And so my friend has returned home. Yes, there were small tears as we said our final goodbye. Yes, coming home to an empty house was not fun. And yes, I’ve decided that sightseeing on your own ain’t all that fun either ;)
We did have an awesome day in Universal Studios however! A long day, starting with us leaving home around 5:45AM and not returning until after MIDNIGHT!!! But, boy was it worth it!
I must admit, Japan’s Universal Studios outdoes California. For one there are more rides, and they are wayyyyy cooler! Of course the highlight was Harry Potter world. Walking through Hogsmeade and touring Hogwarts castle was like a dream come true. Given, the lines for rides were extreme (90 minutes for one!), but the 3D effects were incredible!! I’m not going to give too much away, but it definitely made me scream, haha! To make things even scarier, the ride had a small malfunction and stopped during one of the scariest sections of the ride!
Of course, a trip to Harry Potter world can’t be complete without the purchase of a wand, butterbeer and chocolate frog! The temptation of also adding a cloak to that list was almost too great, but I regretfully chose not to. Maybe next trip? Yes, that’s right, I plan to return while I’m living in Japan!
My friend left early Staurday morning, which gave me a chance to do some sightseeing before heading home. I found myself venturing to Osaka castle, admiring the white, majestic castle on the beautiful sunny Saturday that it was. I almost purchased a samurai sword while here! After having my ninja training, I seem to have a great fascination with them, haha! However, something tells me I might incur problems when travelling through customs with a large sword in my luggage! If anyone does know how I can get one back, advice would be greatly appreciated!!
And after a spot of shopping I took an extremely long three hour train ride home! The shinkansen trains cost almost double the local trains from Osaka to Okayama. However, local trains take almost more than double the time. As I sat on the train, with my phone dead and no music, I reflected on whether saving that money was worth the extreme discomfort of a longer train ride. Might reconsider this for next time!!
Halloween is coming up this week. While in Australia, Halloween is not celebrated, Japan seem to go crazy for the holiday! There are Halloween themed items and decorations everywhere! I am particularly excited to have some Halloween celebrations this week, including one with my English club, one with my Body Pump class and one with my fellow ALTs. Bring on the costumes and festivities!!!
