Night 2; The fancy ryokan

After a day of unbelievable heat, and a walk through the heart of Osaka, I arrived at my hotel for the second night - a traditional style ryokan.

The closest I can come to describing this place in western terms is that it is the Japanese version of a spa hotel, complete with built in Onsens.

I arrived later in the evening, particularly tired from the heat of the day.  Upon check in I was given a choice of dinner times, then escorted to my room.

Much like my first night, this room was also a traditional Japanese style room, but this time a bit more luxurious.  The host explained there my towels for the onsen were, and pointed out my 'samue' which was the preferred attire for dinner and throughout the hotel during my stay.

Note the socks - the true ninja turtle experience!

With my new wardrobe sorted, I headed down for dinner. I knew only that I should expect a lot of courses, but beyond that I had no idea what was on the menu.

Even with the menu I had no idea what was coming.

I'm going to be honest with you here, what came next was so fantastic that half the time I forgot to take pictures of the food.  I have eaten a lot of Japanese food in different places, from street food to fancy restaurant fare, and none of that compared to this meal.

I will include the few photos i did remember to take, and welcome and guesses as to what these dishes were.

After a slow and steady stream of absolutely amazing dishes I returned to my room to find it prepared for me to sleep.

While I had intended to take my first onsen trip after dinner, I must admit that the food and the day have gotten the better of me. After I post this I plan to lay down and sleep.

Tomorrow morning I will wake up early and take an onsen before breakfast.