Life in progress ...

Life in progress ...

Saturday, 17 May 2014

Japan Season 2 Ep 03 : 関西の旅 · 大阪

Still in Kansai, (not kanasai, i accidentally typed kanasai hahaha! lol okay) heading to Osaka after staying a night in Kyoto.

Everyone has heard of Osaka right? it's like.. famous. When you ask someone to name some cities in Japan? It'll be Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Nagoya, Kyoto? haha!

I have been here with my sister last time while i was still hanging in Japan after the Hokkaido trip in 2011. hahhaha So both of us concluded that there's nothing much to see in Osaka, just to eat and shop around Shinsaibashi (心斋桥). the Must-Go in Osaka.

Boarded a train from Kyoto to Osaka in the morning, and dropped our bag in the hotel first. Stayed the night at Apa Villa Hotel. don't laugh. yes, it's 'APA'. haahhahaha!

Before starting our day, we went to the convenient store as sister wants to buy some tickets (i forgot what ticket was it :O) haha. then i spotted all the 18+ magazines on the side and took this one out. my sister had a glimpse and shouted, "Oii, that looks like my friend." then i look clearly, yea, Sakura Mana. HAHAHAH wow, she has a huge photo on the cover! XD

hahahaha, okayy :P
so we took the train to Nanba(難波) station, Dotonbori (道頓堀) the 'tourist area'.
Yes, HUNGRY!


Osaka Ohsho
a famous place to have Gyoza. i loveeee gyoza ❤❤❤



we had 20 gyoza & 8 in the soup. the fried one is so good yumss


the love-to-take-photo-daddy :P

Straight up : お好み焼き!(Okonomiyaki aka 大阪烧)
Had it at 鶴橋風月(Tsusuhashi Fugetsu), also the famous one. their Dotonbori outlet is located at 3rd floor of a building just right at the corner near the 'glico' advertisement everyone sees.

ordered two big ones. hahahah



Chef

a random photo. why dad so cute..? hahahah

oh and, they have storage underneath the bench we sit, for the customers to keep their coats and bags inside so that the coats dont get the burning okonomiyaki smell.

yes that's the Glico advertisement board.
and the point of this photo is .... baba. selfie-ing HAHA
















The "旧地重游" literally.
it was rather warm in Osaka the day we visited so all of us have been carrying the coat around. i even sweated.

Had some shopping/ tourist time.


It's Valentine's soon so they had this huge love shape soap from Lush.
wanted to take a better photo but then the staffs came to stop us. oops.
Mom and sister spent like an hour plus inside the shop trying out 80% of their products -.-

Then we headed to one huge game centre at the middle of the street. at their top floor there's purikuma machines. 


i think my parents found it fun and interesting. hahahhaha! look at my dad in the second picture. HAHA!
their purikuma makes the skin smoother & fairer, eyes bigger and sparkling, and the legs, THINNER. HAHAHAHHA

Walked around the street and about 30minutes later, i realized i lost my handphone. (lol)
i was so calmed. because that was not the first time i lost my phone already. i have lost it once in HK Disneyland, if i ever mentioned. hahahha. so we traced back to the game centre, went into the toilet to look for it, asked the cleaner if she saw the phone. she then brought us to the counter and asked a few questions. Oh, so i left my phone in the toilet, and took purikuma, and walked around without realizing it has been gone for so long. hahahha! I had to say, i wasn't that happy when i got it back. because i wanted it to be gone? haha! not really, just that i don't care as much as i did already. my phone so suck. hahahahha

Around 4pm we moved our steps to the Spa World (Official Website)
Oh so now i remember, my sister was buying tickets to spa world in convenient store earlier in the morning.
We took the metro line (御堂筋线) to the station called "動物園前" which literally means "in front of the zoo". so the station is really in front of the zoo. and the station's interior was painted with alot of monkeys. lol

About the Spa World, men and women were going to separate floors, and it depends whether the women or the men will get the "Europe world" or the "Asia world". The day we went, women got the Asia World. aiya, The "Europe World" looks nice tho, from photos. But then dad and brother told us there's only a few pools available. while in the Asia World there's like soooo many different pools. Deep or shallow, hot or cold, carbonated, milk, outdoor etc etc.
And yes, as most of the other Spa in japan, you go naked. hahaha.

I love the outdoor spa. the weather is so cold and you're in a pool of 40'C. But after a few minutes i can't take the heat. my face went all red and started to feel dizzy. lol
then three of us just sat on the bench beside the pool. it is funny to see each other giving out vapour. HAHAHA yes from our body. we're evaporating.

spent two hours inside and met my dad and brother waiting at the lobby. Returned the locker keys and ciao.

通天閣 Tsutenkaku
is this also called the Osaka tower? haha idk lol. saw it just right after we came out from Spa world.

brother requested to want the tower be at his nostrils...uhm..i tried my best.


mandatory tourist photos.
dad has a photo of him holding it like an ice-cream cone but the photo is not with me. he loves to take the photos with his iphone only. he no like to share =P

Our dinner is another to-eat in Osaka, Kushikatsu
Deep fried vegetables / meat/ sausages/ balls/ eggs/ intestines....basically anything, and they put it in sticks. Crunchy, and served with a special dipping sauce. It's something more than a soy sauce. Regional taste. hahah!
*warning : Eating this might brings you bankruptcy if you don't control yourself. LOL


some interesting items in the translated menu. Google failed it again. HAHAHA

However the restaurant we had is not as nice as the one i went for the first time. The better restaurant is always full and had to queue for an hour. So we just settled down at a random restaurant.

Filled our tummy a lil, yeah just a little. Head to the Osaka Castle (Osakajo 大阪城)
It's a very huge area. castle + the park. We walked around, and finally decided to pay for the entrance ticket for their new 3D-mapping show

it's at night, all we see is just....this. the palace. and they do the 3D mapping on the it.
well, it's quite interesting to see but overpriced lor. but well, what's cheap in japan? lol



the ocean of lights dayumsss

After the show ended, it's where the nightmare comes. We had to walk one big round around the castle just to get to the subway station. mygod. so tiring. and hungry.

stopped by at Lawson near our hotel and got some food as supper/bfast for next day.
yes, there's creme brulee. 

***
In both Kyoto and Osaka, i slept with my brother and sister in one room. and there's only 1 double bed. which is, can't fit us. we are not thin. and we used scissors-paper-rock to decide who is sleeping in the middle. The night in Osaka, me badluck. i stayed up late and there's no space at all for me to squeeze in. damn sad. Pushed my brother all the way to the wall and finally. 
No like to sleep with them. 
(i) They steal blanket (especially my sister, the night in Kyoto was ridiculous)
(ii) They do taichi while they sleep.

The taichi thing wasnt happening because the bed was too small for them or they were too tired :P
but the blanket stealing. walaooo. The night in Kyoto, my brother and i were so cold because my sister has pulled the whole blanket to her side and wrapped herself up. A few hours later she woke up and complaint that she's cold and claimed that we pulled the blanket. Then we found that the blanket was on the floor -.- i was pissed at her on that day. hahahhaha

Next up >> Japan Season 2 Ep 04 : TOKYO

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