On the day I took this picture, the highest temperature in Kyoto was 38°C (100.4°F, for the Fahrenheit lovers). To say I thought I wouldn't make it all the way during my morning walk inside Fushimi Inari Taisha was an understatement 🥵. I'm proud of myself for not giving up 💪🏻.

Entering new gates, to achieve new results.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about gathering and (most importantly) practicing new ideas, not only on this account but in so many aspects of my life.

Seems that I’m in my ef-ing around era, figuring things out, to see what works for me and what doesn’t.

Let’s see how things go…

Happy (slightly belated) New Year! 🎉🍾 My 2024 has been quite intense so far, both for good and not so good reasons. But I'm still standing! Rn, I'm making plans for this page and for other projects and goals that I have for this year (one of them may or may not include going back to the city where I took this pic 😉💕) Let's say a prayer to the Gods and ensure that everything runs smoothly for everyone in 2024. We deserve great things, after a few mad years. 🙏🏻

After a magical day in Kobe, and another chill night in Osaka, I took the train to Kyoto for an eventful afternoon:

- Needed a minute right after arriving to gather myself against the heat. - Put my bag in storage and walked through the maze of underground shops. -Ate an amazing ramen and hated not being able to finish the whole bowl. -Went to a records store on foot (about 20 mins from the station) and bought my favorite City Pop CD (Junko Yagami - Yagamania 🎵) -Got back to the station, picked up my bags, took the subway and... Got lost about three blocks from my hotel in 38°C heat. An old lady even asked me if I was okay. -Found the hotel after 30 minutes and made everyone worry with my tomato face. -Somehow, managed to find souvenirs for a couple of friends very near my hotel.

Another view from Kobe's Chinatown; this time from one of the gates at the entrance. How was your Christmas? I completely forgot to make a celebratory post, since I'm planning many things for 2024, including some related to the future of this account. Let's see what the new year brings...

A hidden alleyway near Kobe's Chinatown. So tiny, so secluded, so hot. I really wanted to eat lunch there, but the overwhelming heat won the battle, forcing me to retreat to a food chain with air conditioning. I really want to go back one day and have a feast!

Christmas is closer and closer, but if I still wrote letters to Baby Jesus, I'd ask him to take me back to the joy and peace I felt in that morning at the Kobe Port.

I'll try my best to return as soon as I can, definitely during a different season of the year, no more sweating 😅.

The highest heatwave ever experienced in Japan forced me to make a tough decision: I had to simplify my trip A LOT if I wanted to avoid exhaustion to the point of fainting. That meant that I had to sacrifice Nara for Kobe 🌊 Tbh, it was an easy choice, as I will always prefer the sea to almost anything else. I spent a lot of time at the port (so there will be a little spam of Kobe sea pictures ahead), staring at the blue sea... Giving thanks. I long for the time I spent there, even if I was trying my best not to get sunburned.

Another pillar at the Osaka Castle Park. No idea what it says; I believe it was near a shrine, if I remember correctly? I wish I had more analog Osaka pics, but unfortunately my top memories from the city took place at night time, and my camera is too basic for night photography 😞

I'm thinking about investing on a higher end analog camera, I'm undecided between a Canon AE or a similar model from Nikon... Hmm that's a problem for next year's me 😁

I like the calm I feel when I hide in the shadows on a hot summer day. God knows I really needed some time in the shade on that day!

After going up lots of very narrow stairs, cluttered with visitors and tourists, and learning a lot about Japanese history, I got a marvelous reward with this view from the top of the castle. Even though the top was also quite crowded with people flinging selfie sticks way too close to my face, I managed to take a few nice pics, and even a decent selfie for my family back home.

I made it to the castle 🏯🥵 After fighting against the heat, figuring out how to pay my ticket and struggling with a non-compliant UV umbrella, the castle was in front of me. Being in the presence of history is astonishing, and the air-conditioning inside brought some much needed relief to my body and mind.

Once I finally arrived at the park where the Osaka Castle is located, two things struck me: 1. The amount of gorgeous greenery around it, plus the stunning body of water nearby (pictured) 2. The NOISE of the cicadas.

Guys, I've been watching anime since 2015, I was well aware of the Japanese cliche of cicadas in the summer.

Still, I was not prepared for the overwhelming live noise they make. My goodness!

I made a few videos with the actual noise, but it doesn't do it justice, you had to be there to experience it.

Got any spare change? Something I haven't talked about regarding my Great Japan Adventure is how I had to re-learn to use cash 😵💸. Since the pandemic, I almost fully ditched paper money (thanks to the convenience of technology), but I had to go back to my old old ways for the trip, to stay within my budget. 💴 Cue the image of me counting coins like an old lady at the konbini 😅. Fortunately, I managed to make it work and came home with some money to spare.

From a somewhat quiet Osaka street, I took the subway to the station near the great Osaka Castle. I was greeted by the huge NHK building close to the station, so even if I'm not a TV fiend (at all!!) I had to take some pictures. Maybe, I was trying to distract myself from the LOUD chant of the cicadas...

The beauty of the mundane will always bring me peace.

Osaka was so intense 🙃, between trying to navigate a new city in the unbearable heat, having to sacrifice Nara for Kobe and the madness that was visiting the Dotonbori at night, it really kicked my butt.

However, I fondly remember the tiny pockets of ordinary instants I could experience, such as the taste of freshly roasted coffee at the coffee shop across the hotel, the cicada's symphony (more on that later) and the morning sun reflecting on a random building.

The next day, I woke up in Osaka. After an intense journey from Gunma, via Tokyo, I arrived at Osaka station on Tuesday, right in the middle of the evening rush hour. Not a good idea. Had some troubles with my Suica card, which made it useless for transportation purposes until the last couple of days of my trip. 😬 I don't recommend the experience of figuring out how to buy single use tickets in a hot summer evening, while dragging a suitcase that feels heavier and heavier by the minute. Live and learn, I guess...