Nara

 Train ride from Kii Katsura to Nara saw us travel along the coast with many small towns on the way. Coast line reminded us of Kaikoura in some ways.

Not sure but could be oyster or fish farms

A solitary chap fishing off the rocks

We arrived in Nara  station easy walk to our accommodation...not able to check in half an hour early so left the packs and headed off to find a coffee.  The main thorough fare was full of tourists and we stumbled into a "cafe" complete with robot delivering food orders. Sadly our coffee was ghastly but not unexpected. Do not seem to use barista machines here, just automated press a button for black or latte.

Nara is famous for its 660ha park packed with temples, shrines and gardens.  The age of these dating back to the 8th century. Sika deer are numerous and tame being messengers from Shinto gods it is believed.

90% of Japanese wear masks as a cultural norm everywhere and one is constantly washing hands but no one seems to wear a crash helmet on the thousands of bicycles we see. I wonder the head injuries relative to colds and flu?

This is a biscuit seller and the deer have a pavlovian response.

Herds of them throughout the park. In front is an old wisteria.

At the great southern gate  are housed the figures that guard the giant buddha. Made of

timber, some 3000 pieces each and carved in the 12th century. Just so impressive up close.

Guards are in behind wire mesh.

The detail is astounding

You then enter the massive buddha temple completed in 752AD commissioned by the then Emperor Shomu to bring peace to Japan. The great buddha stands 15m high, is cast from 400 tonnes of bronze and was originally gilded in gold! 

Massive timber work

Right hand up means taking peoples fear. Left hand is granting peoples wishes.

These are the bodhisattva.

These are Nio figures in the great temple carved again from timber. Very cute boots were enormous.

After all that we wandered about various other buildings that just blew us away. A thousand years or so ago how they manoeuvred the huge timbers to the heights and lifted the heavy metals we have no idea.

Bamboo pole on right is the striker

Giant doors

Saw dozens of these laterns made from metal...,would not want one to drop as you passed under

By this stage it was 5pm and not having lunch we were starving. Found a little place on the way to a bar we had been told about by the Icelandic couple on the last day of our hike.  They had said it was not obvious and boy were they right. You open a door into a

dark space then slide across a shoji screen made for dwarfs and hello a bar with 250+ whiskies and multiple other gins etc. Barman has impeccably trained and a delight to watch.

Tanaka owner of the Savant bar

Next day we completed the other sights in Nara Park we wanted to see of a more nature orientated focus. The wisteria gardens that photographers flock to in the early morning.

Immaculate gardens.

Lovely perfume

These carp were very large and ugly, like baby jaws circling with their mouths open.

Early afternoon we headed to the train station again to continue on to Kyoto. We will there for three nights. Be great not to have to repack our hiking packs each morning and move on. 

Came across these tortoise and every time we see some we think of the "Two Ronnies" gag about tortoise/meat pies. Look it up on you tube.