Japan ~ Day 4
Today was a good day ... even though I did not do what I sat out to do. It still was a good day. Those days are the ones that you don't try to cram everything in, and enjoy what is around you - like take time to smell the lotus flower before father time will come and steal it away from you ... or something like that. OK OK I admit I made that up, but you have to admit it sounded good :)
AwakeningsI awoke at 7 am - a perfect time because the shower is available for men from 7-9 in the morning. 4-9 and night, and after 11 pm at night. More consideration is given to men in this male driven society. The women seem fairly complacent and resigned to this fact. I had forgotten that the shower was on the 1st floor. I reside on the 9th. Only floors 6-9 are inhabited by this hostel (Hotel Raizon South), pronounced rye-zaun. I then proceeded into what I thought was the bathroom, however it was another toilet (Japanese Style). Then one of the owners directed me toward the showers. Then it HIT ME AGAIN! I forgot I seemed to have read that the showers were Japanese style as well. Japanese StyleThis is where you are supposed to wear your little blue jammies they give you upstairs to the shower area, disrobe, stick your belongings inside a locker and go inside the next innermost room. Here you will find a whole lot o' nakedness and everything you will need for your daily cleansing ritual. You will find small plastic stools on which you perch yourself 12 inches or so off the ground, a faucet, and a shower sprayer wand thingy, bar soap, body wash, "rinse in shampoo", and a plastic cup for dousing your back side and areas you cannot reach unless you solicit your buddy seated 2 feet next to you squatted on the tiled floor to either side. They are very involved, and only think of how to get the bodily filthiness off! Must ... clean ... scrub ... harder ....I, the only westerner, stand there naked as a large jay bird because all the little perches are full, no one pays me any attention so this is gewd. When I am up, I decide to make a whole 30 min production as do they and I must admit the really hot water here does a body gewd. You shave there squatted as well and then afterwards you ease into the really hot bath and soak. As tempting as that sounded, I really had to get going if I was to make the aquarium and meet up later with my new friend.KaiyukanI arrived at Osaka-ko station (Osaka Port). After exiting, I started to walk down the street toward the giant wheel (huge ferris wheels are common in Japan much like carousels are common in France). I then saw the aquarium on my left and proceeded down the way, not before stopping at a McDonald's where I wanted to try their fish filet (the girl called it baha sp?) for 100 yen. It was the freshest I've ever tasted. After inquiring where the entrance was, it was up the stairs to buy an admission ticket. For an additional 300 yen or so I got a wireless headset with an english language tour. This was helpful although most signs are in English as well.
The theme to this aquarium is the Ring of Fire which makes up a string of volcanic activity that encircles the Pacific Ocean. Anywhere from the Aleutian Islands to the Tasman Sea is included. I saw barracuda, tuna, rays, sharks including their prize attraction a whale shark (the largest of all sharks), squirrel monkeys, penguins, VERY large hideous spider crabs, jellyfish and many more I cannot recall at this time. I probably spent a little over an hour here. The tour can take about 50 min, depending on your taste for your undersea neighbors.
Afterwards I got pictures of the port, a large span bridge and an interesting replica of the Santa Maria where people just get on and look around I suppose. Then it was off to go to the subway station and I stopped at a tourist shop to pick up a gift, where I inquired and found out the lady makes brisk business as luxury cruise ships stop here including the QE2 (Queen Elizabeth II).
