A day is certainly not enough to soak in all of Nara. I am guessing, not even a couple of days. But you know what? That’s OK. Of course, if it were a younger me, I wouldn’t think that. My young self would be full of regrets that I did not spend more days here, not even when faced with the reality that I do not have the luxury of time.
You see, when wanderlust first started to bite into me, I had this urge to check out everything about a place. And I do mean everything. So much so that I remember how my earlier travels were mostly me pounding the pavement, such that I am still sightseeing even when it’s already dark out.
I don’t know what happened. Maybe it’s age. Maybe it’s that age-old realization that “we can never really have/do everything”. Little by little, I noticed myself letting go. Setting priorities. Making choices. This over that. Chill. And, in the process, enjoy myself – and the sights and sounds around me – even more.
(Check out my earlier blog posts about Nara: playing with deer at Nara Park, Daibutsuden and Todaiji Temple, and walking from Wakakusayama Hill to Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Kokufuji Temple.)
Nara City is relatively small. Or, at least, its main sightseeing area is. The moment you get out of the subway, you’d immediately find yourself getting started with all the signs indicating that you are about to lay your eyes (and feet) on one of Japan’s most beautiful and historical places.
And if you were unable to make your research beforehand, do not worry. You won’t get lost, because there are maps and directions practically everywhere. And you haven’t even stepped out of the train station yet!
I admit to not have made that research on how to get to here and there. This was one of those things I was just gonna wing. Turns out I didn’t have to wing anything.
Hands down, the best part about my visit to Nara would be the encounter with these four-legged beauties. At first, they may seem intimidating, especially the bigger, horned ones, and I was about to turn tail and run when one of them walked straight at me, its horns bared as if it’s going to bore into me.
But, of course, that wasn’t going to happen, because these creatures are simply gentle and tourist-friendly.
This was one of the things I had to pass on: a visit inside the Nara National Museum. Now, history is something I have an interest in. And it also happens to be one of my favorite subjects back in high school. So a visit to a museum isn’t something I’d say no to.
But this was one of those days where I didn’t have the luxury of time, as I mentioned earlier. I had only less than a day in Nara, and I had to choose where to spend it. This museum was one of those I skipped.
I just have to comment on, and commend, how the place looked clean, despite the number of deer roaming around. Walk on a path and you’re bound to meet one or two. I actually expected there to be droppings everywhere but, except at the Park, there weren’t a lot. I even looked around, half-expecting to see street sweepers cleaning up, but I didn’t see any.
Souvenirs and sweets are aplenty when you go around Kyoto, and that is no different in Nara. On the path leading up to the Nandaimon, a row of these stores are waiting for tourists to spend their money on.
I suppose that is one other thing I learned through the years: curb on the spending on souvenirs. OK, it’s also kind of a regret, because wouldn’t it be great to be able to just buy anything you want, bring them home, and shower your family and friends with omiyage?
Alas, I don’t have the luxury of being loaded or moneyed to do that. Also, I have had the experience of buying bric-a-brac that ended up taking up space and being eventually useless, gathering dust, once I got home.
So, yes. These were for my eyes only.
I suppose in every place you go to, there is bound to be one thing you’d be displeased with. For me, it was seeing one tourist get a kick out of hanging his phone on the antlers of an unsuspecting deer and amuse himself by watching the poor thing try to shake it off.
At the back of my head, I was going, “Come on, swing it harder, so hard that it’ll crash and break, then let’s see how amused he will be with a broken phone.”
It was one of those smh moments, and I was glad he had company with enough sense to put a stop to the whole thing.
Just like the Nara National Museum, we had to skip several parts of the vast complex where the Todaiji Temple is located. There were other key buildings and structures, even a botanical garden, in the area, but we made do with only a couple of them, including Nigatsudo Hall.
Again, it was mostly because we had to manage our time, and visiting all those places meant having to practically jog around. And that’s not exactly what I had pictured as “going around Nara”.
Another place I wish we had spent time on: going up Wakakusayama to the peak. But this was not something within our control, because it was actually closed to anyone who’d want to do it.
In a way, that eased the burden of making the decision on whether we should go up. Plus, there’s the searing heat of the sun to contend with.
Vending machines are a lifesaver. Maybe that is an exaggeration, but imagine yourself in the middle of the woods in nowhere, and it’s so hot and you are parched and thirsty, then you’d find a vending machine selling ice-cold drinks. And even ice cream.
This also works the other way around. When I visited Japan during late fall and it was so cold, those vending machines saved me with their hot beverages.
Oh and look! It’s Pikachu!
Just a thought: That shop right there looks like it’s running a risky business.
And just in case you’re wondering, the deer may cross roads and streets meant for cars and vehicles. That’s why there are warning signs for that. But when we were there, we didn’t really spot any deer doing it. Sure, they’d be hanging around the side of the street, but not really cross, especially when there are cars passing by.
Also, I noticed that the cars observe the speed limit. Presumably to prevent hitting any deer, in case one gets too excited and crosses the road.
So there you have it. A wrap-up of my memorable day in Nara. Definitely a must-see and must-go for anyone coming to Japan for the first time. (Although it had to be on my second visit that I got to go there, but better late than never, eh?)
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