Two weeks ago, Andy and I were fortunate to have a long holiday weekend. We took advantage of the time off for a visit to Osaka, Japan. The trip was planned last minute and I have to admit, when we stepped of the plane, I felt a little apprehensive about our decision. We had done a little research before our arrival but we had no real itinerary for what we wanted to do. It was a completely open schedule for us to do and see whatever we wanted. As I am usually a little compulsive about planning, it was strange to enter the country without a game plan. That being said, it turned out to be an amazing trip.
We got a fortune at one of the shrines. It was only a "Half good/Half bad" fortune, so we tied it to this structure in hopes that the ancestors would protect us from misfortune.
She was such a nice lady :-)
Dressing up at the museum in the castle.
Lunchtime after our expedition to the castle. We ate at a restaurant with a conveyor belt with plates of sushi. Since different types of sushi have different prices, and we could grab whatever we want, we figured out that the plate designs indicated the price of the food.
Japan is the birthplace of many famous gaming systems, including SEGA. It was really neat when we found a shop with these old school consoles for sale.
Arcades could be found almost everywhere we went, so we tried our hand at some crane machines.
The most fun, however, were the photo booths. These aren't the kinds we're used to, however. Each picture was slightly altered to help us look more... "ideal." Notice our beautifully rounded eyes, perfect skin complexion, and lightly colored lips.
So creepy.
We spent our second full day walking around the area near Tsutenkaku Tower. The area was particularly beautiful at night and the food was delicious!
These guys were everywhere in the Tennōji Zoo. I assume it helped you hear the animals.
This sign was located just outside the nocturnal animal exhibit. If this doesn't make you feel compelled to be quite and respectful towards the animals, I don't know what will.
Kushikatsu, also known as skewered and deep fried deliciousness.
The best pork fried rice I've had in ages
I fell in love with Japan on this trip. Hopefully we'll get to take another trip to see more of this interesting country.
This past weekend, Andy and I went with some friends to 증평 for the farming festival. We weren't sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a fun experience with a bizarre twist. We happened to arrive when a group of Koreans hoping to win a photography contest were attending. As the only foreigners there, we caused quite a ruckus. Hopefully, they were able to take the prize winning shot of us eating, dancing, and drinking with those jolly farmers.
It would have been impossible for any of us to be camera shy at this event.
