There is a wonderful song from “Fiddler on the Roof” called “Sunrise, Sunset.” I was reflecting on how much I liked the song this morning before I headed up to the Lido for oatmeal. There is an entertainer on board named Debbie Bacon. She plays the piano as well as a few other musical instruments and sings beautifully. I was considering whether to wait until after Valentine’s Day to request that Debbie play and sing “Sunrise, Sunset.”

Japan is “The Land of the Rising Sun’, this sunset being similar to their National flag.

Even though the weather was cold, I opted to take the promenade deck to get to the ‘mid-ship’ elevator. I was delighted and surprised to see an unusual sunrise. The sun was glowing red behind a layer of clouds.  I snapped a few pictures but they did not capture the unusual beauty I saw.  Interestingly, I had an extended period of time to appreciate the sunset last evening.  Mary and I opted to go, for the second time, on a giant Ferris wheel which is located right next to the pier where we were docked in Osaka, Japan. We had enjoyed the 360 degree view during the day and wanted to see how Osaka might light up at night.

Yes, we reached Japan! We were there for two days and I was almost teary eyed last night at 11:00pm when I watched the lights of Osaka fade in the distance. I learned much about Osaka in the two days we spent there.

A fire boat greets us with a multi-colored display

It is the third largest city in Japan with a population of over 2.5 million people. The Ferris wheel we rode on boasts of being “the world’s largest giant wheel.” The nearby aquarium we visited also claimed to be the largest in the world.  The suspension bridge, busy with traffic, was the longest in the world. If I were asked to just say a few words about Osaka, I would call it a bustling modern city.  When we were on our bus tour, Mary commented about how clean the streets were. I noticed that most of the apartment and condominium had balconies. I did not see anybody on the many balconies but I observed but about a third of the balconies appeared to have clothes drying on them.

We learned a variety of interesting facts from our tour guide. Basically, the cost of living in Japan is high. Space is limited, especially in the cities, so the Japanese live in about ½ the square footage in their homes compared to what we are accustomed to in the United States. Soaking in bathtubs is for pleasure and relaxation. The Japanese wash before soaking in a tub and the tub water is reused by other members of the household. I may write about toilets at a later date but for now, suffice it to say that, heated toilet seats are common.

The view from our ship was really amazing to me. Remember the giant Ferris wheel I mentioned? At night it was lighted with changing colors much like a light show. The first evening in Osaka, I was able to sit comfortably aboard ship in the ‘Piano Bar’ enjoying the music while at the same time watching the colors change on the Ferris wheel. This was not my only visual treat!  During the day, the traffic on the suspension bridge was reminiscent of the view I had of the 805 and 8 interchange when I worked at 2667 Camino Del Rio in Mission Valley. I really liked the view.

I will conclude this message with a little more information about the giant Ferris wheel. The wheel took 15 minutes to complete a rotation so if you were to glance at it from a distant, you would assume it was not moving. Most gondolas had typical metal floors but each 15^th gondola was completely transparent. Mary and I wanted to appreciate the lights of Osaka at night. The cost of a ride was only $7.00 worth of ‘yen’ whether you selected an opaque or transparent gondola. Apparently, transparent gondola rides are popular. The cost was the same, but we had to wait 45 minutes to board a transparent gondola. I snapped a few pictures but they did not capture the experience. Nonetheless, the wait was worth it. This around the world cruise continues to be a delightful experience.