Autumn Escapades (& more piccies)

Hello there friends, apologies for not doing this bloggy business in a while. I had been feeling as if my perspective was lacking. I’m no travel expert and I’ve never been a lifelong Japanophile. Everything I’ve experienced here I’ve gone into blind, and more often than not I emerge a little confused. I sometimes kick myself for not looking up every unknown aspect of Japanese culture or history I come across. But I’ve resolved that it’s simpler to curiously drift about, often a bumbling foreign idiot, and be surprised. All I can do is share my delight in that!

Without further ado, let me present to you some magical moments in what seemed to be the best season for exploring Japan so far- Autumn was mild, clear-skied and all that was green had melted into warm oranges and vibrant reds. I travelled with a trusty companion (read boyfriend) to Kyoto, Nara and Osaka by local train a couple of hours south of Nagoya where I attend University.

Besides beautiful shrines and temples, Kyoto is known for its winding alleyways and narrow streets lined with old, dark-stained wooden buildings. It was a reprieve from the ultra-modern concrete and glass of Nagoya. At the end of this backstreet, we found a small traditional bar inhabited by sake sipping locals who raised their eyebrows when we walked in. Undoubtedly not helped by my faux pas of chucking a dirty cloth into a bucket designated for customer’s coats and bags…regardless, the plum wine was delicious!

The famous deer park at Nara did not disappoint, here they are striking their most delicate Bambi poses. But in reality, they are hilarious creatures. A kind old man on his bicycle shared with us some deer friendly acorns and wisdom: if you hold out your hand concealing a treat and count to three, the deer will bow to you. The man seemed to command total respect from the deer. They performed beautifully for him. Slowly dipping their heads to mimic the most common Japanese gesture. When we amateur deer trainers attempted, they got lazy and started flippantly jerking their heads to one side, as if we weren’t worth bowing to. They could also be found cheekily chasing people down the street for food, fighting each other or hiding furtively under piles of dead leaves.

Osaka comes alive at night, the impressive concentration of neon lights lures crowds to the downtown area where countless street vendors offer you octopus balls, savoury pancakes and grilled beef tongue on sticks. This was all very tasty and made for pretty picture taking.

However, I would argue the real jewel of Osaka is not the skyline but a beautiful woman we met.

We had read about her on the internet, she seemed quite the character and already had thousands of dedicated fans.

We’d seen pictures of her in all her glory, languidly perched near the water’s edge, flaunting her voluptuous figure.

We had to meet her.

Her name is Yuki.

She lives at Osaka aquarium.

She’s the best seal I’ve ever seen.

 

& some more piccies for your viewing pleasure x

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