Osaka

30^th March 2012 

We entered Osaka harbor at around 7 am and were docked at our berth by 8 am. As we approached the berth, we were surprised to see a full brass band on the dock break into tune to welcome us. The entertainment went on for about 30 minutes until docking was completed.

Today we have booked an organized tour to take us out of Osaka to two of Japan’s ancient Capitals, Nara and Kyoto. It is planned to be a long day, and we have to assemble to meet up with our tour at 8.10am. Everything ran pretty smoothly and we were on the bus and on our way by 8.30am, with our first destination to be Nara which is located on the inland side of the mountains that surround Osaka. This required a trip through a very long tunnel before emerging on the other side at Nara.

Our first visit was to see the Great Buddha, enclosed in one of the World’s largest wooden buildings. Located within parkland, with very tame wild Japanese deer wandering freely around harassing tourists for deer “cookies” which are on sale everywhere, the setting and surrounding gates and buildings make a spectacular site. Once the deer realized someone had some of the “cookies”, they mobbed them creating quite a lot of amusement for onlookers.

The tour through the hall of the Great Buddha and grounds took about an hour, and we were soon back in the bus heading to our next destination in Nara, the Kasuga Shrine. Stone pathways, lined with stone lanterns (donated to the shrine by individuals and companies lead up to the main shrine. There are more deer wandering around freely, but are not as aggressive as they were at the Hall of the Great Buddha. The brightly coloured buildings and lanterns everywhere provide a great visual experience, and as with all things Japanese everything blends in with the gardens and natural landscape.

An hour later, we are back in the bus and drive to Kyoto for lunch. We were expecting the usual organized tour buffet, so were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves in 5 star Japanese Hotel, enjoying a 4 course sit down meal, including soup, sushi, teriyaki chicken and a light desert. Staying awake on the drive through Kyoto streets to our next stop, The Golden Pavillion, (probably the most photographed building in Japan), will be a challenge.  We were not disappointed when we arrived there, and got some great photographs, both of the pavilion and the beautifully landscaped grounds surrounding it.

Our last visit was to the Kiyomizu Temple, the most famous temple in Kyoto. It was very crowded and some of the tour members didn’t get past the shops in the street leading up to the temple. It was a fair climb up to the top of the complex, but you were rewarded with great views of Kyoto once up there. It is another massive wooden building, built without the use of nails and with complex sliding joints in the structure to withstand earthquakes. Built on the side of a steep hill, the main building is supported by a massive grid of columns and beams, which have withstood the ravages of time supporting this massive building.

On the way back to the bus, we bought a local green tea ice cream, and settled in for the trip back to Osaka Port (approx 1.25 hrs). We arrived back at 7 pm, and were not inclined to get changed for dinner, so decided to go to the pizza place and have a pizza. We weren’t the only ones with the same idea and saw both of the other couples from our dining table doing the same thing.