Elf's Shrine

Started out the day with a MacDonad's meal as planned. We walked over to a nearby Mac's that I ate at before (the legendary Mac's where the staff gave me a free McMuffin for all those who have heard my story - but no free muffin today)

My mum had a Fillet'o'Fish meal and I had a Bacon and Egg Cheese McMuffin meal. BACON!!! My mum was upset that I didn't tell her that there was pork. I said I wasn't sure if it was bacon, or turkey bacon, so I didn't dare jio her. Anyway it was scrumptious, fatty bacon. *droools*

After brunch, we walked over to JR Kyoto station in order to get on a train to Nara. It was hot man.... my mum kept grumbling about her not bringing her umbrella and how she needed it the one time she didn't bring it.

We managed to get on the Special Rapid service to Nara, and had a good time viewing the scnery of the Japanese countryside along the way. I really like road trips. I don't have to be doing something, but if I am on a road trip (excepting ones with absolutely nothing to see and / or are uncomfortable) I would be quite happy.

Reached Nara and decided to take a bus to Todaiji. Managed to get on the right bus but missed the stop cos it was named something else. Ah... I hate buses! Fortunately, it was a loop line so we just stayed on the bus till it got us back to where we wanted to go.

Alighted at the right bus stop this time and made our way to Todaiji amidst the swarm of deer



 The deer are absolutely not afraid of humans who are their feeding machines. Deer Senbei can be purchased for a mere 150 yen and guarantees you absolute adoration (read swamping) from the deer. You imagine that you will be elegantly feeding a deer? Think again. You might be screaming as you relinquish the senbei. Makes for good entertainment for others though!

Todaiji is a Buddhist temple that was originally built to be the biggest Buddhist temple in Japan (please do not ask me why there needs to be some competition) and so you can imagine the size of the Buddha housed here.

They are doing a rebuilding project where you can buy a roof tile for 1000 yen and you can write your wishes on the tile to have it enshrined forever (or till the next rebuilding). I was eager to show my mum the hole in the pillar where children will crawl through as it is supposed to give them blessings... but then when I got to where I thought it was, it was no longer there. I though I had remembered wrongly but when I checked my photos on FB, I am quite sure it used to be in Todaiji because the pillar and the floor combi looks just the same. My mum suggested that perhaps the stalls erected for the rebuilding project might have obscured access to that pillar ( there was a pillar that was within the stalls area) but I wonde why they whould do that... isn't that like a traditional thing to do?? Oh well. I wouldn't know unless I asked and I had no intention of checking that out lol.

Next we went to Nigatsu Do. It's quite nice and the approach is lined with lamps that have the names of donors carved on them. It's interesting to note that 'small' amounts of 100 appear quite regularly, which simply shows how old these lamps are.

At Nigatsu Do, we learnt that there is no open flame for lighting incense, quite unlike our temples back in Singapore. What you do is that you stick thee incense into the urn, wait for it to start smoking, flip it over.. and lo and behold the incense is already lit. Quite amazing, if I must say. The caretaker was also very nice to help us out there.

After that we went over to Kasuga Shrine, but we didn't go in because we have to pay 500 Yen each and I told my mum that I don't think that she would enjoy paying and then climbing all the steps (she was already having troubles with the heat and her leg) so we didn't go in. We walked round to the free areas and eventually got ourselves back to the JR Nara station bought a couple of drinks, a snack and were ready for the train back to Kyoto.

We thought about waiting for the Rapid service but changed our minds since that would mean almost half an hour worth of waiting and we weren't very keen on waiting in the heat. We'd rather stick to the local train which leaves half hour earlier and probably arrives around the sametime as the rapid or even earlier.

Got back to Kyoto in good time for dinner and went up to the 11th floor of Isetan at JR Kyoto. Walked around with my mum and in the end we ended up in a restaurant which I think I ate at last time and which I typically used as a benchmark back home for food in Japan lol. Even the waiter looked familiar, but then my mum said the exact same thing so I think that he probably has one of those 'familiar' faces.

The food was pretty good, of a good portion and costs only about SGD per person. Tonkatsu Wako is the name of the restaurant and if you are in the area, and fancy a bento or two with tonkatsu, drop on by!!

Best find of the day: Passing by a shop that's like a 100 yen shop (but isn't) and more like Watson's.. and finding Kao Megurism!! I wanted to buy this but had forgotten all about it thuse far!! So I bought a box immediately with intentions to buy more :D hehehehehe. Kao Megurism.... I like you!

Most memorable stuff of the day: It was really hot. Hot till I posted on FB "Can die". I didn't realise this wasn't quite normal until I read a CNA article about a heat wave that hit Japan and killed 3 people and hospitalised like 2000. This is some serious shit and I am definitely making my mum drink more water. Will have a headache on what to do tomorrow... can't go Himeji cos my mum feet hurt and it's really hot. Just today we had to stop and rest so many times cos the weather was crazy. It's also not worth it cos Himeji is under renovation. Think I will shelf it for now.

Guess what the max temperature was today in Kyoto? 37. Sigh and on Sunday I read that it could go higher. Some place in Japan did hit 39.1 today and it's in Central Japan, not all that far from Kyoto if you think about it. I'm starting to be pleased that I'm only spending one more full day in Kyoto. Hope tomorrow will bring better weather..... :(