11/28 Fukuoka to Osaka

The next day we made sure we were up and back from breakfast in time to Skype with the family at Vern and Martha's house. 8:00 AM Friday would make it 3:00 Thanksgiving afternoon there, and everyone would be back from the Coupeville Community Thanksgiving dinner--a first for our family. It sounds like it was a fine event and the kids all had a great time getting lots of desserts! Good thing the crabby parents weren't there!! (We might have eaten their share!)

This technology thing is amazing. Writing this blog and sending the travels home instantly is one thing, but Skyping--it’s like Dick Tracy come to life. Not much bigger than a wrist phone and we can see and talk to people on the other side of the world with a few clicks on the computer. What a change from the $20 or $30 phone calls we used to make from overseas.

We had an 11:00 check out and a 12:20 flight to Osaka--the other side of this island, and some ways north of Fukuoka. 1:30 arrival, 40 minutes to the ANA Crown Plaza Hotel, bags to the rooms and Mark said “we’ve got a lot of Osaka to see before bed tonight” so we needed to get going. 30 minutes after checking in we were back in the lobby ready to venture forth.

We took subways and feet to Osaka Jo (Jo being the designation for castles in Japan). As we approached, we saw the castle take shape beyond the moat and walls and behind a large row of trees. A long path and stairs led over the moat and up to the castle gate.

A few side trips on the way put us too late to get us in to the castle (Mike says you’ve seen one castle, you’ve seen...oh well). So we looked up and took pictures from outside and then the lights came on. A wide variety of illuminations and a little music. Quite a show.

We left and headed for the hotel in the now darkness and headed back by some night time food vendors. Many and varied menus--lots of fried foods among them. Didn’t buy anything, but headed back praying that the long-threatening rain would continue to just go for the sprinkle, rather than total immersion. It worked like a charm!

We had dinner in the shops beneath the train station, and everyone was pretty pooped when we returned from out 3-hour walk, so all retired to rooms and are in the process of slowing down for the night.

Bags need to be in the lobby to be loaded on a truck tomorrow by 9:00 AM, hang around until the show at 3:00, then take a Nozumi (bullet train) to Tokyo at 7:00. Afternoon show in Tokyo, then bags down in the lobby for another truck by 7:30 that night. Leave mid-day Monday for Nagoya (Deb and Pat to airport and home). So, busy.

Not much luck with Osamu Sakarai (Vic’s pen pal from post WWII) yet, but Noguchi (our host here) said he'd give it a try if I had an address or phone number. After all these years...but we'll try. It would be very cool.

Tomorrow, Tokyo.