Nara 12/26

I went to Nara 2 days ago, and had a great time. This trip is a must if staying in Kyoto. Its a charming town, with amazing amount of historical sites in a small area. Nara is famous for the Largest buddah statue in Japan, and its plethora of "tame" deer that wander the park of the temples. The deer were worshiped in the past, and have protected status here. They pretty much have run of the park.



First of group of temples here..
Big Pagoda..
The deer! These guys are ready and waiting for tourists. They are very smart. They bow their heads when they want to be feed. You have to watch yourself and your belongings, because another one will sneak up and bump you and try to eat something on you. They will not hesitate to eat maps or brochures. They are just like goats. They are rumnants(same family). There are venders selling deer biscuits for a little more than a dollar. Once you start feeding one, the others come. I was eating a hot sweet potato from a vender, and the deer came near me. I was frantically giving away pieces of my sweet potato to about 6 or 7 deer that surrounded me. Luckily I got away alive! I recommend when leaving Nara Park, DONT give the deer eye contact. You have to treat them like homeless, or youll be eaten out of house and home.
The temple with the buddah. This buddah is about 40 feet tall from the ground to the top of his throne. Its more impressive in person. Theres some great figures surrounding him, including a smaller (half size) buddah..

Bad ass dude guarding the buddah. Buddism has cool characters for its religion. Got give them credit for making it interesting... I can see where alot of anime characters get there influence..