Picking up from my previous blog, I made it to Osaka from Tokyo safely on the bullet train. The bullet train in itself is an incredible experience. With speeds getting up to 200 miles per hour and amazing views of Mount Fuji, the ride flies by. It only took about 2.5 hours to arrive. Additionally the leg room is excellent, something that is uncommon in transportation typically. Upon our arrival we checked in to our Air BnB and dropped off our bags. I actually think it is quite fascinating to stay in an Air BnB while in another country because you kind of get to see what a typical person’s home looks like. Although our host’s apartment was small and modest it was more than sufficient for what we we needed. It had a balcony that was pretty nice and he left us towels, soap, and shampoo which was nice of him.
The first thing we did in Osaka was head to this famous Ferris wheel, called Tempozan Ferris wheel. There we paid for cheap tickets and rode it until we got to the top and had scenic views. Since the aquarium was right there we decided to check it out. There were many sea creatures that are local to Japanese waters that can be observed. We then headed out to a famous tower called, Tsutenkaku (also known as Osaka Tower) that had a mini-city below it within the city of Osaka. With lots of little alleyways and shops it was a great way to spend our only night in the city. We grabbed some dessert and then headed back for some rest to prepare for our early morning the next day.
The following day we rose early and found a cute breakfast place before venturing to the most famous part of the city- Osaka Castle. The castle overlooks a beautiful river and some of the city skyline. At the top of the castle you can see all of Osaka from a multitude of angles which made for some excellent pictures. From the top you work your way down the castle, which is a museum now. With each floor having a different exhibit you can learn a lot about Japanese history and what took place in the castle. Next, we went to my favorite part of Osaka- Dotonbori Street. While this only technically defines one individual street in the city, it is easily the most lively and exciting part. Tons of people were out despite it being the middle of the day on a Wednesday. We shopped and had lunch here, in addition to people watching. Before we left we sat on the short bridge over the river that runs through the city which was so peaceful. The weather along with the vibe made it my favorite part of the trip.
Finally, we returned to the apartment, grabbed our stuff, and took the train to the airport (Kinsai International Airport is actually an hour away from Osaka, so make sure to allot time for that). The flight back was delayed two hours but that is just a part of traveling sometimes. While I had a great time in Osaka it does not compare with Tokyo, which I liked better. With that said I still do recommend checking out Osaka for a day or two because it offers a different look at Japan than Tokyo.
After arriving at my apartment in Hong Kong and getting a few hours of sleep it was officially my birthday! Despite turning 21, I decided I wanted to spend my day living out a childhood dream and going to Disney. Not in the states of course, but at Hong Kong’s famous Disneyland resort. Its similar to those in California and Florida but slightly different too.
We took Hong Kong’s Island Line to the Orange Line and then finally switched to the Disneyland line. In just about forty minutes, we arrived in what some refer to as the happiest place in the world. I had been to the Disneyland in Florida before but it was so long ago that I truthfully don’t remember it that much.
This Disneyland is a bit smaller and doesn’t have nearly as many sections to it. The park is incredibly detailed though and is still pretty big. There are some noticeable differences such as the use of Chinese at the park. All of the characters speak in English but ride information and other narration is almost entirely in Cantonese. This did not affect our experience really since the most important part is listening to the characters.
We went on lots of rides and got to explore some of the worlds such as the Toy Story world, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, and Mystic Land. We spent about an hour and a half at each of these, but my favorite was Toy Story just because I really loved those movies growing up. Getting to spend a day reliving my childhood, hanging out with Star Wars and Marvel characters, was absolutely amazing. My favorite ride was probably the Hyperspace Mountain, a Star Wars take on the Disney original Space Mountain, because it was completely in the dark and had cool Star Wars components to it.
We did not have to wait in long lines really all day since we went on a Thursday. I would strongly advise this because we spoke to some of the people who work at the park and they told us that it is super busy on the weekends. We were able to do this because we didn’t have class but even if you don’t go during reading week you can go on a day that class is cancelled. This makes a significant difference because we were able to see the entire park in just a single day this way.
Disneyland is certainly not cheap and costed about $70 USD for a ticket for the day. This may be out of your budget but if you can afford it I would highly recommend it. It was a great way to spend the day, and was even better because it was my birthday.
