It's still raining! The end of the rainy season is near though, so I had better enjoy it while I can.

Today I got up early and headed to Shin-Osaka. I took the bus from Kitaoji-dori and then the Special Rapid Service from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka. I did this on my own, although I did have to check that I was getting on the right train.

In Shin-Osaka I met my friend Tomoko, a local. She took me to an office so I could get my International Student Identity Card. Then we took the subway over to Amerika-mura (America Village). I didn't know what was there, and in hindsight I'd preferred to have not gone. If you like clothes shopping, and particularly hip-hop chic, then check it out... me... I shop for clothes only when the holes get too big!

In Amerika-mura, however, we came across Kirin Osaka (Kirin is the second biggest drinks company in Japan). There I paid a Japanese arm and a leg for a beer that I found out came from Germany... not even a pint's worth! That said, it was still only £2, so I can't complain too much.

I then headed back to Kyoto. I'm afraid I didn't get any pictures of my time in Osaka, so I made up for it by photographing random things on my bus journey home.

Let me just make a few comments on various things:

Public Transportation

The public transport here is easy to navigate and efficient. Buses have a separate entrance and exit and it costs only £1 to travel on a bus for any length of time in Kyoto. The trains were also good. I paid 540 yen (about £2.50) to travel either way to Osaka, and the trains make no difference. A Beck-style map shows the stops and when you find your station on it you'll see a number below it, that is the price. You put coins or a 1000 Yen note in the machine, get a ticket and go through the barrier, easy as pie. However, that said, I couldn't really work out the timetable on the platform, it was very non-specific but never mind. The trains are nicely air-conditioned and despite being well-used, they are well maintained, nothing like our trains. The subway uses the same system as the other train networks...

It was a pleasant day's travelling, I must say. Only delay was one of 5 minutes, and to be honest, I wasn't sure when I was going to catch the train, so I didn't even notice. Oh, and instead of smelling like a urinal, the stations are well kept, and at Shinsaibashi (to get to Amerika-mura) there were some really high-class, fancy shops. The type I'm not allowed in!

Private Transportation

Kyoto is as busy cycling-wise as Cambridge. Dodging the bikes is a matter of course in your walks around town. Most bikes aren't locked when they are left for the day, instead they are just put on their stand and left (sometimes in 'no bicycle parking' zones). Incidentally, Japanese supermarkets have stands for umbrellas so you can leave them while you shop... The fear of them being stolen does not seem all that apparent, despite torilowe 's experiences. Anyway, the other thing I noticed about bikes is that often mothers ride them and expect their kids to follow on foot (in sandles). The Japanese are also fond of riding one-handed (with an umbrella, phone, or miscellaneous in the other). Some women wear funny looking polaroid sun-shades (they look like they're about to pilot a TIE fighter or something), and others have cloth coverings which they put on the handlebars to shade/warm their hands. Luckily, the streets are well made for cyclists, with frequent sloped curbs and cycle paths at pedestrian crossings.

Having a car is nice here, I'd imagine, given that it's hot in summer and cold in winter. However, Kyoto's streets are really not well-suited to them. Despite there being roads, some of those streets are just too tight! Telegraph poles and wires obstruct a lot of streets making the situation worse. Also, parking is a buggar... there obviously isn't a lot of room to park on the street most of the time, and not every house has a courtyard or garage. What are more prevalent are mopeds and motorbikes... A lot of women seem to ride motorbikes, and not girly kinds... tough Kansai girls!

Anyway, I'll try and get my bus ride pictures up today, but no promises.