The plan was to catch the JR train to Nara to meet Michiko’s auntie and to check out Nara’s highlights. The plan was complicated when we tried to buy tickets and found out that the Nara line was closed due to an accident. Luckily there is another train line that runs to Nara, a private line. With the new plan we headed off.
Nara is a great little city. We’re staying in a Japanese style room in a small guesthouse right in the centre of Nara.
After meeting Michiko, her aunt and friends of her mother, Mr and Mrs Yamanaka, we went for lunch. The food prices in Nara are so cheap. Lunch was about 500yen for a pasta and unlimited soft drink.
After lunch we headed off alone to Todai-ji, a huge wooden temple – the largest wooden building in the world, dating from the 9th century and measuring 50m high – housing a huge 15m bronze Buddha. In the park surrounding Todai-ji are hundreds of deer, roaming freely.
The last stop was Kasuga Shrine, with thousands of stone lanterns in the area around the shrine.
While the boys headed back to the guest house the girls did some last minute souvenir shopping before we headed out for a bargain curry dinner (4200yen including drinks) at Coco Curry.