3. Kobe and Nara

Golden Week

Part 3

Nara was so green and so lovely. Beautiful temples and shrines were built right in the forests. Bright orange torii towered over the tallest of trees and the grounds were covered in moss. It was so 'natural' it really didn't even feel like Japan.

This was the half way point of the trip and having seen and done so many amazing things in one week was a bit overwhelming as 'time to rest and relax and reflect' wasn't built into the itinerary (thanks so much for putting up with me and my excessive energy Derlee!) anyways, Nara offered an opportunity to walk leisurely through beautiful sights amidst nature.

Nara's main attraction--the biggest Buddha in Japan. After seeing bigger ones in Thailand, I wasn't overly impressed by the size of this one. But peaceful Japanesey culture and Buddha are one in the same, so it proved to be an enjoyable visit. Didn't put a picture on here of the deer...but if you check out the gallery--you can get your dose of them. And deer hunters= you will drool over the size of some of the deer!

Kobe. Super chill feel to it, way different than the other cities we visited. Too bad a mistake on my part (caught the super slow train instead of an express--OOPS!) left us with only part of a day to check it out. Kobe is a port city. With water surrounding it, I felt right at home. Of all the cities we visited, Kobe would probably be the spot I would come back to first. Hopefully I will find a chance to do so before August. Good suggestion Derlee!

Kobe's Akashi Bridge & downtown scene.