It is Sunday

And I am in Osaka, having spent the day traipsing and sight seeing, now I have some shochu, and a ticket to Hiroshima in the morning.


Went to an open air museum of old farmhouses today. Thatched roof city! Along with the bamboo and farms around I was enthralled, all the structures had been transported here from all over Japan, and some were huge. Spent a few hours imagining myself in that environment, sitting on porches and around fires inside the houses and totally loving the bamboo. There weren't many people there, bar a few artists doing sketches, and some artisans weaving and doing origami stuff, cool!
Later I went to a Ceramics museum, yay it was free, and it had quite a collection of blue and whites, I hesitate to say I blew another gasket! But then I found the snuff bottles...wow! Literally hundreds in glass and other materials, tiny and incredibly beautiful, I struck up fort there and wouldn't budge. Josie I saw a Korean celodon ware bowl from like the 12th Century that I think you would like.

I certainly did. Timeless.
Walked along the river for a bit, in fact there were 2 rivers, and saw something triangular and organic moving swiftly along. I have no idea what it was and since I was just about the only person there (other than the street sweepers) I might never know what it was. It was definitely alive.
Tried to find some other living museum, but found instead the longest shopping strip I have seen in my life, which is really a 'living museum'. Literally kilometers of covered 'mall' to use the term loosely as cyclists were using it, and it was on for young and old. I had to shut my eyes a few times to recover my sight from all the looking, seriously.



Shop with $1 bunches of bananas, bananas!
Outrageous sights, and sounds and way-out smells, all good mate, really good. I ate octopus balls and then an octopus pancake for like 130Yen. Had great fun identifying the octopus in one place, by acting out my version of their movements.
I had some great searing joy crossing one of the bridges in the train, looking out at a size-able mountain range in the distance. I saw how much I do not know, and how daft I am for not studying up on practically anything before I visit somewhere, my naivety surprises me, thats how naive I am. Stupid some might say. But then I get these delightful surprises.
Altogether not a bad day, though there was some confusion over what size glass my beer was going to come in...oh dear, talk about flustered, but I got a schooner in the end, which was exactly what I needed after a day of massive movement. I didn't speak to anyone all day, bar the waitress and the JR travel info lady. Strange having so many ruminations to share but no-one to share them with. I would love to come back, but not on my own. Went looking for a bar near the hotel and couldn't find anything, so here I am back in my room...
As a matter of fact I am able to report that there was not one place in my travels today where I didn't see someone cleaning or tidying up. Well done, Switzerland of Asia capital #1, gold star!
May I say that the toilet where I am staying pisses for me, truly, when you sit down water starts flushing. My ears and bladder are confounded.