Saturday, October 20, 2012
I arrived late night at Kansai airport, Osaka and had a hotel reservation on the mainland The airport is constructed on an artificial island in Osaka bay. The hotel bus was a little hard to find although I got directions from the airport lobby. Waited half-an-hour in the light drizzle and hopped on to the bus. Jet-lag cost me a few more yen at the hotel and I took a couple of trains to central Osaka where my stay had been arranged. I discovered an Indian restaurant near the hotel I stayed and so managed the food "at home". I spent time strolling around the canal-walk watching the birds, fish and the swishing traffic between the buildings. The hotel staff had directions to local attractions I visited the Osaka castle. Reaching the castle was an adventure in itself. Venturing into subways without knowing the language was a challenge. All sign-boards, ticket vending outlets were in Japanese. Approaching the gate staff for assistance elicited curiosity in them and they were willing to help
. I thanked them profusely with the "salaam posture"...hmm I was getting into the Japanese groove. Osaka castle was a sprawling tree riddled campus, autumn was just catching up with the leaves. The crows here had a larger size and a different Caw. A huge single stone piece on the castle wall drew attention from visitors. I tried my hand at becoming a samurai. School kids with colorful caps formed long queues. Getting back through the subways was easier. The canal-walk was one of my favorite places to spend time, watching the birds fishing in the still water stirred occasionally by the cold breeze. Watching people of a variety of streams, the hurried youngster on a bicycle, the young couple taking an 'lost in this world' stroll, the timid office goer giving too frequent glances at his watch, and then I noticed a couple of photographers; I walked upto them, smiled and we compared our cameras. I had a canon, one has a nikon and the other had a panasonic....hmmm three of us with three different cameras. They told me that they worked for a camera shop and were out scouting for good photographs. We exchanged cards and as we parted, I wondered what language we used to communicate. I came to realise that most of the communication was done by gestures and facial expressions and very few words were spoken. Scouting around the locks I found familiar flags ruffling in the winds. I discovered an Indian restaurant and that kept me settled about food for the rest of my stay in Osaka. After a couple of days at Osaka attending conference meetings, I was as excited as a kid going to travel by train for the first time. Of course it was the first time for me on board the Nozomi shinkansen (bullet train). Took an early morning taxi ride to Shin-osaka. As I waited on the platform at Shin-osaka, I watched the shinkanzens arriving and departing with amazing precision. With my companions I reached Tokyo and then changed trains to Fukushima.
The blue bridge
Water-quake
I arrived late night at Kansai airport, Osaka and had a hotel reservation on the mainland The airport is constructed on an artificial island in Osaka bay. The hotel bus was a little hard to find although I got directions from the airport lobby. Waited half-an-hour in the light drizzle and hopped on to the bus. Jet-lag cost me a few more yen at the hotel and I took a couple of trains to central Osaka where my stay had been arranged. I discovered an Indian restaurant near the hotel I stayed and so managed the food "at home". I spent time strolling around the canal-walk watching the birds, fish and the swishing traffic between the buildings. The hotel staff had directions to local attractions I visited the Osaka castle. Reaching the castle was an adventure in itself. Venturing into subways without knowing the language was a challenge. All sign-boards, ticket vending outlets were in Japanese. Approaching the gate staff for assistance elicited curiosity in them and they were willing to help
. I thanked them profusely with the "salaam posture"...hmm I was getting into the Japanese groove. Osaka castle was a sprawling tree riddled campus, autumn was just catching up with the leaves. The crows here had a larger size and a different Caw. A huge single stone piece on the castle wall drew attention from visitors. I tried my hand at becoming a samurai. School kids with colorful caps formed long queues. Getting back through the subways was easier. The canal-walk was one of my favorite places to spend time, watching the birds fishing in the still water stirred occasionally by the cold breeze. Watching people of a variety of streams, the hurried youngster on a bicycle, the young couple taking an 'lost in this world' stroll, the timid office goer giving too frequent glances at his watch, and then I noticed a couple of photographers; I walked upto them, smiled and we compared our cameras. I had a canon, one has a nikon and the other had a panasonic....hmmm three of us with three different cameras. They told me that they worked for a camera shop and were out scouting for good photographs. We exchanged cards and as we parted, I wondered what language we used to communicate. I came to realise that most of the communication was done by gestures and facial expressions and very few words were spoken. Scouting around the locks I found familiar flags ruffling in the winds. I discovered an Indian restaurant and that kept me settled about food for the rest of my stay in Osaka. After a couple of days at Osaka attending conference meetings, I was as excited as a kid going to travel by train for the first time. Of course it was the first time for me on board the Nozomi shinkansen (bullet train). Took an early morning taxi ride to Shin-osaka. As I waited on the platform at Shin-osaka, I watched the shinkanzens arriving and departing with amazing precision. With my companions I reached Tokyo and then changed trains to Fukushima.
The blue bridge
Water-quake
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