The Pilgrimage to find a Whale Shark

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It has just dawned on me that I had not written anything in my blog about my weekend in Japan. It was never my intension to go to Japan but when Ed wrote to me expaning that he needed to go while I was here to get a new visa and would I like to join him, I was very excited about the idea. We spent three nights there which gave us a full day in Kyoto and a day in Osaka. I should really tell you about our day in Kyoto, it being the more 'cultural' expirence. We vistited three temples (among them were: The Golden Pavilion or Rokun-Ji Temple and Kiyomizu Temple). Both were breath taking, awe-inspiring places truely worthy of their role as a place of worship. I however was in no fit state to do much more than shuffle along behind Ed, even lifting my camera to my eye was an effort. This was a bad hangover! The kind where raising you head to full hight is impossible, so you walk stooped all day swearing under your breath that you will never drink again! So I'm not going to tell you about Kyoto because I enjoyed my day, though far less culturally rich, in Osaka much more!



The hostel had free rental of their old, gear-less but quite delightful, bikes so we decided to take advantage and explore Osaka on wheels! We already had a rough plan of what we wanted to see including Osaka castle when the news of the Whale shark at Osaka Aquarium reached Ed's ears.



Now I should at this point give you a little back ground on my view of going to a foreign country (even somewhere as near to home as France) and spending time at an Aquarium. I hated the idea. I would never spend money seeing animals in cages or tanks at home so coming all this way and spending time at an Aquarium to me was laughable. Even more so because we were in a country famed for its refusal to stop whaling. Would there be a butchery demonstation after viewing the Whale Shark. On one particular occasion while visiting zoo* some years ago I got so upset my little sister had to march round infront of me checking the cages out. I remember her returning to me after inspecting the hippo's living arrangement: 'its in a really small tank, I think it has a bigger space out the back but it might be best to give it a miss!' So when Ed said 'Theres a Whale Shark in the Aquaruim, do you want to go see it?' looking more excited that he had done previously during my time in Korea. All I could think was: NO WAY! IS THIS KID CRAZY? But I replyed with 'they're not really my kind of thing, maybe'.







So off we went an little to my knowledge our quest to meet Mr. Whale shark had begun.



The bikes took some getting used to but not as much as the roads! Despite the fact that they drive on the left (which admittedly made it slightly easier) it was....look away now Mum.... a day long death trap. Not helped by Eds insistance that we cycle on the road. Many a time a got stuck in the middle of carriage ways or attempted to turn right and was narrowly missed by a car. We made it to our first stop in one piece. Osaka Castle. I love a good castle! The view from the top was good and there some amazingly big stones making up its walls but TBH (and it pains me to admit it) the Japanese history was a bit lost on me!



Back on the bikes I was really starting to enjoy this cycling business. It was wonderful to be outside seeing everthing go by (I had been getting the tube a lot in Seoul) and it was warmer than it had been in Korea so despite narrowly missing death everytime Ed wanted to turn right it was really pleasant.



Our next stop was the Osaka foating garden observatory. Its basically two tall impressive glass buildings connected at the top making a observatory which they charge you 7pounds (can't find pound sign on keyboard!) to have a look out from but you can get one level from the top before you have to pay so we, considering ourselfs to have got one over on Japans high prices, enjoyed the lovely view from nearly-the-top and headed back to our bikes!!



At this point I had decided that while Ed spend (or wasted in my opinion) 20pounds on fish in tanks I would find a nice cafe, enjoy an over priced coffee and write my diary. The cycle to the Aquarium was to be our longest leg yet Ed (our navigator) informed me, about forty minuets. This was fine although I had no intension of seeing any Whale Sharks today, no thank you very much, I really was loving the cycling. After a while our views changed from shops and busy streets to an industrail area. Not an impossible place for an aquarium to be I thought, they are big buildings! The deeper we cycled into this area the more obvious it became that we were unlikely to find an aquarium here. Ed found some work men (and I must point out how much I admired his courage, cycling up to them large DSLR camera round neck, map in hand looking every bit the torurist) who did not think there was anything like that round here. Which now I actually looked around made sence we were not exactly in tourist heaven. Surrounded by heavy machinery and slag heaps! Ed did the workings out and realised we were the opposite side of the water to where we wanted to be. It meant we had to go right the way back round. I can't say I was honestly that bothered, I was in a good mood and getting lost always makes me laugh.



So off we went back through the industrail estate, round the water. It was getting cold by now and while I was in good spirits my fingers were sick of there eternal position on the handle bars. My coat was in the basket infront of them so I moved in up partially over my fingers onto the handle bars. This was of course a bad idea becuase it was hindering my ability to break by my toasty fingers thought it was a great idea. And now long after I fell off my bike! I must be the only 22 years old women with scabby knees. They have barely healed since the skateboard accident in August!



It was not long after getting back on my bike bloody kneed I decided that I had to see that damm Whale Shark. I had not come all this way to sit and have a coffee. I needed a Whale Shark viewing!! So praying that the (ridiculously expensive) ticket price did not include a free 'watch us turn Finding Nemo in Sushi' we took our last steps on our pilgramage to find the Whale Shark.

Okay so I admit I enjoyed it. The Sea Otter was about the cuttest thing I have ever seen.I coudld not bring myself to look at the Penguins. They was something much more sad about them being in captavity than some dumb fish and the Dolphins were in much to small a tank. But the Whale Shark was wonderful. Truely. We sat on the floor watching him and his many tank companions fly (they swim so effortlessly its much more like watching something fly) by for over 30 mins.

And that it my story of how a aquarium-hater was slightly converted!! I'm off to OZ today (yes thats right I intend to make my flight this time!!)

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