I had the biggest shock when I exited the aircraft at the airport though: COLD! Only 7C and for me that feels like only mildly above absolute freezing. It is also raining. That is a pity since my hope was to get up to Kyoto to watch the blossom. Since I did not bring any clothing for these conditions whatsoever I will however be stuck in my hotel for the most part.
Although Kyoto is - allegedly - much prettier, Osaka is a fascinating city. It is clearly an industrial town that grew fast in the last century and yet it is also part of the richest region of Japan's cultural history. Kyoto was the capital for eons before they moved it to Tokyo. I did a 2 hour walk in the cold and rain without a coat and still it was nice. Not beautiful, mind you, but interesting. Forgot to bring my camera unfortunately. You will have to make do with a shot from my hotel room.
There are lots of little alleys with a lot of bars, restaurants and most of all 'clubs', which I believe are a mixture of Karaoke and the Japanese equivalent of Girly Bars. Since (unlike Tokyo) hardly anybody speaks any English it is hard to figure out how this town works. Even at the hotel the mastery of the English language is limited. If I would ever consider a longer trip to Japan I would most certainly do a language course first. Or find a hot Japanese woman to come with me. Maybe if the weather is a little better I will do some more exploring tomorrow. My flight does not leave until 8:30PM.
In a way I am glad I left Bali. The InterContinental was a mistake. Bad F&B ruined that experience. Luckily they let me cancel my reservation (prepaid) for September without cost. Even a $30 upgrade to the Club level could not tempt me. I do not like these huge resort hotels. I really was going crazy there!
Take care!
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