Day One – Nara
We were up early for a hotel breakfast with European and Asian options, so we were both happy. After a bit of trouble finding the right platform at Namba, we caught the train to Nara. Heavy rain lasted all day, and our little umbrellas struggled to keep up. We ended up dashing between buildings and doing as much as we could before getting too cold and wet.
We stopped at the shops to browse souvenirs and fabrics, then headed for the big Buddha—the day’s main attraction. Feeding the deer was entertaining, especially when one tried to eat my itinerary! The main hall was crowded, but the Buddha was impressive, and we could take photos without taking our shoes off. We also found stamps to collect along the way. Between the rain and my phone struggling with poor reception, though, I didn’t get many photos.
After exploring a few more temples, we reached the Nara museum around 12.30, but our tickets were for 2 pm. That gave us time for lunch—katsu and a lovely bowl of ramen. The museum wasn’t quite what we’d hoped for, so afterwards we continued to the Kofukuji temples and treasury museum. I managed to buy five tickets instead of two at the machine, but gave the extras away to a grateful couple who couldn’t pay by card. By then we were both cold and wet, so we caught the train back, grabbed dinner in Dotonbori and were at the hotel by about 7 pm. An early night was just what we needed after the rain and lingering tiredness from the flights.
