NARA

Nara was the capital of Japan, called Heijokyo, from 710 to 784. They say Japanese flock to Nara because it gives them the feeling they're communing with ancestors; foreigners come to Nara because Nara offers a glimpse of a Japan that was.

We visited Nara Park on a very hot and humid day. Ugh, we were both in a bad mood at the end of the day; exhausted and tired from walking all day in the heat, sick of being soaked in sweat drenched clothes, and having gone with out food for hours (my bad). Would we do it all over again? YES, of course, but now we know what to expect! I would definitely bring more mini towels, Febreze, and Under Armour HeatGear.

I took oodles of photographs and have tried to narrow them down to the best.

Three-Story Pagoda.

Five-Story Pagoda.

Tokon-do Hall.

Hitchhiker.

Great Bell.

Nigatsu-do Hall.

We rode the subway and the train to Nara. Above is the subway map, which is easy to decipher, using the machine to pay for a ticket (below) is a whole different matter.

Subway ticket machine.

These signs were strange! One reads, "I carry a 700°C fire in my hand with people walking all around me." and the other reads, "Your seat should only be as wide as your bottom, not the width of your spread legs."