Blogs from Osaka, Osaka, Japan, Asia - page 2

2023_Blog 18_Japan April 7 Port of Call: Osaka, Japan (Day 1) – Weather: 66°F/19°C – Heavy rain - Wind: 6.9 mph. We docked in Osaka today and will remain in port until 4:00 pm tomorrow giving guests the opportunity to enjoy full day excursions and some of Osaka’s night life. Once again rain poured down on us and we are beginning to think that we are no longer human but are transforming into waterfowl with webbed feet. Today was dedicated to touring religious sites: two Buddhist Temples and one Shinto Shrine. Our first stop was at Horyuji Temple noted for having some of the world’s oldest surviving wooden structures. The temple buildings have existed for more than 1,300 years. In 1993, since the temple was a unique center for Buddhist culture, UNESCO recognized it as part ... read more

My guess, since both India and China are the two most populous countries in the world, would be rice. Other choices would be pasta, burgers, tacos (wraps), hot dogs, or bread (naan). But the winner is the ubiquitous American invention, pizza!! Pizza is the undisputed king of the culinary world, beloved by people of all ages, nationalities and backgrounds. Although it may have originated in Italy (not really), pizza is now popular throughout the globe, offering countless varieties to suit every palette. Delicious combinations of doughy crusts piled high with savory cheeses, sauces and toppings create a truly unique meal that can be enjoyed as a snack or a full dinner. In fact, pizza has become such an integral part of life that classic phrases like “pizza and movie night” are shared among family members and ... read more

Osaka likely has a lot to recommend it but we went for the food. This post is a combination of two trips, one for dinner in Dōtombori and another for lunch and a visit to the seafood market before we flew out of Japan. Osaka’s obsession with food is often summed up with its unofficial slogan “kuidaore” which is usually interpreted to mean “eat till you drop” but actually means to spend so much on food that you go broke. Although quite entertaining, what we saw of Osaka reminded us both a bit of Shinjuku. Interesting but not really our scene. Our evening in Osaka we visited the vibrant and entertaining Dōtombori area. Its name comes from the 400-year-old canal, Dōtombori-gawa, now lined with pedestrian walkways and a riot of illuminated billboards. South of the canal ... read more

LAX in Los Angeles is not one of my favorite airports, and its layout is horrible. As usual, my connecting flight from San Diego landed at the very last gate in the very last terminal, and my flight to Tokyo was leaving from the gate as far away as you could get and still be in the same airport. According to my ever so smart watch, it was about a mile and a quarter, with nary a moving walkway in sight. Now, it was possible to take a slightly shorter journey by actually leaving the airport and catching a shuttle bus to the International Terminal, but then you would have to go through TSA security again. And even with TSA Pre-Check and Trusted Traveler authorizations, that entailed more standing in line than I really ... read more

I've had some pretty interesting trips before, like the time I had to jump start a helicopter just prior to going up in said helicopter - which made for some interesting thought processes however, I digress. Frankly, there is no better argument for the existence of God than Him absolutely toying with your flight plans in a way that can only be explained by divine intervention. The plan was to catch a daytime flight to Japan so we could arrive early, settle in and get our bearings. All good in theory! First there was the late arrival of the connecting flight. Not by much, a 45 minute delay. this actually gave us a little extra time to make it from the domestic terminal to the international terminal so it appeared to be a blessing in disguise ... read more