2. According to the Shinto tradition, the deer are seen as messengers of the gods. As such, they’re protected – and even cared for: vendors throughout Nara sell stacks of little biscuits the deer love, and they are well aware that tourists enjoy purchasing them and offering a snack!
3. Pretty much everywhere you go within the park, you’ll see deer trotting up to greet you. We stayed within the park and quickly got accustomed to seeing them lounging in the sun or looking expectantly at approaching crowds to see if they had a snack to offer.
4. Somewhat surprisingly, the deer seemed to know not to leave the confines of the park – or even to enter the gates to the shrines and temples that dot it. (They had no qualms about taking a sip of water from the park’s ponds, though!)
5. The shrines themselves were beautiful, located every few hundred meters or so. Some were far smaller than others, but all offered beautiful details to take in.
6. I was especially fond of the dragons marking the fountains where worshippers would come wash their hands (and have a quick drink).
7. Each offered its own unique, distinct look and style.
8. My own unfamiliarity with the local language was a hindrance, on occasion; there were some monuments and symbols I couldn’t interpret at all. But not being able to understand what was written forced me to be a bit more attentive to the aesthetic, and it was a welcome change for me.
9. The most famous site within Nara Park is Todai-ji, a massive temple. The imposing building called to mind other structures – Notre Dame, the Taj Mahal. Of course, it stands out from both in that it’s made of wood and is, in fact, the largest wooden structure standing in the world.
10. It is perhaps only fitting that the world’s largest wooden structure be home to the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha.
11. The 1,240 acres of the park offered prime space for discovering the very first cherry blossom (sakura) blooms.
12. My brother remarked at one point how lucky we are to be in Japan a bit early for this famed time of year. We have had the opportunity over the past few days of our trip to truly witness the blossoming of these bright pink flowers, noting how some trees in shady areas bloom more slowly, how others in plain daylight burst into pink fireworks before their neighbors.
13. And no matter how many pink trees we see, I’m still in awe of their beauty.
14. Of course, cherry blossoms aren’t the only beautiful flowers to discover in Nara Park.
15. These knotted trees made us think of a fantasy fairy land.
16. And this grassy knoll certainly seems idyllic and paradisiacal.
17. In the evening, we climbed up to the top of Nigatsudo, a smaller temple dependent on the larger Toda-ji.
18. While the magnificent sunset we were told to expect never quite materialized, the lanterns glowing in the dusk made the climb (and the cold!) more than worth it.
19. Gorgeous.
20. And to our surprise, the following night, when we moved to a ryokan overlooking the temple…
21. … we were granted our very own sunset.
