A day in Japan

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Adventures in Japan.
I disembarked at 8:30 am and taxied to the Hotel Okura Kobe. Rick, it was a great choice. Thank your friend for the recommendation. The hotel overlooks the port and caters to Japanese businesspeople. Since it was way to early to check in, I asked about tours. Unfortunately the tours were in Japanese. So I decided to visit Osaka Castle of Shogun fame. The desk provided detailed directions in English and I checked my bags and set off.
The hotel shuttle dropped me off at the Sannomiya station where I bought a ticket and headed to the platform. Whenever I looked baffled, as I must have so often, a good Samaritan pointed me in the right direction. The signs are in Japanese and English but the station is a main terminal and very busy even in mid-morning. Once seated on the train and speeding off the Osaka, it was fast but no bullet train, I settled in and watched the world go by. About thirty minutes later I arrived at Osaka where I had to transfer to a city line. Again, my trusty paper and the blank look on my face propelled folks to point me on my way. Soon I had navigated Osaka Station and was on my way to Osaka Castle.
The Castle stands in the middle of a large park. The train station stopped just outside the entrance. The weather was fair and cool and many of the trees were in bloom but the cheery blossoms were just starting to pop. About a week later and I would have hit them in there prime. Still the magnolias were brilliant and other flowering trees were out as well as flowering shrubs. It was too early for the azaleas. The park includes a ballpark, an exhibition hall, a very strange golfing venue, gardens and mini-parks. The golfing thing was extremely crowded. People seemed to be in groups of ten or so and the ground was flat and brown. It looked like miniature golf without the whimsical holes. The groups would wait patiently until the preceding group completed whatever they were doing. There must have been a couple of hundred folks playing.
The castle itself was impressive if not authentic. Originally built in the 1600’s it suffered destruction again and again, finally in WWII. Rebuilt after the War, it is a museum now with elevators and rest rooms and gift shops. The displays are holographic images of the history of the BUILDER. I climbed to the top and surveyed the inner and outer moats, the various buildings and sports fields in the park and Osaka City and the mountains beyond. It was a fantastic view. This is Spring break for Japanese school children so the park was filled with families.
I wended my through the through the park, bought an ice cream cone and people watched. People use the trashcans, no litter around. No screaming children having temper tantrums.
Reversed my trek through the Japanese rail service, checked in and settled in for the night. One peculiar incident occurred at the front desk when I was asked when I usually retired and when I usually awoke. They said that the electricity usually went out in the early morning hours but I wouldn’t be effected. ??????? The room was large and immaculate with a view of the harbor. I could see the Statendam preparing for her departure for Hong Kong and hear the ship’s horn as she was pulling away from the dock, (one of my favorite sounds).
Enjoyed my 2,000 yen Kir Royal overlooking Kobe and went to the Café for a 4,200 yen hamburger. That’s a $20 drink and a $42 hamburger. I was looking forward to a steak of Kobe beef but could not bring myself to pay 16,.000 yen or $162.00 for dinner for one. Ouch. When I went back to my room at around 9:00pm, none of the lights worked and I thought that the electricity went out earlier than usual. The bed was low and hard but I was exhausted and managed a good nights sleep.

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