Even hotter today.

Decided to show our willies to the men of Osaka this morning at the Naniwa no Yu hot spring (free with pass) .

Have trouble again finding it, amazingly the 'hot spring' is actually on top of a Pichenko Hall! Then we walk into the entry with shoes on. Arghhhhh. We'd come prepared with some large bandaids to cover our humungous (not) tattoos but we needed more to totally cover them. If they're visible, no entry. 

I thought it was gong to be very awkward but to be honest I was more worried about my multiple bandaid arrangement falling off than even thinking about the Japanese sausage all around me. Reckon we would have been youngest by 20 years if it hadn't been a weekend so quite a number of modest young guys wandering around with hands over crotch.

Very relaxing and VERY ODD.

Back on the subway to the Museum of Housing and Living. Another terrific museum (free again on pass). This one had a recreation of an Edo era streetscape . Supposed to get dressed in period costume but despite Al's hints I give it a miss, as does he.

Score a stylish straw trilby in the crazy busy arcade below the museum. 

Shitonnoji Temple next destination. Missed breakfast today so by about 12.30 we're starving and do a very terrible thing and have a meal at Maccas. A BLOODY DELICIOUS chicken burger of some type.

The temple complex is huge but we're glad we hadn't trekked here to see the parade the night before as we're sure we would have been underwhelmed.  

Tennoji and the zoo. Both think we are going to die from heat exhaustion and most of the animals look like they are going to as well.

How can a first world city like Osaka think it is acceptable to sell a zoo like Tennoji with a bi-line like "Lifelike Habitats Make for All Day Excitement"? It was excruciatingly awful . I felt like crying. Don't even think we lasted an hour. Osaka city either needs to spend some money on the place or it should be shut and the animals sent to zoos/parks that actually have even half lifelike habitats. Or they should all be put down. It was disgusting.

Look it up. There was a single pig (yes, a pig, it was next to the sheep and goats) that was in an enclosure bigger than the orangutans. Horrid. Inhumane. Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Suppose it went with the Tennoji area in general.  Not that nice really although the locals appear to love it.

One positive - a very nice man stopped and gave us directions to the station to get the hell out of there. Walked past Spa World. Could be fun on a wet day.

Back to Umeda/Kita and a fruitless search for any of the gay bars in the area.

We so needed beer to replace the fifteen litres of sweat we'd each lost . The beer and juice bar (what a great combo although we didn't bother with the juice) just inside the entry to Osaka Station suited our needs perfectly. Had at least ten, ok, maybe four or five. 

Umeda Sky Building and the Hanging Garden Observatory (yep, free).

I'm not so great with heights and especially those that include exposed metal construction - think Eiffel Tower, Blackpool Tower and even the Story Bridge in Brizvegas so this place scared the bejeezus out of me - lift shaft in a giant scaffold like tower, escalators in tubes between the towers. Such a wuss.

Anyways, apart from the missing hanging gardens (no idea what that refers to) the view across and around Osaka is amazing.

Back down on the ground and there's a garden behind the building that includes some terraced rice paddies and vegetable garden.

Below the building is a sunken Japanese garden with waterfalls cascading down in front of the windows of restaurants that ring the garden.

We choose a teppanyaki restaurant and it is terrific.

Nice 15 minute walk back to the hotel.