Nara

It was a bit cold and windy, but we only had the one night booked and were due to head off to Kyoto the following morning.
Nara park is home to hundreds of freely roaming deer. Considered in Shinto to be messengers of the gods, Nara’s nearly 1200 deer have become a symbol of the city and have even been designated as a natural treasure. Nara’s deer are surprisingly tame, although they can be aggressive if they think you will feed them. Deer crackers are for sale around the park, and some deer have learned to bow to visitors to ask to be fed. The crowds were pretty impressive as well. It had been raining, so a lot of the area was a bit muddy and the deer didn’t help matters. None the less, it was a pretty parkland and worthy of more time to explore.

Along the approach to Todaiji stands the Nandaimon Gate, a large wooden gate watched over by two fierce looking statues. Representing the Nio Guardian Kings, the statues are designated national treasures together with the gate itself.

There is even a boat in the temple
Deer roam freely

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