Nara, Japan

One of the largest Daibutsus in Japan and I were going to have a heart to heart today, this much I was willing to bet. It was Tuesday, cloudy, the tail end of the tourist season, and 8 am. Most likely the UNESCO sites wouldn't be mine all mine, yet probabilities reassured me that my odds were better than luck.

Alas, the world continues to guarantee why I'd rather spend a dollar on a Taco Bell bean burrito instead of a Power Ball (current jackpot if you're curious) Quick Pick. This was the crowd at 9 am folks, 9 am?! Little girl, you seem as perplexed as I. Are you too wondering why your parents aren't at work?

It's not that I was expecting the place to be completely empty (Japan's population density is 350 per square kilometer, nowhere close to California's 90, a state with a slightly larger land mass), and I knew there would be some early-bird tourists such as myself, I was just surprised to see that most were Japanese. When I mentioned this to my friend, a resident for three years, he explained, "The Japanese actually prefer to explore their country first before going abroad." In my focused attempt to find articles to corroborate his statement, I read about Japan's growing mixed race, how "safe" it really is, and Japanese travel tips for visiting America (oh internet, you really are like a lover in all its myriad ways). Still, his words hold merit because I remember feeling like an uninvited guest on a dozen or so family vacations.

Though Kobe, Japan is Philadelphia's sister city, Nara would've been a better match, in my opinion, considering its historical and cultural significance to the country. Both cities were the first capitals of their nation making the temples of Nara some of the oldest and largest in Japan. Plus, each has a neato factor that grabs any impatient adult's child's attention on family vacations: a prison walking tour in Philadelphia and free roaming deer (!!) in Nara. The Shinto belief that deer are messengers of the gods make Bambi and his friends very popular here. (And me still left clueless in life because of the language barrier between my messenger ::sigh:: At least he seemed happy with his deer cookies.)

Length of Stay

One day

Docking Index

     

Five anchors because like most tourists, I came here from Kyoto for the day. I could've taken the path less travelled and explored the rest of the city. Unfortunately, I have this compulsion with a certain list when I travel :/