June 13

After our traditional Japanese breakfast (which was the same as yesterday except the fish today was salmon) we departed for our tour. After a 60 minute bus ride, we arrived in Nara which was the capital of Japan in the 8th century and home to many shrines and temples. Our first stop was at Kasuga-Taisha, Japan's most celebrated shrine. These lanterns were all over this World Heritage site and provided a gorgeous visual contrast to the orange shrines. 

This was another shrine. 

And the picture below was part of the main shrine that people visit. 

And this was the outside of the shrine. 

After our quick visit there (that was actually too short) we went to the Todaiji Temple to see the enormous bronze Daibutsu Buddha. It's also a deer park, and although the deer are wild you can feed them. The only problem is... When you feed them they all follow you wanting more crackers!!! So, this was me getting attacked by deer. 

I put my camera lense cap in my camera case's outside pocket which apparently was a very bad idea at a deer park because when I got to lunch, it was missing! A deer must have gotten into my pocket thinking my lens cap was food because my lens cap is the same size as the crackers we were feeding them... I hope it didn't eat it! 

Anyways, after being harassed by hungry deer, we walked to the temple to see the big Buddha. 

Inside the temple, there was a Buddha many stories high with two guardian statues on either side. 

                                    

On the way back to the bus, I saw this deer relaxing by the pond and found him and his antlers so beautiful. Talk about picture perfect! 

                                  

After our lunch at the garden of Emperor Kammu's Imperial Palace (dating from 794 AD when the emperor established Kyoto as the nation's capital) we headed back to the hotel. Thanks to the deer, I had to go buy another camera lens cap. 

We spent our last night at the sushi bar in our hotel with a wonderful female sushi chef, which is very rare and a big deal in Japan. Usually it takes 10 years of training to become a sushi chef and this woman did it in less than 10 years. Below are some pictures of the sushi we had... I ate EVERYTHING! 

That was only some of it, but I won't make you too hungry!! But here's a picture of us with our new friend! 

Tomorrow will be a long day... We are leaving Japan and will fly to Ulan Bator, Mongolia!