I’m back in Osaka via a couple of transfers on my way from Nagasaki. First port of call being something to eat, there was no service on the train so I’m straight to an overpriced rice & curry (¥650) inside the station. I get to my hostel which has the unusual checkin time of 6pm, but once my stuff is in I head down to Dotonbori to take photos. The crowds are insane and there are far more people than when I was here in 2017, maybe October / November is a better time of year as I don’t recall seeing other Europeans at all when I was here then! I fire off some shots, then wander the main and side streets considering getting some kobe beef, but I don’t fancy shelling out so much on something I could just get at home. Even okonomiyaki seems at the pricier end of town (¥900) so I skip it, head back to my hostel and get a good nights sleep.
Day two feels like the Nagasaki weather has followed me, it’s drizzling initially so me and this Brazilian guy from the hostel head out on a 4k stroll towards Osaka castle. Sods law it absolutely starts pissing down as soon as we get there, yet despite this the queues to go inside the main castle are insane. I don’t even bother to take either my Nikon or Hassy out of the bag it’s raining so hard. We then bump into a Canadian also from the hostel and head towards another shrine before the soaking to the bone drives us into Seattle’s Best Coffee, where we all opt for hot chocolate (¥450) like old men ready for a nap. In fact two of us are ready for a nap, the young canadian is determined to head on (he has an actual raincoat) while the two older dudes go back to the hostel to consider other options, such as shower and sleep!
Despite the rain, it’s a nice walk and conversation with my new Brazilian friend who has a similar outlook to life. He’s been living in China, and I’m surprised when I think Japan is modern and he points out things in China that are more accessible due to technology – everything such as train stations are accessed via your phone, and old people have no issue with this. I must visit. We also share our love of Motorcycle riding, and discuss his trips in south america, and in my case Myanmar, Indonesia and Vietnam on small semi-automatics. More and more I find myself wanting a little honda C90 or C125.
