Kyoto Day 2 - Nara

Day 2 I went to Nara, home of giant Buddhas, tame deer, and namesakes. I saw the first 2, but didn't track down any of the third.

I go on the same train as I did on Day 1, but this time it was the right train, so 30 minutes later I was in the first capital of Japan. I had an aggressive sightseeing plan, but I promised myself I would take more breaks and not be as tired at the end of the day. Didn't work.

First I walked through the nearest temple, Kofukuji. The big attractions there were a 5 story pagoda, some hexagon shrines, and a "Treasure House". The treasure house was 500 yen, but I went in anyway. It was a bunch of statues that were originally all around the temple, but since they were all designated "Important Cultural Assets" they moved them inside.

Next on the itinerary was Todaiji and it's giant Buddha, or diabutsu. But on the way there, I found the first of the tame deer and decided to feed them.
Apparently, if you day "dozo" (it's like "here you go") before you give them the deer snack, being that they're Japanese deer, they bow. Unfortunately, I didn't hear this until I got back, but maybe next time.

These deer pretty much have the run of the town. Todaiji, like most famous temples, has a street full of tourist shops leading up to it. This is right across the street from the park, and the deer seem to feel welcome in the shops, too.
There was also this shop, which I'm sure will entice many of you to come visit, once you see how cool it is. Don't worry, the ninja's fake.
Once I worked my way down the street, I finally got to Todaiji. It's huge, and it has to be to hold the giant Buddha inside. It's supposed to be the biggest wooden building in the world. Holds up pretty well for 300 years old
Inside is the giant Buddha, or diabutsu, which just means big Buddha. The picture doesn't really do it justice. It's 15 meters tall, and all bronze. It's originally from the 700's, but has been re-cast a bunch of times to fix damages.
When you work your way around the back of the diabutsu, one of the pillars holding the building up has a hole in it. There's some tradition that says you squeeze through the hole for good luck. It's mostly just kids who can fit through. I took one look and knew not to even try. Just as I found my opening to take a picture of the hole, this little old lady started through.
I think she had the size to make it through, but she didn't have the flexibility. She got the top half in and then just sat there for almost long enough for me to get worried before she backed out.

I walked all around town looking at all the "World Heritage" sights before heading back. I was much better prepared this time. I brought not only my map but my compass, and didn't get lost at all. It helped that there were waves of people all moving in the same basic rotation around town. Just follow the flow. I finished the day off at the Nara National Museum. They have all sorts of ancient art and archaeological stuff like pots and cups from ancient Japan. The most interesting thing I saw was a series of displays showing how the wooden Buddhas were made. There was also a nice explanation of the different hand gestures that Buddhas have.

Stopped in the train station Starbucks on the way home and took this picture. Notice the kimono girls in the window. Just made me laugh.

Sorry this didn't get up sooner. I had a party Monday, and last night I went to another guys apartment to watch the debacle.

On the bright side, when I got there to watch the game, another OAP who took his family to Thailand for vacation had brought me back a bottle of Mekong.