Second trip to Japan, September 2015-October 2015 - Second Week

Second trip to Japan, September 2015-October 2015

Second week

This entry will be a little short due to me running out of time overseas, but on the whole, it's been a great trip.  I still have a few more posts to make later, but for now, this is the end of my odyssey

September 21

Took a bit of a rest today.  Woke up late and spent 2-3 hours at the nearby Spaworld hotel and onsen resort.  It was...okay.  Clearly not very well catered to English speakers, I had some trouble figuring out a few things, but I managed.  Went into the onsens for Asia because they only allow one gender into each area per month.  This month it's men and Asia and women and Europe.  Surprisingly, it had the same, maybe even less, facilities than the tiny onsen in the countryside had.  The rooms were much more grandiose and decorated to look like different countries, like Persia, Arabia, or traditional Japan, but...ehhhh.  I enjoyed my soak and felt a bit refreshed from it, but overall I suppose that while I love water and being clean, the long time just sitting and doing nothing but soaking isn't for me.  Public nudity here again, but no one really cares.  I'm kinda surprised because some people walk around with everything hanging out, while others try to use small towels to retain some modesty.  Not sure about which is appropriate or more common.

After the onsen I had lunch of ramen and crepes and it was very good and spent the rest of the day after that just relaxing, writing, planning, and playing a few games.  I've needed a day like this for a while just to recharge my batteries for the next set of adventures.  It's nice to just take a day in for vacation sometimes, you know?  Anyway, Spa world is a bit overrated, I think.  As a hotel it's probably pretty cool and if you have a group you're going with I imagine it's fun, but I found it kinda meh as a single person experience.  They did have a very strong presentation though and even a bit of an Attack on Titan theme on some floors, complete with a colossal titan.  Cool, but...that anime has stopped being my thing so I don't care too much.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll try and head to Shiga.  We'll see how that goes.

September 22

Ehhhhhhhhh, navigating to Shiga AND finding something to do by myself was a bit much.  I decided to head to Nara instead.  Wasn't as fun as when I went with my friends, but Nara is still Nara.  Beautiful scenery, great temples, smart ass deer, the works.  The deer in Nara think they're soooooo clever...they're mischievous little scamps.  I saw the big Buddha again and saw some other temples besides.  Overall, not a bad trip.  Here though, but in other places in Japan as well, I found a startling lack of trash bins.  For a country so focused on cleanliness and environmentalism, it's shocking how difficult it is to find a bin to throw rubbish in.  Around stations it's not so bad, but you just don't have periodic trash cans like in the States and it...kinda baffles my mind.  Frustrating.

Also frustrating is getting off at the right stop according to google maps, but being on the other side of the city, and lost.  Christ...I spent an hour trying to find my way back to my hotel after returning home from Nara and was less than pleased.  I'd probably still be lost if not for Tsutenkaku.  The tower I visited last week gave me a landmark to orient myself too and after I made my way to the tower, I was able to get my bearings.  I'm not sure if I'm getting better at dealing with being lost or if I was just lucky...it's hard to tell most days.  Anyway, I was tired, my legs and thighs were exhausted from walking, and I really don't want to deal with the Osaka loop line again...maybe I won't head to Shiga.  As cliche or perhaps entitled as it might sound, I'm a bit vacationed and touristed out.  I've only really had one day in where I didn't do much, and even then I went to the spa.  I'm tired and a bit worn down from all the walking and vacationing and without a friend or anyone to help keep me going, to spurn me on because I want to show them stuff or they want to show me stuff, I feel more and more like I just want to rest.

I plan to head back to Kyoto tomorrow, to visit Kyomizudera and possibly Fushimi-Inari again.  Then, I'll have a day at USJ with a friend who is like a sister to me(I seem to have a lot of those...)  After that...I could go to Shiga, try the trains again, but...I dunno, maybe I'll just stay in.  We'll see.

