Skye had her first taste of Namba; Osaka's second downtown. The is the neighbourhood where Chris used to work. This picture is Osaka's most famous image, the Glico Man on the Dotombori river. We had dinner at the Saizeriya restaurant; pasta dinner, appies and a carafe of wine for under $20. Who says Japan has to be pricey?

Today Chris and I ventured out of the bustling city and took the train about 40 minutes to Nara. I had no idea what to expect but my expectations were blown away by the beauty of this ancient town. We walked back in time to 700ad and visited temples, shrines and pagodas. Once the Capitol of Japan and host to some significant world heritage sites, this was a sacred stop. We wound through the large wooden Todaiji temple with the Buddha welcoming us in. We wound up ...

Well our first day in Japan was exciting, overwhelming and heartwarming. We started with a Japanese onsen visit, a natural hot spring in our hotel. Here you take off your clothes and sit on a bucket while you wash beside others. Then you slip into a hot pool and soak for as long as you can handle it. It's hot!! But I loved it. Our day was so long that all I could think about was doing it again at the end of the day. And we did! Between our early morning and late ...