Japan Day 6 - Universal Studio

Our second last day saw us at Universal Studios.  The kids had been so fantastic we thought we would treat them.  It was not something that we had originally intended to do and in hindsight we should have stuck to our instincts.

There is a train on the JR line that goes directly to the Studios where there is a short walk past every conceivable restaurant chain before you reach the front gates.

I had been given the tip to try a Mos burger so try one I did....at 1000 in the morning.  The cheeseburger was actually pretty good.

Upon reaching the entrance the first thing that catches your eye is the amazing roller coaster that goes around the park.

A new area had opened just weeks before called Wonderland, aimed directly at the younger kids.  One of the reasons we decided to come.

$200AUS later and we were in!

The kids planning their plan of attack.

Scarlett adores the Pink Panther

.....a lot.

In a nutshell...this was the issue.  This was the shortest queue we came across all day at 35 minutes for a 20 second slide.  Some rides, Jaws for example was 90 MINUTES!  A 4 year old can simply not stand in a line for 40 minutes. (A 42 year old with a sore back had similar complaints)

Nice ride huh?  Didn't go on it.  1 hour wait.

By this stage I needed some of this.  At five cents it was the cheapest thing I saw all day.

Jurassic Park.  One hour....

In conclusion I would have to say if we were to to it again we would most definitely skip Universal.  There were even half hour queues for the food and drinks.  Simply not doable for us unfortunately.  So we cut our losses and got out of their in the early afternoon.

I so wanted to buy these for you Tan!

Found an excellent restaurant near the hotel.  Just a short walk towards the electronics area.  Loving the cups and bowls they had for the kids.

Loving the food they had for us even more.  

When all else fails with Quiddy, I carry around packets of tomato sauce and just get him some grilled chicken and rice.  He is more than happy.  Scarlett is much more adventurous and will try just about anything.  They spoke no English but thank God for Steve Jobs and his translator apps.  When we asked if a particular dish was tuna sashimi or beef....she was able to tell us it was horse!

I have no idea what the place was called but here are the details.  It was yet another great meal.  

One question we have been asked a lot since we have been home is "was it expensive?"  I am sure you could spend a fortune if you really tired but we found it more than reasonable.  Very much on par with Sydney or Melbourne.  The street food is cheap and tasty. We were travelling with the kids so were not doing the fine dining thing (this time!) so we found Osaka's home style hearty fare well within the budget.

Things that go bump off the couch.

My daughter does.  Apologies for the absence but I shall endeavour to finish the last 2 days of our Japanese holiday soon.  She's fine.  Broken radius but getting the best of care.

Japan Day 5 - Nara

Day 5 (don't worry if you are wondering why this is described as a blog about Vietnam and it's all been about Japan...we only stayed 7!) took us yet again to the subway to board a train to Nara, about 40 minutes away.  Hard to describe the enormity of this underground world.  It is seriously huge.

Not unlike these guys who are also, seriously huge.

Even Sumo wrestlers need to buy a train ticket like us mere mortals.

It must take quite a lot of skill to balance those huge frames on those fabulous wooden thongs.  It's funny, it's almost like when you see the sumo wrestlers on the street, it's like spotting wildlife in their own environment.  So exciting and unexpected.

And just look at the food on offer down there.  

As take away should be.

By this stage of our trip the kids were feeling the pinch.  Scarlett took the chance to take forty winks on the train.  Why take a photo of it?  Well, those who know us know I have the only 2 children in the world who do not sleep in moving vehicles.  Planes, trains, buses, cars....never.  EVER.

Arrived at Nara and immediately it had a great feel about it.  There seemed to be a lot less tourists and from what we could gather, things seemed a lot closer together.

Very much a walking city, our first stop was a mere block away.  With the gorgeous blue sky shining down on us, you could not help but be excited as the day unfolded before us.

The extraordinary thing about Nara Park is the sight of 1200 Silka Deer that roam freely there.  The kids LOVED it.  You can buy "deer biscuits" and feed them.

Or you can not be paying attention and have one of the naughty little things come and eat your map. (It was of course the part we were using too!)

The sign says it all but let me say this, put the name Scarlett under the little girl on the bottom left and you may get the idea.  They kind of get p****d off when you are out of biscuits and Scarlett found out the hard way.  On a brighter note, it does serve to remind you the lengths you will go to protect your children (yes, I threw myself in front of said wild deer!)  It wan't too bad, just a love tap really but she got a bit of a fright.

Guess who had the biscuits?

A very wary Quiddy.

These statues were stunning.  They were enormous protectors.  Unfortunately they were screened in which spoilt the effect some what.

This was my favourite temple that we visited on the whole trip.  There was just something about it that made it feel really special.  Here the kids are swinging the prayer flags onto the gong at the top.

Quiddy took this one!  I love the the colours.

This one was just for Tina.

Lunch was good!

Yep, we sure do love our ridiculous Jetstar jump!

We visited a stunning Japanese garden on the walk back toward the station.

The rooms where the tea ceremonies are held.  Did not get a chance this time but maybe next time without the kids.

Through the moss garden.

Back to Osaka where we were too tired to find a new place so went back to our favourite Japanese Italian restaurant as we had promised the kids.

Where Nick had a Voltaren for dinner.

Followed by what we both unequivocally agree was the best pizza we have ever had in our lives...and we have eaten a lot of pizza!

The waiters and chef remembered us and were once again so welcoming.  Now THIS is what I call a glass of wine!

He was very excited that we had been to Nara to see the deer that day.

Another great day.  Travelling with children of course has its challenges but days like today make up for it.  The kids really enjoyed the cultural side and also lapped up the fun parts like feeding the deer.  I find that in general people all around the world have a bit of a soft spot for little travellers (as long as they are well behaved) and it really creates a unique travel experience that would not be possible without them.