Japan v: I love the nightlife

After our trip to the Aquarium, my "travel companions" left for Kyoto and Nara (which I would highly recommend as you really can do Osaka in one day).  Completely drained from our whirlwind adventure the day before, I headed back to the hostel for some chill time.  I met a really cool girl from England who had studied in Japan and was on her way to Australia to live next.  We decided we should get dinner since we were planning on attending a party that J-Hoppers throws every Friday night.

There were tons of little spots in the Fukushima area.  We were going to go find Indian food (I'm obsessed) or tomato soup ramen (we should have gone - apparently it was awesome!).  We settled on this quaint restaurant and ordered some sangria.  Good start.  That's where the good times ended.

I love mushrooms.  This dish was inedible.  It was mushrooms with what tasted like mucus.  Just thinking about it makes me want to ralph. 

This was actually not what I ordered.  It was cold meat on rice with a cold fried egg.  There was also this sticky, gross, white substance that took over the bowl.  It was awful.  We were then charged an additional $5 per person for what I believe was just the benefit of sitting at their bar.  Not impressed, guys.

We grabbed some 7-11 snacks and beverages because we were, of course, still hungry, then went back to the hostel.  Mr. Yano is famous in the J-Hoppers circle of hostels.  He heads up some of the walking tours the hostel puts on as well as the Friday night parties. 

This baby was just too adorable for words.  She kept following me and then running back to her Mom, then coming back to me and running back to Mom.  I, of course, had to get a photo. 

We happened upon a family having a garage party and they invited us to come hang with them.  My English friend has a strong command of Japanese, so through her we were able to communicate.  The family was wonderful and I had a wicked time speaking with one of the daughters who loves K-Pop and Korean dramas.

After some much needed love and tlc from this amazing family we headed back to the hostel to crash.  I woke up around 10 and headed to the airport (a 75 minute train ride from Fukushima - not close, guys).  I took a ton of photos of the subway because this particular train was really cool.

As much as I love getting dressed up, drinking champagne, and living la bella vita, sometimes it's just nice to wander around a foreign area and see what happens without expectations.  Our night was effortlessly magical once we ventured outside the parameters of commercial Fukushima.

Peace out, Japan!  I will certainly see you again xo

Japan iv: Last day in Osaka at the Aquarium

After an epic first day my feet were still killing me.  I had intended to go to Universal Studios Osaka as well as the Umeda Sky Building.  After hearing that Universal was all line ups and pushy people (even if you showed up when the gate opens) I decided that spending $75 just to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Japan was just not going to be worth it.  Instead, we decided to hit up the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan where we got a deal on entry and unlimited subway use for the day at just $25 (2300 yen).

We started the day with a quick meal at Japan's version of Whole Foods.  I actually wandered into two grocery stores in Osaka (both in Fukushima) and they were really upscale but actually not all that expensive.  They reminded me of A&P designed by Pusateri's.  I was impressed and very happy with my meals (and cheese - holy cow, Osaka has so many kinds of cheese!  How is Korea missing all this?!).

Getting to the Aquarium was a pretty simple task requiring only one transfer.  Unfortunately for us we were using the JR line so the extra subway access was nothing special.  It took what felt like no time to get from Fukushima Station to the Aquarium in Tempozan Harbour Village (Osakako Station).  Leaving the station it was pretty clear that even arriving at 10 AM was a bit late.  Everyone was going to the Aquarium.  There are tons of signs at the station and being that it was a stunning day all we had to do was follow the view of the ferries wheel.  I had seen the building online and in travel books so seeing it in real life was pretty rad!

Since we had already purchased our tickets all we had to do was swipe in through the subway turnstyle entry and be on our way.  The aquarium begins and ends with sharks, so don't freak out thinking that the first shark experience is all you'll get.  There's plenty more where that came from!

We started inside wandering around in air-conditioned bliss, headed outside briefly to see the sea otters, and then went back in where we saw a variety of fish, penguins, a capybara (yes!), and a giant tank spanning several floors representing the Pacific Ocean.  The Osaka Aquarium is also home to the whale shark - a majestic being we must have watched for over an hour.

I loved watching these guys swim up against the glass.

After hanging out with the rays and sharks for a while we decided to mosey along.  We saw a ton of jellyfish then really got to the piece de resistance: the moment I was challenged to pet a shark.

I did it.  I didn't get a picture because quite frankly I was terrified even though these guys were tiny.  It felt like a cat's tongue - rough and a little slimy!  The shark hung out for a while - I think he/ she half expected me to go for more but I wasn't ready to get in there again.

Shark Eggs!

Z enjoying a big moment - the video is a good 30 seconds long/

After the aquarium I headed into the mall nearby to find a snack and some Hello Kitty goodies.  

They had the most random food court, but I wasn't all that hungry so I treated myself to a black sesame soft serve cone and was well on my way.

They had a little petting zoo of a couple of sheep and rabbits.  It was super random in a corner of this bizarre little mall beside Lego Land and the ferris wheel.

Stay posted for my last night in Osaka and an epic night with new friends and one famous Mr. Yano!