Nara: Mean Deer, Mountain-Climbing, and Toe Blisters

   A few weekends ago, I went to Nara-koen. I never realized how many deer lived in the park until I actually went and saw the hordes of deer inhabiting this place. There are apparently somewhere between 1,000 and 2,000 deer living in Nara-koen. All of them are tame to varying degrees, some to the point where they well let you pet them! Their fur is quite soft. However, all of them act like greedy pigs when they see that you have "shika-senbei" or the crackers that are made especially to feed the deer. There are signs warning visitors of "butting, biting, and kicking." I fed a lot of deer that day. It is quite amusing because as soon as you buy some crackers, they gather around you and try and take the crackers as well as attempt to eat any clothing that you happen to be wearing. The coat that I was wearing became covered in deer slobber, which was quite disgusting.
   After wandering around the main part of the park and seeing the beautiful gardens, temples, and scenery, I discovered a sign for a mountain hiking course in the park. It seemed to be a nice day for hiking up a mountain. I reached the trail head and began climbing. The trail was more of a utility road, so it was easy to walk on. The mountain in question is Mount Wakakusa in Nara Prefecture. It is 1,222 feet high, and it was a fairly tough climb. I did not keep track of how many kilometers/miles it was, but it was a long and exhausting hike. However, getting to the top was quite rewarding and the view was spectacular.





  It is hard not to imagine while most world religions hold mountains as Holy Places. As a Christian, being this high up on a natural earth formation was very enlightening and I did feel God's creation around me.
   After relaxing a bit at the top of the mountain and sipping on cold water, I started my descent on the other side. After this long hike, I was quite exhausted and decided to go to Nara-machi (a shopping district) and get a quick lunch and then head back to Hikone. This trip was quite a nice day trip by myself and a well-deserved break from the academic buy-ness.
   While I definitely enjoyed this trip to Nara, that evening, I realized that all the hiking had given my a giant blister on my little toe--OUCH!! Well, I will probably have two more irregular entries during the rest of the semester (til April 19). However, from April 19-May 1, I will be travelling around Japan and I will, most likely post at least a short entry every night. So be ready to follow me even more closely on my Japan Adventures!

For those that are interested, here is a brief summary of my Itinerary:
If you have any questions about my destinations, please do not hesitate to comment!! 


Location: Nara, Japan

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