It was 69 years ago, on August 6th, that the world’s first atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Today, the A-Bomb Dome still stands, looking as it did after the bomb struck from directly above.
An Afternoon in Osaka
One could easily spend several days in Osaka, Japan – sight-seeing, shopping and eating delicious Japanese cuisine. But if you only have an afternoon, here are some Osaka ‘Must- See’ areas.
After Tokyo, Osaka is considered to be Japan’s second-most modern city, quite a contrast for those who have just come from neighbouring traditional Kyoto.
First on our list was escaping the throngs of people and making our way to the city’s castle, Osaka-Jo.
With its white exterior and green roof with black and gold detailing, Osaka Castle has a fairytale appearance about it, almost looking more European than Japanese. For 550 -600yen, you can head inside the castle and take the elevator straight up to the 8th floor observation area.
The view from the top is incredible. You can see for miles. On a sweltering summer day, the breeze up there is also a welcome change. Heading back down, there are displays on every floor. The seventh floor is full of information on the life of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, the man who built Osaka Castle and succeeded in unifying the nation. The fifth floor was filled with scenes and information about the Summer War in Osaka. The fourth floor had artifacts from the Sengoku era and on the third floor there were facts and figures on Osaka Castle.
The castle took a thousand workers three years to build in 1583. At the time it was thought to be indestructible, yet 32 years later it was destroyed in battle. The current castle was built in 1931.
The area surrounding the castle has food stands and a souvenir shop as well as a small garden to wander through. As you make your way back down the hill, the large park surrounding the castle grounds is a nice place to spend some time wandering through the gardens. Or, if you brought your sneakers, you can join the hundreds of runners that fill the park.
Osaka was almost bombed flat during WWII, but has been built back up and is now filled with both indoor and outdoor markets, arcades, shops and restaurants.
Osaka is divided into a couple main areas – Kita, the center of retail and business by day, and Minami – the place to spend the evening. Here, everything comes alive under the neon glow of lights and the delicious smells wafting from the many restaurants (get off at either Namba or Shinsaibashi station).
The Namba region certainly lights up as the sun sets becoming The Times Square of Japan. Bright lights, huge signs, shops, and restaurants open late into the night. If you’re looking for nightlife this is also the place to find Osaka’s most popular bars and clubs. Everywhere you look a neon sign is welcoming you to come in and enjoy. Until you get your bearings the whole area can definitely be a sensory overload, but once your eyes adjust, you’ll notice that this area hosts some of the greatest signs you’ve ever seen!
After a meal of the best sushi I’ve ever had and a stroll through the maze of neon lights, it was time to catch our bus.
Our afternoon in Osaka was a great overview, but I’ll have to make my way back and see what other gems this modern Japanese city has to offer.
Categories: Asia, Blog, Where in the World
Tags: Japan, Namba, Osaka, Osaka Castle, Osaka-jo
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Climbing Kilimanjaro
With my younger sister about to head up the mountain, I decided to post a throwback to four summers ago when I made the trek up 5,895 m (19,341 ft) to Uhuru Peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The four-and-a-half days it took to reach the summit were some of the most exhausting days of my life, but standing on the Rooftop of Africa, watching the sun rise made it all worth it.
Categories: Africa, Blog, Video, Where in the World
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Horseback riding in the hills of Boquete
With so many tour options available in Boquete, Panama, the hardest part is choosing what you want to do in this beautiful hillside town.
After looking at a number of tour options, we decided to go with Horses and Hot Springs and booked an afternoon with Franklin’s Horseback Riding Tours.
Categories: Blog, Central America
Tags: Boquete, Caldera Springs, Franklins Horseback Riding Tours, horseback riding, Panama
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Long Walk To Freedom
“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.”
The final statement in Nelson Mandela’s book ‘Long Walk To Freedom’. After over 27 years in prison he still remained optimistic.
An inspiring book by an incredible, inspiring man.
Categories: Blog, Quotes
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Panama City
Strolling along the boardwalk
Heading into the Casco Viejo area
Iglesia de San Jose’s Golden Altar
Old Ruins around the city
Panama Hats
Wandering through the Parque Natural Metropolitano
Catching a wave in Panama
‘Watch for your wave, paddle, get in position, chicken wing the arms and pop up on the board.’
Sounds easy, but my first attempt at riding a wave in Santa Catalina, Panama did not go quite so smoothly.
I had always wanted to learn how to surf and since Santa Catalina is known to be one of the best surf spots in Central America, I figured it was time to cross another item off my travel bucket list.
Surfers have always intrigued me with the whole beach bum, free-spirited, laid back attitude of spending your days outside, riding waves in the warm sun. While this may just be a stereotype, it sure sounds like the perfect life to me.
After checking into Sherlley Cabins, our Santa Catalina home, my travel companions and I headed out to the beach to check out the waves and cool off after a long day on the bus. Here, we came across a few people learning to surf who introduced us to their instructor, Chris Johnson. We made arrangements to meet him the following day at three to turn our surfer dreams into reality.
Santa Catalina is a small fishing village on the Pacific coast. With a population of only 300 people and 50 expats, this surf paradise has a very laid back vibe with small hand-thatched restaurants and cabins – just don’t expect to party all night, as all the local bars have a curfew of 10 p.m.
We rented a surfboard at the Santa Catalina Surf Point for $7, paid $20 for our lesson, and headed down to the beach. Chris told us he’s originally from Florida, has been surfing since he was nine and now owns the Montezuma Surf School in Costa Rica. So we were definitely in good hands for our intro to surfing!
He started out by drawing us pictures in the sand of what the waves look like and how we were going to catch them. After showing us the proper position and how to “pop up” onto the board, we each got our own hand drawn ‘sandboard’ to practice our pop-ups on. On land, I could pop up no problem and started thinking maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as I imagined. Then we left the sand behind and picked up our boards, attached our ankle strap, and headed out into the waist-deep water to try and catch our first wave.
Chris showed us how to pick a wave and what to look for as it was coming in. Then, one at a time, he helped us as we got into position to wait for our wave to reach us. Then he’d guide the board and yell ‘NOW!’ at which time we were supposed to pop up and ride the wave!
Well, it turns out it’s definitely not as easy in the water as it was on my ‘sandboard.’ My first attempt was pretty dismal. My second was a little better – I at least got to my knees as Chris told me to let go of the board and stop over thinking it.
By my third attempt, I was up on the board, crouched very low and still holding onto the side of it – but at least I was on my feet!
For the next couple hours, we continued to pick our waves, gradually starting to paddle on our own and then do the whole process alone, with Chris just offering tips after each ride. He definitely knows what he is talking about and was an awesome instructor for our first time surfing.
I won’t say by the time the sun was setting three hours later that I was heading for the pros, but I can say that I at least had a few good rides, standing up for several seconds each time before losing my balance and sliding off my board.
The day ended with a dinner of fresh fish at Mama Ines, watching the sunset and chatting with Chris and some other surfers about riding the waves.
It was a perfect day out in the Santa Catalina waves. I can’t wait to get back out on a surfboard and try again!
Categories: Blog, Central America
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Surfing in Santa Catalina
I’ve always wanted to try surfing, so on a recent trip to Panama I decided to try and catch some waves in Santa Catalina, one of Central America’s best surf spots. While I may not be joining the pro league anytime soon, by the end of my lesson with Chris from Montezuma Surf School, I did manage to catch a few waves!!
Tales of a Travel Addict 
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