, with corn, cheese maybe and green onion. Really, you can put anything in it. It's made in a ball shape, smothered in takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise (which is nothing like American mayo).

It needs a special pan with little holes in it. It's really fun to make and they taste so good! Definitely my favorite snack type food. It's healthier when home made of course, but it really is a festival, going out snack type food.