Japan: Day Three

We took the train out to Nara where the deer are allowed to roam around the city because they are said to be messengers of the gods. No matter how you view it, these deer know they are in charge and they are very pushy when looking for food. Teddy was very afraid at first, but he seemed to like the baby deer.



One of the most amazing sites in Nara was the Daibutsu-den Hall which is the largest wooden building in the world. Surprisingly enough, the present hall is actually only two-thirds of its original size!



Inside the hall is The Diabutsu, the Giant Buddha. This is the second largest Buddha in the whole world. We were all impressed that Josh has also seen the largest Buddha, which is in India.



After returning from Nara, we walked up a big hill to the Kyiomizu-dera. This amazing temple has an equally amazing view overlooking the city of Kyoto. A few of the fun things we did at this temple include pretending to be Godzilla (ask Michael!), walking between two stones with eyes closed in order to "find true love," learning how to wash before entering a temple, and drinking healing waters out of a blessed fountain.