Osaka, Nara 大阪，奈良

Oct. 21, 2023: Today, our cruise ship stayed overnight in Osaka, giving us more time to explore the nearby  area. In the early morning, we took the subway to Osaka Castle. Despite just opening, the castle was already bustling with crowds. Alongside the tourist groups, there were numerous local high school student groups. It appears that extracurricular activities in Japan are often scheduled for weekends. Inside the castle, it was even more crowded. The castle boasts eight floors, and ascending the narrow stairs felt akin to being packed in sardines. Although the top floor offers an observation deck, we refrained from venturing out to observe and simply descended even upon reaching the eighth floor. Visitor restrictions would likely have been implemented long ago in the United States.

After leaving the castle, we boarded the subway directly to Nara, Japan's ancient capital. Upon arrival, we indulged in a bowl of noodle soup and sampled Japan's zero-carb noodles. The flavors were delightful, and the food was quite affordable; two bowls of noodle soup cost less than fifteen US dollars. A visit to Nara wouldn't be complete without encountering the deer. These deer have roamed freely in the city for generations, fostering a harmonious relationship with humans. Within the park, Nara's deer frequently approach tourists for food, with vendors selling deer treats along the pathways. When you offer them food, they gracefully bow their heads in return. Witnessing a group of deer crossing the street at a pedestrian crossing was particularly captivating.

A small café inside the park serves tea, coffee, and some simple desserts. We took our break at the cafe, but the food was disappointing. We continued to explore the area, including the UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Kasuga Shrine and the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji Temple, followed by another break at a different café serving English afternoon tea.

In the late afternoon, a drizzle commenced, bringing a chill to the air. Following our tour of Nara, we returned to the cruise ship, donned warmer attire, and disembarked again to explore Namba, Osaka's bustling downtown district. The atmosphere was electrifying, perhaps the most extensive and liveliest night market we've encountered. Unlike Taipei and Seoul, dining establishments were predominantly street-facing shops. In addition to sampling the ubiquitous grilled chestnuts, we discovered a barbecue restaurant and savored a dinner of sashimi and grilled seafood, which were delectable. It was a fantastic opportunity to immerse ourselves in the experience of Japanese barbecue.

On Oct. 22, our cruise ship is scheduled to depart from Osaka around noon. After breakfast, we quickly headed to explore the Osaka Umeda commercial district. However, upon arrival, we discovered that most shops and restaurants wouldn't open until 11 o'clock. After searching for a while, all we could find was a seafood rice ball wrapped in seaweed, which wasn't very tasty, and we couldn't find anything else appetizing to eat. Feeling unsatisfied, we lingered until 11 o'clock when the shops finally opened. Unlike last night's night market, this area was dominated by large malls rather than small food streets. There were so many tempting offerings in the food section of the malls we couldn't possibly try them all. The freshly made red bean cakes were mainly delightful and warm. The freshly sliced dried squid had a distinct taste, without preservatives. After purchasing it, the seller even reminded us to consume it within four days. It's a regret we didn't have enough time to stay longer; we had to rush back to the ship terminal.

As the ship slowly eased away from the dock, the vibrant melodies of a local band filled the air, and crowds gathered on the terrace, waving and cheering as they bid farewell to the departing passengers. We had a wonderful diner at the main dining restaurant on the ship.

十月二十一日：今天游轮在大阪过夜，一早我们乘坐地铁去大阪城堡。城堡刚开门，可那里已是人山人海，除了旅游团，更多的是当地中学生团体的，看来在日本课外活动是放在周末做的。进到城堡后那更是摩肩擦踵，城堡一共有八层，从狭窄的楼梯一层层往上去完全就是人贴人。顶层是观望台，到了八层我们都没敢挤出去观望就往下走。在美国的话，应该早就实行人数限制了。

离开城堡后，我们坐地铁直奔奈良，日本最早的首都。下车后，先吃上一碗汤面，还尝试了日本的零克碳化物汤面，味道不错，日本饮食真是便宜，二碗汤面十五美金还不到。来奈良就是要去看花鹿，长期以来萘良鹿自由自在地生活在城里，与人和睦相处。公园里，大街小巷上奈良鹿时常走近游客要吃的，路上有小贩销售鹿食。你给它吃上一片鹿食，低个头，鹿也会低个头。特别有趣的是看着一群花鹿沿着斑马线过马路。我们还参观世界遗产春日大社和兴福寺大金堂等。

下午下点小雨，有点凉飕飕，游完奈良后我们就先回游轮，加点衣服后再次下船，去了大阪城里的难波闹市区。那里更是万头攒动、门庭若市，这大概是我们看到过的最大最热闹的夜市了。与台北和首尔不同的是饮食店都是在街面房内的。尝了尝满街都在卖的烤园子外，还找了一家烧烤店吃了顿晚饭，生鱼片加烤海鲜，味道不错，感受一下日本烧烤。

十月二十二日：今天游轮中午就要离开大阪，我们早餐后赶紧趁早去大阪梅田商业区转转。可是去到那里发现大多数商家和餐厅都要在十一点才开张，找了半天除了一个紫菜包的海鲜冷饭团，味道不怎么样，也没吃上什么好吃的。心不甘，硬是就在那里磨蹭到十一点等商店开门。与昨晚上的夜市完全不同，这里都是大的商场，而不是那种小吃街。大商场里的食品区好东西实在太多都看不过来。现做的豆沙饼热乎乎的非常好吃。现切的尤鱼丝味道就是不一样，没有防腐剂，我们买了之后特别关照我们四天内要吃完的。只可惜我们时间不够不能多待，只能匆匆赶回船码头。