Nara

I woke up in Osaka and took a quick train ride to Nara.

Nara is a delightful city. Before I went to Japan, my friends told me, "Don't miss Nara! I only had one day in Nara, but it was great. I spent most of my Nara time in Nara-koen (park).

Nara park is famous for the wild deer that roam around. There are probably hundreds. Visitors are dazzled by the close contact with these beautiful wild animals. I found it to be a bit unnatural, but I stayed and watched, nevertheless. There are people all over selling little cookies you can give to the deer. I don't know if they are good for the deer.

Here are a couple of photos of people playing with the deer. Most of these people are middle school students on organized trips.

I visited a big pagoda and a temple in Nara-koen (park). I'm not sure about the names.

I think this one is Kofukugi temple. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

This sign was near the same temple.

I stayed the night at the Nara-ken Seishonen Kaikan Youth Hostel.

Walking through Nara, I saw some interesting signs.

This one is a fine example of how Japanese businesses often take common English slang and use it in contexts that seem inappropriate from an American perspective.

Here are a few more signs I enjoyed.

After the park and a stroll through town, I was off to see Maki in Kyoto.