Deer paradise!
Made the trip to Nara today!
SO
MANY
DEER
EVERYWHERE.
Caught a bus to where the temple and pagoda is and as soon as you're in the park area there's deer. Huddling up to people, sniffing them for food. There's stalls where you can buy 'deer biscuits' to feed them. They love those things. There's fawns around the place as well, some still with their white dots on. Very cute.
I took a stroll around the temple/pagoda area, where there was still deer. There was some Buddha statues, but nothing compared to what I would see later.
I fed the deer here and there, usually they would come over, pester for food, but would realise you weren't going to feed them anymore and move on.
As I discovered, that's not all ways the case and ended up getting chased by some very hungry deer...it was actually a little scary having 10 or so deer chasing you slightly aggressively. Luckily some poor fool made the same mistake and fed one of them. Then they were his problem, ahaha!
I found a shrine area further into the forest (still more deer) which was cool.
Then I found the temple.
The great wooden buddha temple.
When I was told it was big, I didn't realise just how big.
It was awe inspiring.
Looking down at you with his slightly open eyes, one open palm facing up, the other forward. Surround by a ring of other Buddhas.
Nothing quite like it.
I took a while just look at it after praying. There was some other statues around it, but they were mere shadows really.
I went back out -more deer- and found there was another much smaller temple up the hill. So I made the trek up and the view was worth it. You could see right across Nara from there.
I slowly made my way back to the bus stop. Frequently taking a break from walking to feed deer (and take pictures of course).
A very lovely day!