Nara

Nara, a medium sized city not far from Osaka, is one that I hadn't ever heard of until right before I came to Japan, but turned out to be one of my favorites. It was calmer, prettier, and plenty historical. And there were lots and lots of tame deer, and that's just cool. The park that includes all of the sights in Nara is home to about 1,200 deer, which get free range of the place. There were deer everywhere.

Deer in the park.

Deer outside the shops.Deer in the construction sites.

Deer hanging around outside the temples.

Deer chillin' next to the lady that sold "deer biscuits," waiting for a customer.

Where I come from, seeing deer is common, but its usually for a few seconds before they bolt. So they have this sense of mystique about them. The deer in Nara are very friendly and plentiful. And I have to say, they really lose their mystique very quickly when they don't run away. Sweet and gentle animals, but pretty devoid of personality, at least from what I saw. You can pet them; no reaction. No indication that they enjoyed being scratched. No reaction when you talked to them. Which I suppose is connected to the fact that they usually bolt; these are animals that simply don't need human attention to be happy. Imagine the most dull dog you have ever known -- one that is cute looking, completely harmless, but totally indifferent to any attention or affection. That's what deer are like. What they do love, of course, is food. They pretty much want nothing to do with humans unless those humans have food.

This deer was a little over-eager to get at a deer biscuit.

This deer is irritated because I would not let him eat my plastic bag with salad dressing spilled inside.

And of course, the hokey cartoon warning signs about what NOT to do with the deer.

"Do not feed the deer trash or make them smoke cigarettes."

"Do not let bratty kids chase the deer."

"Do not try to shake hands with the baby deer."

"Or their parents may shoot lightening bolts out of their heads."

So other than, the deer, Nara had some incredible things to see.

Kasuga-Taisha Shrine, which had hundreds of stone lanterns, all covered in moss.

All temples in Japan have a fountain where religious devotees and hot tourists splash can cool down a bit. Daibutsuden Hall, the most famous site in Nara.

Inside Daibutsuden Hall is the world's largest bronze Buddha. The photo does not do it justice, but this thing is HUGE.

On one of the posts inside the hall, there is a hole that is said to be the same diameter as the Buddha's nostril. If you can fit through it, your wish for love will be fullfilled. I didn't try it, but found enough amusement watching others try.

One of my favorite parts about Japan was the gardens, and Nara had some lovely ones. I have always admired Japanese gardens, so being able to see so many of the "real thing" was a treat for me.

Koi, much like some people, are beautiful until they open their mouths.

In addition to Koi, Japanese ponds have a lot of turtles. And the public ponds attract a fair amount of pigeons. The particularily bold pigeon decided he could get a better vantage point by sitting ON a turtle, which I thought was funny.

Lotus flower

And, perhaps my favorite photo of the whole trip.