While I'm here, I want to take a minute and talk about convenience stores here in Japan.  I'm...frankly amazed by them.  Now, the stock isn't anything magical or what have you and shelf space is limited, but Japan has some of the best pre-made foods from any place I've ever been, States included.  For the price, you cannot beat the value or the taste.  Now, when I say pre-made, I don't mean like cup of noodles.  They have fried chicken and rice, okonomiyaki, sandwiches, sushi...lots of great stuff that can be bought for under five bucks that makes a great meal.  And it doesn't feel cheap or greasy(they have those kinds of things if you want, but it's not the norm) it feels like the ingredients are fresh and in Hiroshima, I actually walked in on someone placing out freshly made okonomiyaki...they make this food fresh daily.  That's why the taste is so good.  For the price, it can't be beat, especially if you are too tired, or living in a hotel, to cook.  I wish this was more true in the States.  We have some pre-made food in grocery stores, but generally pre-made has a reputation to be too greasy or unsuitable for a decent meal.  Save for a few rare examples.  Grocery stores and convenience stores in Japan...no, the food in general in Japan is pretty amazing.  The food situation here is probably one of the bigger factors involved in me wanting to live here because expensive or cheap, you can always get a decent meal that tastes good and is to your taste.

And now, signing off for the day.

September 23

So, today I visited Kyomizudera again.  It was a nice enough place, but my thighs have been hurting me and I began to feel more and more exhausted easier.  I only spent about 4 hours out today, but that was enough.  Kyomizu is beautiful and I bought a few charms for myself and friends, much like I did during my first time there.  Not much to say besides that.  I had fun sight seeing, but was glad to come back to my hotel and get a shower.  Think I'm about vacationed out.  I've got one more big trip left tomorrow to USJ, but after that, just wanna rest and return home.

September 24

God, I feel terrible...why, oh lord, is it that after having a fantastic day, I end my night feeling depressed and with worry?

Let's start with the good first.  I got a chance to hang out with a friend who is like a little sister to me and we spent the entire day at USJ.  It was...pretty flippin awesome, to be honest.  We saw the monster rock and roll show, which was cheesy and fun, but surprisingly well choreographed as well.  We saw the Jaws attraction and even visited Sesame Street before heading over to the Wizarding world of Harry Potter, where we got to tour Hogwarts, meet Olivander, and dine at Hogsmeade's three broomsticks inn before trying some sweets and the like.  Spent a lot of time standing in line for a space fantasy roller coaster, but it was all worthwhile.

Overall, this was the most fun I'd had in...ages.  My friend was charming and adorable and really brought out the best in me, especially since it was raining the entirety of the day.  Didn't dampen my mood.  I was having fun with my buddy.  If there was going to be one complaint, it would be the lines.  Good god, USJ has the longest lines I've ever seen anywhere.  In Harry Potter land, one line said it required a 170 minute wait.  That is THREE HOURS.  You cannot be serious...you simply cannot.  At the end of the evening, we got dinner at a fancy pizzeria and enjoyed each other's company until we parted ways at my stop, after exchanging a gift.

Now, why do I feel so terrible?  Lack of sleep, the CRAPPY internet at the hotel, which I had to complain about to get even the piss poor service I now have, and...my eye.  I've so far convinced myself that it's stress which makes it feel tired today and the redness isn't from the eye being irritated but from more visible blood vessels.  I've had this happen before in China and it was nothing, but I have a history of Eye disease, so...disconcerting, to say the least.  I'll be keeping an eye on it.  My good eye on my bad eye.  Anyway, I've only got a day left in Japan and then I head home.  Hold on, body.  You can rest once we hit stateside and have decent internet.  Or something, I dunno.

Tomorrow, hoping to see my friend again and go back to the spa, just to treat myself, before I have to pack everything up again and get ready for the plane.

September 25

Not much to say about today, really.  I've got to leave Japan tomorrow, so I took it easy.  Went to Umeda and said my goodbyes to the friend I went to USJ with.  She...I will miss her a lot.  Like a sister to me, that one.  I got some food and headed to the Spaworld onsen again.  I enjoyed my time in the bath, though a part of me is screaming about wasting money.  Well, I'm on vacation...I can afford to waste a little.  Tried a bit of slots and pachinko for fun and...could not get into it at all.  Not sure if it's the Japanese or the weirdness, but...just wasn't fun.  Did do some Taiko no Tatsujin after my bath though.  Now, resting and re-packing things.  This is my last diary entry, so this marks an end to my year long odyssey in Asia.  I'll probably be back to Japan and I may visit China, but for now, I'm ready to rest at home, with my friends and my family.  So tired.