Nara - Part 2

From our previous post, you know that our day trip to Nara got off to a great start, and our afternoon continued with lunch and visits to two more temples.

Our lunch stop was very similar to the one in Kyoto in that we were directed to a covered shopping district for several lunch options. There are of course indoor malls in the U.S. but these sheltered shopping streets are a fun outdoor shopping and dining experience while still protected from variable weather. After perusing the shops and, to John's disappointment, not finding the perfect Samurai sword souvenir for our time in Japan, we were delighted to find a small lake nearby with a walking path along the perimeter. The stroll was enjoyable in and of itself, but the fun continued when we saw the waters come alive before our very eyes! Schools of small fish, birds, huge koi fish and even turtles! The nearby Kofuku Ji Temple was under construction, so the adjacent 5-tiered pagoda and this wildlife were the focal points of this stop.

Koi verses turtle. (don't worry they just swam around each other)

Bird in flight!

School time!

Sun bathing with built-in UV protection. Brilliant.

5-story pagoda!

The last destination of the day was the Horyuji Temple, which was constructed by Prince Shotoku in an effort to promote Buddhism alongside Shintoism in Japan. It features some of the oldest surviving wooden structures in the world and displays several historic and cultural treasures. Of course the grounds were beautiful as well, and we were intrigued by some of the creatures carved into the roof tiles. As for real live creatures, we were welcomed to this temple by someone allowing their pet tortoise to graze on the nearby lawn. It was wearing a red bowler hat, so Jennifer was smitten from the start :-).

Impressive wooden construction!

If we understood correctly, these demons are included to keep evil spirits away. (Is anyone else wondering about the evil spirits of these demons themselves?)

This little guy might make a cute pet :-).

We liked that tree in the background :-).

 

Good day! (seriously, he needs a monocle)

Photo fun under more beautiful tree-lined walkways.

 

We left Nara at 4:00pm and arrived back at the base around 11:00pm. It was another long day, but well-worth the visit!

Rural surrounding neighborhoods.

Beautiful scenery from the bus window!