FINALLY, ORANGE AND RED: NARA

 Nara is the birthplace of Japan.  Want details about this spiritual city?  Click on THIS.

A train on the JR Nara Line leaves Kyoto around every 10 minutes for Nara on a 50-minute trip that is 23 miles away.  You would think there would be mountains, forests and bamboo patches between the two cities.  Nope.....homes all the way in between.  

Japan is so populated.  Yet it is dropping in population.  Now at 126 million, Japan is predicted to have only 87 million people in 2070...unless it does something drastic.

So we left Kyoto Station.

Easy ride to Nara, where we caught a cab to the J.W. Marriott.  Turned out that we could have saved $8, for there is a shuttle pick-up at the station every half an hour.  Check-in is not standing in line, but instead by sitting down and being given a hot towel and served drinks.  After a long while, they finally pass on your room key, and you meet your luggage there.

The usual Christmas tree in the lobby.

They do have a Club Lounge here, and this was our dinner.  Copious amounts of scotch, sake and beer.

Walked 4913 steps.

About Nara.

• Originally known as Yamato, it was Japan's first capital, from 710 to 794, when it was moved to Kyoto.
• Buddhism came to Japan through Nara.
• Buddhist temple Todai-ji was founded in 738, and is the largest, and is the world's largest wooden building, and houses the largest bronze sttue of Buddha.

• 
  When the city reached 1300 years old, it created a new mascot, Sento-kun.
• There are eight major temples, shrines and ruins, collectively a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Actually, there are over 2,000 temples and shrines in Nara.
• The Great Buddha of Nara is 49 feet high.

Breakfast was in the Club Lounge, and it was very good.  For two people.

I had sake for my breakfast.  I want to mention that my footwear in the early part of this trip was just not comfortable enough.  I happened to walk into a Daiso store and bought this shoe/slipper set that has worked out just perfectly.  I'm not sure what it cost, but I would guess $3.  With slacks, looks like shoes.

If you have been following us on this journey, you know that we have normally done nothing, but enjoyed doing that.  As this is our final stop before we return to Yokohama, we thought that Nara Park was worthy of a visit.  

• There are times not to visit Nara Park.
• A weekend at the peak of Cherry Blossoms.
• A weekend at the peak of Fall Colors.
• We lucked out.  Yesterday was Sunday in Japan, and if we had gone to Nara Park, there would have been ten times more people.  We went on a Monday, and there still were many, many thousands.
• Better yet, the JW Marriott has a shuttle twice/hour that drops you off at a train station close to the park.
• By far the most gorgeous Fall Colors we have seen on this trip.  Best just to show some photos.  Just before the park, we saw what surely looked like a Sakura.

We then saw this stand selling wafers to feed the deer.

Lots of deer.  There are annually 150 car-deer accidents, with deer zones. For a tourist city, shops tend to close around 5PM.  Has something to do with deers and glowing eyes with horns.  We were met by my Blue-Bar Pigeon.

Much of these colors came from Isuien Garden, which is in Nara Park.

Next, Daibutsuden, which houses the Grand Buddha.

Outside Daibutsuden

Now heading towards Todaiji Temple.

One final Momiji in Nara Park.

At Kintetsu Station, our pick-up point back to the JW Marriott.

The road to the hotel had, I think, yellow gingko nut trees.

Across the street from the hotel.

So how far did I walk today?  I thought it was at least 15,000 steps.  Nope, only 10,694.

Only two more trains left.  Two days from now, back to Kyoto, transferring to a Shinkansen to Yokohama.

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