lea pof travels

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Osaka, Japan: Osaka Bay Area

Using the Osaka 2-day Unlimited Pass which is pretty Amazing (which explains why it is rebranded as the Osaka Amazing Pass in 2014).

I bought the entry ticket to the Kaiyukan, but other attractions in the Bay Area (and beyond) work great with the Pass, I visited in one day (and it was in winter, mind you!):

Near Kaiyukan:

Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel

Cruise Ship Santa Maria

Beyond the Bay Area:

Osaka Castle

Hep 5 Ferris Wheel

Natural Hot Spring Naniwa no Yu

And the pass covers transportation too!

After I "dived" into the sea, it was time to take to the skies.

This is a nice touch!

Even got a free beverage when I disembarked!

Then I took to the sea, with coupon 25. For a while, I felt like Christopher Columbus.

After that I hung around the Tempozan Marketplace Shopping Mall, and fell in love with Tokyo's little sister and her quirks (Maybe because I'm a younger sister myself?).

My sister's favourite snack, we call it bang bang ('b-ah-ng', meaning stick)

Takoyaki Snacks

Then I had some pipping hot Takoyaki from Naniwa Food Theme Street. I'm not sure if the manga inspired the shop or the shop inspired the manga, visit it for yourself to find out!

The only way to get me to eat octopus.

There is (I hope it's still there!) a little stand outside the mall selling cream puffs (Fujiya from Ginza, didn't see it when I was in Ginza though). And it was to-die-for!

Never found anything like it again (and I bought cream puffs everywhere in Japan I went after this)

More pictures are available on my Flickr (simply click any photo).

Tempozan Marketplace Shopping Mall (Japanese)/ Tempozan Marketplace Shopping Mall (English)

Cruise Ship Santa Maria

Cost: Varies

Access: 5-min walk from No. 1 Exit of Osakako Station, Subway Chuo Line

Related Posts:

My Japan Itinerary (December 2012)

Japan Day 9 – Osaka, Day 1:

Using Osaka 2-day Unlimited Pass
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan 1 2 3
Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel and Cruise Ship Santa Maria
Osaka Castle
Hep 5 Ferris Wheel
Natural Hot Spring Naniwa no Yu

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Osaka, Japan: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan 3

Capybara, the largest rodent in the world. This animal, native to South America, is even cuter when you see it from the front!

One of the reasons why I enjoyed the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is that the keepers seem to really take pride in their work.

Whether it's feeding the otters

Or performing with dolphins

And people (me inclusive) get to see animals (whether interesting or otherwise) do interesting things.

Lonely Capybara, but it's adorable! It's the largest rodent and is closely related to the guinea pig.

No tail!

The penguins. See Fluffy?

And they swim up close

Or pose for photos!

One last animal you won't expect to see in an aquarium

And my favourite tourist activity in Osaka

I've seen such coins around the world (even in churches in Europe) but... This is the only time I can engrave words on it and buy chains to use it. I love the retro-ness of the system.

Amazing Beavers, I would make and give the coins as a souvenir but... I thought it was more meaningful for people to engrave their coin to mark their adventure, not mine. (And choosing the designs is going to be a headache!)

More pictures are available on my Flickr (simply click any photo).

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Cost: free to 2300 yen

Access: Osakako Station of Osaka City Subway Chuo Line

Related Posts:

My Japan Itinerary (December 2012)

Japan Day 9 – Osaka, Day 1:

Using Osaka 2-day Unlimited Pass
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan 1 2 3
Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel and Cruise Ship Santa Maria
Osaka Castle
Hep 5 Ferris Wheel
Natural Hot Spring Naniwa no Yu

Friday, September 19, 2014

Osaka, Japan: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan 2

Seeing these crabs "pose" never fails to crack me up, for some reason they remind a boyband, a band of crabs of sorts?

The Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan has a huge central tank spanning 8 storeys, filled with whale sharks and huge rays, yet along the winding way down, there are these little enclosures with some gems, that are not-to-be-missed either!

Salamander