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May 20th: Tsūtenkaku, Sleep, TeamLab

Day two in Osaka dawned bright and free, with most of my must-sees already checked off. But a true explorer never stops, and today's adventure took me to Tsutenkaku, Osaka's iconic tower, supposedly on a "dangerous" area. Spoiler alert: danger was nowhere to be found!

Before my 20-minute walk, a rumbling stomach demanded attention. A quick pit stop at the trusty Family Mart downstairs scored me a tuna and egg sandwich, which despite waht it lokks is really good with a cold and fish mixing taste. (Side note: Happy early birthday, Dad! Time zones are confusing!)

Adulting never truly sleeps, even on study abroad. I carved out two productive hours to finish homework for both COM 221 and SS 314, with some brazilian funk music on to keep me awake and productive. (gotta keep those grades up!). With a clear conscience (and a full stomach), I waved goodbye to my roommate, who was Umeda-bound, and set off for Tsutenkaku with a spring in my step.

Google Maps, bless its algorithmic heart, has a love for finding the most "complex" routes. Today was no exception. Leaving my hotel under the warm Osaka sun of 25C (remember, it's Celsius here!), I ditched phone navigation and opted for a more adventurous approach.



After doding slow walkers, waingintg in packed crosswalks and getting a pull of sweat, all part of the adventure I neaderd Tsutenkaku. The architecture took a sharp turn, I noticed charminlgy worn-down, almost Western-style streetscape. It felt very lived-in, with lound noises, street food senses and people taking all languages imaginable, but definatly not dangerous and run-down compared to what I'm used back home in the US or Brazil.

Before grabbing lunch, the smell of the small street food stalls called me, so I decided to embrace the local vibe and try some kushi-katsu, skewered deep-fried meat or fish, I went for fish, on a stick - a specialty of this district, I soon learned! 

A 20-minute wander through the district revealed a treasure trove of affordable clothing stores and souvenir shops. With Tsutenkaku Tower looming closer, I contemplated the view from the top. But the line was long, the ticket price was 1,000 yen, and honestly, it was already my fourth observation deck in a week! Maybe a nighttime visit would be better, when the tower illuminates the vibrant streets below.

Feeling the heat and ready to refuel, I stumbled upon a charming restaurant called Okonomiyaki Usagiya. The prices were ridiculously inviting – a okonomiyaki and yakisoba for under 1,500 yen! The best part? Snagging a bar seat and watching the chef prepare my meal right in front of me. The food smell, their smile and a watering mouth created a show worth waitning for.

Tired I was, so I rolled myself back to the hotel for a well-deserved nap. Waking up at 6 pm, it was time to team up with my travel squad – Ihan, Makani, Aly, and Megan – for a trip to the magical world of teamLab Botanical Gardens!

We hopped on a train from Namba Station, aiming for Nagai Station. Plot twist: the train only went as far as Abiko. No worries though, we had time and just disembarked and caught the next train to our destination.

Let me tell you, the teamLab Botanical Gardens were nice. Sure, it's on the pricier side, but the photos we took in the interactive lights in a garden were Instagramable to say the least. Seeing people from all over the wrold, different plants iluminated and fun colorful eggs created an artistic scenery in the middle of Osaka.


We stayed there about 2 hours, and then got back to Namba. We did a quick stop at Family Mart for some food, where I just went with some rice omelet, which was food, no nice smell or taste just filling.


Location: Osaka, Japão

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