Nara

Thursday, March 26, 2026

Getting our seven-day rail pass was not easy. Well, it was for me because I just stood away and let everyone else work on it.

They did a terrific job. It took a metro ride to a train station, then a train ride to a different train station, waiting in one, two, three lines, trying at least six different machines, having a train lady helper for half an hour, and voila! Train passes! We immediately used them to take an hour ride to the city of Nara.

Three of us ate at a French bakery in the station, and Kristine found a gluten free restaurant in town! Huzzah for a good meal for our girl!!

Keith and I wandered the neighborhood, then headed toward the park while they had table service.

Our map didn’t take us on the most expedient route, but we eventually found our way to the park entrance. Ten minutes later Mike and Kristine joined us.

The big draw was the bowing deer. The deer are reported to give a polite bow (I have been bowing to everyone since I got here. It is very easy to get used to) before getting a deer cracker. I didn’t really believe it, because it is silly. Turns out they all bow at you hoping to get a cracker! The very, very best part was that Kristine bows back to each deer. She is certainly not the only one to be bowing to the deer (it does seem like right thing to do) but she is the only one I know who was doing it and was therefore the most adorable.

It took us a while to find where to buy deer cookies. We each got ten in a “pack” and went off to find a nice, “quiet” place to feed a couple deer. Ha!

The deer know. They literally do not pay attention to you if you don’t have treats. If you do, you better be handing them out, now! The tape around my crackers was kinda stuck to them and I was having a hard time separating them. While I was being awkward, there was one deer biting at my thigh and another rubbing his antler nubs hard against my legs. When a deer with 5″ long pointy new antlers showed up, I panicked and threw my last three cookies on the ground. They, and the paper still stuck around them, were gobbled up immediately, and I was abandoned. Phew.

The deer understand when you show them empty hands and go right away. We watched a guy get “chased” by a group right away he bought some crackers. (Are they cookies or crackers? I think officially they are called crackers because they have only rice and bran flour – no sugar- , but I really think of them as cookies, because the deer love them so much) The interesting thing was they completely ignored the big basket of crackers right in front of them. The lady even went away and left it unattended and no one tried to grab any. Huh.

The deer have been there and protected by the peope for 1300 years, ever since somebody religious or otherwise famous at the time, is thought to have ridden in to visit or help or rule or something on a white deer (these deer are not white).

The first great hall was built just before 800 and something about honoring him or organizing the area or something else (I might not have gotten the whole story very straight.) Bottom line: deer are sacred and separate from other deer tribes in the country. There are cool buildings. The coolest is 800 years old and has the giant Buddha in it. I don’t know who made that guy or how in the world they did it, but he is great. The building is even greater. There is really something about being in a giant, old building that is undeniable. Very special. Very cool.

The great hall, with and without cherry blossoms.

The great Buddha! He is very large. You can’t tell because nothing is around him. But he is big.

The great Buddha peekin’

For some reason this figure reminded Keith of Aunt Edna on the roof of the family truckster in the movie Vacation. It said if you have an ailment and you rub her figure then your own in the coordinating body part, your ailment will be cured. I did it and IT WORKED! I am just realizing it now! Well, my hip was really really complaining early in the day and shortly after we left Edna, it stopped hurting. OH MY GOODNESS. It stopped. It is cured. Edna cured me! (I rubbed on her and on me twice each, to be clear.)

We walked up a hill looking for a Shinto shrine. We found a manmade bench at the top.

We walked around for a little bit. When we figured out where we needed to go, Kristine and I opted for manmade bench by a little pond rather than going up the next hill.

Apparently, we missed out, because there were a gazillion lanterns that are lit twice/year that looked super cool. The shrine was also cool. We didn’t mind.

This cool building has an 8-armed Buddha, but it was closed when we arrived. I think the pretty outside was probably better than the statue.

We stopped and bought the best strawberries we have ever had on the way back toward the train.

I stopped to admire this groom and bride set – and took a picture of the gang.

Mike and Keith ate at the Happiness place because they are men and are hungry. Keith had spaghetti Napolean and a banana smoothie. The smoothie was incredible. He thought the smoothie would have cost $8 at home, and that made his spaghetti meal $0.33, because that was his total. Food is really not expensive here. I must also remember to mention that napkins are not a thing. Yesterday’s lunch restaurant had boxes of tissues available instead of napkins. Interesting.

This art was on the wall by our table. I immediately and unequivocably saw a chicken. No one else sees a chicken.

Um…

Aliens be careful?

Plenty of fruit and whipped cream sandwich. Obviously.