Tuesday, April 5, 2011 Impressions of Osaka

Ready to join up in Osaka to head north with the first group that I'll be part of. Three weeks of back and forth supply runs and cleanup crews.

Impressions. Seemed like bullet train spent nearly half the time through tunnels. Several tunnels seemed to curve as they went through ranges of mountains/hills. Entire country runs on electric trains. You can buy a ticket at any station in the country that will take you to anywhere else

in the country even if you have to change trains 6 times. Routes criss-cross the country, and in the big cities like tangled mazes. But they all converge on the stations like clock work. So precise that you could almost board your train based on the time it arrived without even looking at the electronic signs. Masses and masses of people going every which way through giant train stations.

This is a regular electric train, not the bullet train.

Large number of people wearing surgical masks. Giant extremely modern trendy 12 story transit village shopping malls by the major train stations. One- half block away tiny hole in the wall fried food stand on a narrow alley (tako yaki=octupus bits in fried dough ball).

commuting to work men in business suits with surgical masks on 1960s style bicycles or motor scooters. Streets too narrow for two cars to pass, but we passed anyway. And on the wrong side of the street.