First ride on the Shinkansen! Onwards to Hiroshima!

A bit of a lazy start to the day considering we didn't have time to do much today in Osaka and it was drizzling, so we had breakfast about 9 and wandered back upstairs to pack and check out by 10. Then we got on the subway with our huge looking bags headed for Shin-Osaka station. Third time lucky finding the right counter to hand over our exchange order for the JR Pass. Didn't have time to book seats so there was a big crowd (including a fair few tourists) that were lined up near carriages 1-3 that are free for all seats! Luckily we got to sit next to each other still!

The train was really comfy and the 90 minutes went by pretty quickly.. Too bad an old lady was sitting in the window seat or I would have tried to get some photos. :)
Made it to Hiroshima station by 12.30pm and it was still drizzling outside but we were able to get a map and walked down the street a bit and found our hotel (after asking a nice lady where to go, found out we were 1 street up). The hotel was closer than we thought!

Check in opens at 3pm so we left our bags with the hotel and walked back near the station and found a nice restaurant to eat at. Success again in translating the menu and ordering what we wanted! Yes there were pics but I was able to get what Ben wanted without the meal and ordered a soba instead of an udon.

Had a squiz at some shops in the station and found orange kit-kats and I think green tea pokki! I saw some green tea kit kats while briskly walking through Shin-Osaka station but had no time to get them, I'm sure they're everywhere though!! ; D I love how much stuff they have in their shops and it's all so cute and neatly packaged and there are samples in the gift boxes of food to buy!! I just want to buy everything haha

Came back to the hotel, still a bit early but a sat down with a few other people waiting for check-in.
Accidentally made Ben's coffee a bit strong while waiting in the lobby haha Check out how small their milk things are for the coffee - maybe they don't really bother with milk??

Checked in and got cards for room 1002 on level 10. Check out the view from the elevator!

Have an even smaller room then Osaka but it has a nice view and is very close to the station!

Doesn't Benny look kawai (cute) in his robes? :D

Mt Koya Day Trip

Just thought I would share the fancy toilet with everyone haha Ben has been to chicken to try it but I gave it a go and wowzer it sure wakes you up! They are very modest here and when they go to the loo, it runs water in the toilet so that nobody can hear what you are doing! Not used to it yet and when I have sat down each time and I hear that noise, I think it's going to spray me already haha

Last night after dinner we went to a game place and Ben won me a little toy!!! It was totally with the 20 goes it took us and yes that is about $15 lol

Talk about a close call! We bought out tickets at 9.11am and the train wad due for a 9.15am departure - and these guys are never late!  Luckily the platform wad near us and we ran on the train after the lady checked or seating tickets (they have us 5 tickets each for this trip!)

I think I figured the 5 tickets out though: 1 is for the trip there, one on the way back, one for your seat, one is a receipt maybe and I think I read the other one as maybe a ticket for the cable car up to Mt Koya... Not 100% in that!

Their reasons are so nice here too! They have nice music for everything! Their trains have toilets, wide open windows and you guessed it - vending machines haha

The 1 and a half hour ride took no time at all and we made it to the cable car which took us up 850 metres I think to the top. Let me tell you it was a very steep ride!

A nice man with a clip board helped us get or tickets for the bus and we were in time to catch the next bus to the main area. Very beautiful place with lots of temples and shrines that are still standing after 1400 years!

We went to each end of the bus lines (there were 3) and saw the 'big gate' called Daimon and at the other end was the graveyard with over 200,000 graves, not just small ones in the ground but big ones made of stone everywhere! Some of them looked like they had been there the while time, covered in moss. It was cute to see little statutes with aprons on too!

Was funny at lunch, had issues trying to get the tea out of the container. A man and his wife saw us having issues and came over and showed us hour to use it... Had a good laugh XD

Needless to say I feel asleep on the way back for a bit haha

Last night:
Been was a good husband and won me a little blue guy - yes, it did cost us about $15 and 10 of the 20 goes lol

Osaka Castle and Dotombori

Slight fail after walking to the station then having to go to the tourist info shop at the other end (quite a long way) for the lady to say we needed our passport to buy the 2 day pass lol

So hiked back to the hotel and got the pass and found the right platform and accidentally got on the women's only carriage bit there was an old guy in there with us so Ben didn't feel so bad.. Oops!

We got of the train and made our way up to the castle grounds. It was really nice weather and there were heaps of cherry blossom trees around which made it colourful and pretty. We got on free with the pass we bought and took the stairs, not the best idea with minimal water. Made it to the top first and worked our way down. Very interesting place!

Had a few people offer to take our photo (old people, so cute)!  This one old guy saw us sitting on some steps and saw my camera next to me and said 'come, photo'. So we followed him to another side of the castle with a great vote and he took some photos then said more, so he pointed us further down and got some more nice photos of us!

Got a bit list on the way back street getting off on a different line, one stop away. Walked around unnecessarily for a bit and went to another station - made it at last haha

Dotombori
After wondering around looking at all the neons and seeing not 1 but 3 giant crabs in buildings, it took us FOREVER to pick somewhere to eat! Finally settled on the Tabehoudai (all you can eat). Ben burnt his tongue on think the second bit of meat! Eager beaver lol

Helloooo Osaka!

Arrived after a pretty good flight, only a few bumps along the way.
Instantly noticed cute shit everywhere in customs... It's only the beginning I bet!

Had my first taste of fancy toilets and vending machines at the airport and one of them had ice cream in it! Was slightly impressed haha

Jebus on the ticket machines - quite confusing, just went to the counter.

While riding on the train (at night) I could see heaps of neon lights, tissue box cars, bicycles and vending machines. Not a boring ride at least.

We finally found the right exit at Namba station and didn't have to walk too far to the hotel, totally felt like a tourist carrying wheeling our bags along. Only saw a few tourists so not sure Osaka gets all the tourism?? Lady at the station didn't seem impressed with me trying to use Japanese but got a map and the directions off her

Right next to our hotel is a little square street kind of thing with little restaurants. As you can see from the place we ate at, there was no smoking from 11am-2pm. Random!

Ready for Takeoff!

After a hassle free 1 hour drive to the Gold Coast airport, we arrived nice and early thanks to my parents... Too early for the 3 hour check-in even but you can always trust my mum to never be late!

As you can see we went for the healthy (*cough cough*) option of Hungry Jacks. Ben seemed to enjoy it, me not so much but I hardly every go there so took 5 minutes deciding what to get,  annoying Ben already haha! 
I swear the chips were cooked yesterday and not even heated up for us this morning - fail!!!

We never learn ;D

Poor Benny is already a bit bored with no phone and no YouTube to watch... Diddums lol