OH OH Osaka!! Made it to the city of Osaka today. Even though the weather remains miserable ( yes it really is the humidity, not the heat) we were able to cover a lot of ground and enjoy ourselves. We started in Den Den town,the electronic and anime mecca. Rik and I could have spent all day there, but being considerate we kept moving. But not before going in and out of shops and posing with a few interesting statues. We even had time for a quick drum game in one of the arcades. From there we walked through the fish market were we tasted the local delicacy of fried squid balls, very good. We also tried the squid, yam and a potato pancake and topped it all off with strawberry Turkish ice cream. A perfect way to taste the local cuisine. We kept walking and shopping in the Shinsaibashi - suji shopping district. This area on the canal boast large neon billboards and multiple restaurants. Each restaurants with large neon signs or billboards hawking their food. It was crazy and at night the word is it gets pretty wild. I can believe that. The next stop was American town with used clothing stores and a few american chains. It seemed a cross between the Village and gangsta rap land, kind of weird. We finished the day back at the train station and at the Pokemon Store. A must for any one who remembers the show and collecting all those cards. Rik had a ball. A quick beef bowl and beer for dinner and off to bed to get ready for tomorrow. The Palace in Osaka and then back to Tokyo.

Dear, Deer Nara Today we had an amazing day in the city of Nara. Nara Park situated in the city of Nara boasts countless shrines and temples which represent the heart of Japanese culture. We started by seeing the 5 story pagoda on the grounds of Kofukuji Temple. As spectacular as that was the one of the main attractions are the deer that roam freely over the park. They are very docile and come right up to you, but beware if you have crackers or anything they think they can eat, they attack. Poor Rik was gored by a small buck. It was amusing to watch the deer go after people trying to feed them, as long as it wasn't us! A tourist left his guide book in his bike basket and it quickly became a meal for a group of deer. We learned to keep our hands up around them to show we had no food. The Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple was our next stop. This massive Buddha sits in the middle of the Temple flanked by smaller Buddhas and wooden guards. I believe the Buddha was over 15 meters high and really impressive. There is an opening in a wooden stake the actual size of the opening of the great Buddhas nose, if you can fit through you will achieve enlightenment. Mai made it through!! The rest of us just watched. We continued our stroll through the park, past the women sweeping the steps and the many "gardens" of lanterns before reaching another shrine to lovers. Rik and Mai wrote their feelings on a wooden heart and hung it up. How sweet and a little sappy! In between we stopped for green tea and more moshi to keep us moving and our energy high. After the park we strolled both the new and old town ducking in shops and getting a great lunch. After lunch another stroll through old town and the mechanical toy museum. It was small and very interactive and along with a 5 year old, every one was having fun. Before we new it it was getting late and we headed home. As we walked back to our hotel we watched the sun set over the Palace. A perfect way to end the day!