This trip is coming to an end… We’ve only got two days left in Japan (not counting our return to Tokyo, of course), so we’ve got to make the most of it. That said, after the beating we took at Universal Studios yesterday, we let ourselves sleep in a bit—otherwise, we wouldn’t have made it.
We left the hotel around 10-ish. The plan was to pick up a two-day metro pass that I had bought online, but after searching for over an hour at Umeda Station for the office where we were supposed to exchange it, we had to give up. Mission impossible. That station is massive, there’s basically an underground city down there, and I guess only Osaka locals know how to find their way. Asking for help? Yeah, we did that, but understanding the answer was a whole other story.
So yeah, one hour wasted and money down the drain. In the end, we just bought a one-day metro pass from a machine and headed to Osaka Castle. It’s insanely tall! We paid for our tickets (kids under 15 get in for free) and went all the way up to take in the views—but not before stopping for a much-needed coffee break to catch our breath. The walk from the metro to the castle felt like crossing a desert. Man, it’s hot!
After admiring the castle from both below and above, we started heading back. This once-impregnable fortress is no joke—you have to walk at least a kilometer just to exit the grounds, and in this heat, it was rough.
We stopped for lunch near Osaka Business Park and had some amazing poke. But the AC inside was cranked up so high (even by Japanese standards) that when we stepped outside, the heat hit us like a brick wall. I think Blanca might have suffered a bit of heatstroke because she was feeling really unwell. We made our way back to the hotel at a snail’s pace so she could rest. We got there around 3:30 or 4 PM, and she took a nap to recover.
While she slept for about two and a half hours, I did some research, then went down to the 7-Eleven to grab a snack and a beer. Luckily, when Blanca woke up, she was feeling much better. Phew. We decided to go look for souvenirs, but we didn’t have much luck finding the right place. What we did find, though, was a spot serving Okonomiyaki—a kind of potato/corn pancake with toppings (sort of like a pizza). We ordered one with pork, octopus, veggies, egg, and a barbecue-like sauce. The cool thing is they cook it on a grill in front of you, then slide it onto the hot plate at your table. Absolutely delicious!
Finally, we went back to Umeda to go up the Sky Building. We got to enjoy the night views of the city and have a beer up there. It was amazing.
Alright, time to head back—it’s almost 11, and we need to rest!