It was nearly Christmas. The year was coming to an end and Veronica and I both had some unused leave. We didn't want to waste it so we quickly booked a trip. Searching online for reasonably priced flights and hotels, we found an unexpected location. Osaka.
Our trip earlier in the year to Bangkok had been decided not only by our desire to go to Thailand, but also as much by the outrageous cost of flights to Japan. To see the flight prices now at a fraction of what they had previously been at was all the motivation we needed to immediately book.
Being back in a plane so soon after our last trip was a great privilege, with Veronica and myself both enjoying our travel. But the added benefit was also seeing the development of baby Pickle. We were watching him grow and develop, day by day, but each time we were on a plane with him again it was a sudden and stark reminder of how much he was changing. The bassinet seemed like it was getting smaller and smaller each time, and on this trip it did little to keep him contained. Instead he was far happier sitting up whilst he tried to escape.
We arrived early evening and caught the train into the city. Once we arrived, I suddenly had an urgent work call. I took care of our luggage whilst putting in the earbuds to take the call. Veronica took charge of baby Pickle in the stroller and we slowly walked towards the hotel whilst I spoke. It was a strange experience to concentrate on the call whilst being bombarded by the sensory overload that is a bustling Japanese metropolis. The streets were crowded, the lights were bright and the air was cold. I somehow had to block it all out and concentrate on the call, all whilst still remaining aware enough to not accidentally walk into traffic.
The hotel wasn't too far from the train station. We checked in, put our luggage down and stepped back out into the night to find some food. Most places were busy, but our first few enquiries of emptier places seemed to be met with a quick rejection once they saw the stroller. I didn't think too much of this, but it would become more of an issue as time went by. We walked past an izakaya that seemed a bit friendlier. The young man out front looked at us for a moment and then quickly ushered us into the back where there was a convenient little corner table set up behind the bar. Baby Pickle enjoyed his time here as he crawled around, and tried to grab at each piece of food that was brought to us. He would have to settle for the small pieces of vegetables and not the grilled meats.
By the time we left, it was getting late and Pickle was now asleep. He was well rugged up, so we went for a walk around the city. The centre of Osaka didn't feel very big, but it was an intensely busy place. Even though it was late in the evening, there were still crowds of people everywhere and the lights of the city still shone and flashed.
Veronica couldn't resist the urge any longer and took us straight to one of the claw machine shops. Her excitement could barely be contained as she started to play the games. The noise and lights of the stores were all too much for me though. It had been a long day and standing inside with the overwhelmingly bright lights and sounds were the last thing I wanted. I decided to go for a walk with the sleeping Pickle as Veronica continued to play.
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