My holiday-weekend adventures in Osaka and Kyoto...

I had a very good time in Osaka and Kyoto.  I managed to get on all the right trains and find my way around for the most part, no huge disasters at least :)  I was very excited to travel to Osaka, as it is the closest city to me with an Argentine tango community (the main purpose for my travels this weekend).

I arrived Friday in Osaka early evening and after a quick stop at the information desk, I boarded my first subway train in Japan and found the hotel.  After getting cleaned up, the hotel desk suggested taking a cab to the cafe.  I had the address and the general area, but the cab driver wasn't too sure exactly where it was.  He was very nice and called them for better directions.  I got there and joined the tango class.  It was a very beginner class, but it was fun nonetheless.  I did manage to dance with a leader who didn't even come up to my shoulders, very challenging but somehow I managed.  The instructors were from Argentina and were very nice.  I stayed for the milonga which was a lot of fun too.  Everything took place at a cafe called Cafetin de Buenos Aires.  It was a very small and intimate atmosphere perfect for dancing tango.

After the milonga I tried to catch a cab back to my hotel.   My adventures so far were just going too well, so something was bound to go wrong.  I got in the cab, told the driver the name of the hotel and the subway station right below it and then showed him the address and location on a map.  He started saying something but I couldn't understand him.  So I just repeated the name of the hotel and subway station and again showed it to him on the map.  He started yelling at me then eventually opened the door and kicked me out of the cab.  Not knowing what to do, I went back to the cafe and tried explaining what happened.  Fortunately, the people there spoke enough English to understand me, but I must have just been very tired and frustrated because as I was explaining the tears started rolling.  They were very nice and felt bad for what had happened.  So they offered me a drink and some chocolate (chocolate always makes things better!) and said they would help me to get a cab.  The cafe owner sent one of her waitresses to help me find one.  She said there are some really good and really bad companies, so we tried to find one of the good ones.  Unfortunately all were reserved, even at the main stand for one company there was like a 20 minute wait.  So we kept searching.  Eventually we found one, but they were headed the wrong direction down a one-way street and the driver said he would take me but it would cost almost 3 times as much.  We then headed to the street going the opposite direction, but that was like a good 15 minute walk at least up a small road.  Sachi told me to stay close because it wasn't the best area to be wandering around in late at night.  We eventually made it to the other street and found a cab.  She explained to him where I wanted to go, he said no problem and I finally made it back to the hotel.

During the day on Saturday I wandered around Osaka, and figured what could I do in a big city... shopping!  I figured I would get it out of the way now so Jesse wouldn't have to deal with it when he arrives :)  I didn't buy much, but a ton of socks!  The Japanese have the cutest socks, so I stocked up on some for me and my mom.  Also found some cute leggings and one crochet sweater.  Believe it or not, I found shoes that fit me, and I was tempted by one pair, but they didn't have the color I wanted.  I have gotten pretty comfortable traveling by subway and made it back to hotel with ease.  I got cleaned up and then headed to the main station to meet Yanina, another student in the JSPS summer program.  She was very interested in seeing tango, so we met for dinner then I took her to the cafe.  I didn't attend the lesson, because with the guest instructors from Argentina I felt it was quite over-priced for a beginning lesson.  For Yanina's introduction to tango she got quite a show.  It was live music, an all woman 3-piece group with piano, violin and bandoneon.  I was quite excited too, as I have never danced to, let alone heard, live tango music.  The picture is a little blurry, but I didn't want to have the flash on.  In center mirror you can see the pianist.

The instructors also did a couple performances.  This one is their performance to the live music.

We left fairly early to make sure we got back to the train station in time for Yanina to catch her last train back, and for me to catch the subway to my hotel.  The next morning I caught a very early train to Kyoto so that I would arrive by around 7:30 am.  Sunday was one of the big events for the Gion Matsuri (one of the most famous festivals in Japan).  I wanted to make sure I had time to drop my bags off at the hostel and then find a good place to catch the parade of Yamahoko floats.  There were 32 floats in total: 

9 Hoko floats (about 25m high and weighing 12,000kg, takes 30-40 men to pull) 

23 Yama floats (about 6m high and weighing 1,600kg, takes 14-24 men to push/pull/carry)

It took about 2 and a half hours from the time the first float went by to the last.  It also takes about 3 hours for one float to go the entire route.  One very interesting thing, apparently you don't have to be Japanese to take part in this.  Note the very tall caucasian on the left in the picture below.

The procession started and stopped numerous times throughout the duration.  Each time they were stopped, there would be some chanting (perhaps words of encouragement to those pulling) before they started again.

This float was my favorite.  If the crowd cheered or clapped enough, it would wave or flutter its wings.

And of course a picture of me enjoying the parade.

Each hour it seemed to get hotter and hotter.  Where else but in Japan can you find a chilled cucumber on a stick, with mayo and miso as condiments.  Quite refreshing actually :)

After wandering around for another 4 hours, I could finally get checked in to the hostel.  I was really feeling the need for a shower and a nap.  However, after the shower I saw some people heading to the kitchen and common area so I thought I would check it out.  I learned they were having a dinner party, and I was invited to attend.

I had my first experience with Nagashi-somen.  They assembled a bamboo water-slide, and after the noodles are cooked, they send them down the slide and you have to catch them with your chopsticks.

I also got to see how Takoyaki is made.  Sooo delicious!

The J-Hoppers hostel was great and I am glad that I found it.  It has been years since I last stayed at a hostel (my back-packing days in Europe before my study abroad in 2004?), and this was probably my best hostel experience by far.  Everyone was very friendly and it felt more like a community than a place to crash for the night.  I think I will definitely stay there again when I take Jesse to visit Kyoto.

Monday was a holiday and I had planned to spend the day seeing more of Kyoto before catching the train home, but it was pouring rain so I decided to just head for the station.  Turns out Typhoon Ma-On (category 1) has reached Japan.  The worst for the Wakayama area will reach tonight between 9pm and 3am.  I am in Iwade south of Osaka, maybe about 1/2 way between the symbol at the center of the circle and the coast directly to the west.

So... I've experienced and earthquake already and I'm about to experience my first typhoon, what other natural disasters will I see during my stay here... perhaps a volcano eruption?