A Night on the Town: Osaka

This weekend, after a relatively short week due to a national holiday on wednesday, my friend Miho and I decided we needed to get away from Kobe and head into the city for a night. Osaka is only about 40 minutes from us by Rapid Train and there was a cafe we had been wanting to check out. 

We made reservations at a hotel the night before for relatively cheap and booked a 'ladies room'. We had no idea what the hotel would be like or what 'ladies room' meant, so we were curious and excited about what was in store for us. However, the room was only 8200 yen and included breakfast in the morning so we were happy.

When we got to Osaka, we were able to find the hotel with relatively no trouble. It was very swanky and contemporary. At check in, we found out what it meant to have a 'ladies room'. It meant that we got special little bags of bubble bath and nail stuff as well as slippers and pajamas!! HOW FUN! 

We went up to the room and it was very nice. A bit small, but very modern and new feeling. We got ready and headed to our first destination for the evening, Cafe Absinthe. As many of you know, Absinthe is a very strong alcohol that is herbal and is anise flavored. It was also banned in the US until late 2007 and is still not readily available. 

However, in Japan it is legal and we were ready to try it out. van Gogh, Picasso, Wilde, and Hemingway all were known to be big advocates and drinkers of the potent green drink, so I really wanted to see what it was all about.

We got to the bar and it was very trendy and upscale, a big change compared to most of the places in kobe which are more laid back than sophisticated. We hopped over to the bar to wait for a table because the place was packed and said 'Hi' to a bartender that knows one of the teachers at our school. We then looked at the drink menu, which was HUGE. There were at least 15 different types of straight absinthe and then at least 20 more drinks made with it. Then there was every other kind of drink you could imagine. The food was Mediterranean, which I had been hoping for most of the night. 

Miho ordered a cocktail called the Hemingway which was white wine and absinthe but I wanted to try it straight, so I ordered a french brand with the name Pernot. There was only one kind of absinthe on the menu that contained a large amount of wormwood, which is the hallucinogenic that is some absinthe. This is what most of the artists used to drink, however, it was about 4000 yen a glass ($40), and we decided we'd better just stick to the alcohol anyway. :)

The brought it to us with a shot and a glass. Over the glass they placed a slotted spoon with a sugar cube on top. They then poured the liquid over the sugar and lit the sugar cube on fire. It then melted into the glass and wine was poured into Miho's drink and cold water into mine. Mine turned a milky green color and was then ready to drink. The taste was very strong, but very delicious. 

We then got our table and ordered our food, which was kebabs and pita as well as a creamy mushroom linguini. The staff was great, the food was outstanding, the atmosphere was intellectual, and we had a great time. 

After Cafe Absinthe, we decided we wanted to see what this really popular dance club, Sam and Dave, was all about. We walked around the maze of a city until we heard the music a couple of blocks away. It was thumping so we knew we were in the right area. When we finally approached the club, which is underground, we noticed that it was a sketchy crowd, even for Japan. We observed for a minute and decided it was best to just pass on this experience. 

We walked around Osaka, considered going to Bowling or Karaoke, but ultimately went back to the hotel to rest up for the next day. When we got there we decided to have a little fun and put on our matching Pj's and jumped on the bed. It was a true slumber party! :) Haha. So much fun.

(I have pictures...it is hilarious... I will upload them for you all soon:) )

Breakfast was as you would expect, Japanese Style. The buffet went in order like this: Salad, Pasta salad, Fish, Fish/Meat balls with onions, Boiled eggs, Raw eggs, Spinach, Rice, three kinds of bread for Toast, Rolls, Strawberry jelly, Coffee, Milk, Juice, and Water. Oh Japan... My stomach didn't know if it was breakfast or lunch, but ultimately it was good. 

As for the day, we had to get a birthday present for Miho's mom and just wanted to look around at what Osaka had to offer. We found a little boutique that sold Barbie clothes made for adults, but the were 50's era, SOO CUTE. 

The weather was beautiful and it was warmer than it had been since I got to Japan. We found a little Indian restaurant for lunch on Dotombori that was only 999 yen for all you can eat lunch which ROCKS. We went there, finished shopping, and headed back to Kobe.

One more day off today. We will see where my adventures take me next! :)