Osaka, Japan

Sayonara Japan! We spent our last night in Osaka and while we didn’t have time to see much, we liked what we saw. We went for Italian food last night and it was delicious. The place was right in the Dotonburi area (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C5%8Dtonbori) and we had a great people watching spot (see pics). We also found another Italian cafe for dessert called Marimba Cafe (just by chance) and the waiter could speak a little English and said that he wanted to come to Canada someday. When he brought us the bill, he said that dessert was on the house!! :) 

We are now getting ready to leave for the airport for our flight to Beijing. We will be back to Japan for a week in December to see Tokyo and to explore Niseko (ski area) and we’re really looking forward to it. We’ve loved this country! The people are so friendly and polite and although we haven’t understood much of what they’re saying (so hopefully it's good things), it’s really amazing how you can communicate quite well with hand gestures. No one pushes in line-ups, they are always bowing their heads to say ‘hello’ (even on a hiking trail, where do you see that at home?).  I can find a bathroom easily here (and I can’t get enough of the heated toilet seats) and you never go thirsty for long as there are vending machines everywhere selling everything from water to juices to cigarettes! We’ve seen these machines in the oddest places, where there is nothing else around but they’ve been very helpful. It’s also wonderful to be able to drink the tap water here.

Very nice

Walk to Dotonburi

Octopus balls

Very handy way to call the waiter 

The scene below the restaurant

These two also provided some entertainment...we think she was working for him. 

The really nice waiter who wants to come to Canada someday. He also got a pic of me on his phone so perhaps I'm on fb somewhere. ;)