Busy Week, Part II

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Sunday began suddenly with solemn omens.

I had overslept, but had scheduled to be in Nara that day. Already, I had missed my bus, so I needed to jet to the center via bike as soon as possible. I quickly got dressed, brushed my teeth, and was zooming down the hill outside my house within 15 minutes.

Problem two, however, became apparent as I was biking towards the center. I knew I had little cash left, but simply planned to stop at any of the (oddly numerous) post offices in Kyoto and pick up some more. The ATMs in Japan only accept Japanese bank cards, but all post offices are equipped with international ATMs. Unfortunately, it was Sunday and all three of the post offices I went to were closed. Now, I keep around $30 in emergency money tucked away, so I knew I'd probably be okay, but travel can be expensive, and I'm a cautious guy - I'd like to be able to buy a travel ticket if my fares weren't paid for by the center or something.

I biked hard and fast to the center for about an hour - but when I got there the gate was locked. I wondered if I had come to the wrong meeting spot, so I quickly texted Han to figure out where the Religion class (the group I was going to Nara with) was meeting. Although I wasn't in the religion class, I felt I should do some more touristy kinds of stuff, so I decided to go to Nara with them. I registered in advance, so it would still be free on my part. Although it was leading into a busy week of tests and such, I felt I shouldn't miss the opportunity.

Anyway, while I was typing the message, the number 5 bus came. It stops directly in front of the center every 15 minutes, goes all the way to the end-of-the-line Kyoto Station, and the time was 8:46. We were supposed to meet at 9, but the question was where. Was I simply too early for meeting at the center, or did I need to meet someplace else? I made a blind executive decision and got on the bus. The message was sent, and a couple of seconds later Han told me we were meeting at the west gate of Kyoto Station. I made the right choice, yay - but it was still rush hour, and I might be late.

Fast forward a couple of texts and flurried navigating, and you'll find me sprinting through the station to find the correct train that's heading out to Nara. I meet Tim along the way and together we find the rest of the group. At which point everyone nonchalantly pulls out their group passes and steps through the terminal. I look around, confused - where did these come from? Why don't I have one? Turns out that even though I signed up, I don't get a ticket or any of my expenses paid for unless I'm in the class, which is when everyone got their tickets. I madly run back and buy my own ticket, return to find Tim waiting outside the correct train for me. Phew. I step on board and sit down (in someone elses seat. I realized after I got on board that I didn't buy an express pass for the train and so technically I can't board the express train. Everything works on the honor system here, though, so it let me through on both sides without me knowing). The train immediately accelerates towards Nara.

After some brief travel, we made it to Nara. At this point, I was happy enough to have made it, so I blend in with the group and we tour en masse (~25 people) over to a shrine, were immediately the rumors I had heard about Nara were proven true.

It turns out that some Buddhist priests decided a while back that deer (at this temple, at the very least) were sacred and should never be harmed. As a result, the deer have multiplied over the centuries and grown up absolutely without any fear of humans. Check out some of the ridiculous pictures. They are everywhere - they wander around parks of course, but you'll run into problems with them chilling on handicapped ramps, grabbing food from little children, loitering in front of stores - generally being poorly behaved and absurdly un-deerlike. They were milling about all around the shrine and we enjoyed their company as they probed us for food.

We then proceeded over to the building housing the largest Buddha in Japan. This structure was enormous, and probably the largest wooden structure I've ever seen (which I think was backed up by some factoid). Anyway, the Buddha is itself quite large and impressive, and is flanked by many other almost-as-large Buddhas and bodhissatvas. I went and visited one because you can rub part of the statue to alleviate pain similarly located on your own body, and my back was killing me. These heavy backpacks plus long, long commutes can be really bad.

After my back was tended to, I decided to attempt everlasting glory by crawling through a tiny hole in a pillar in Nara. This is a big deal. Tons of people who come to Nara go to the shrine simply to crawl through this hole. I have no idea what the story is, or why it has become such a thing, but after a couple of nervous seconds and leg flailing, managed to squeeze through. Victory is mine! On to lunch.

But I had no lunch. I was still very worried about the reality of paying for transit home and although I hadn't eaten breakfast, I couldn't afford and hadn't brought a lunch, so I decided I'd just hang out with the group and not eat. Plus, I was strangely not hungry but my body was exhausted. I had biked the hour-each-way trip to and from the center three times in the last 18 hours, and many times more in the past week, plus all the walking I was doing that day. So I headed for the nearest bench with people and amble towards it. But wait!

Five waist-high Japanese girls run in from all sides and cut off all my routes of movement. As they do so, they simultaneously look down at pieces of paper in front of them and chant in unison:

"Can-we-ask-you-a-few-questions"


"Uh, um - sure. Hai."


They then proceed to interview me about Japan and my impressions, take a picture with me, and ask me for my address in the states. All in unison, though, which was a bit surreal. Apparently they'll be sending a picture to the house in VA, Mom and Dad, so don't be alarmed - I haven't been kidnapped by a gang of wily Japanese schoolgirls.

After this ended (although just for me - I saw lots of these little groups intercepting foreigners and interviewing them), I join up with the rest of the group and lie on my back to try to alleviate my aches. We have a delightful lunch chatting idly in a park, with deer nibbling grass nearby, beautiful sun out, and there's even some food my friends donate to me. I don't eat much, though - I wasn't feeling very hungry, strangely.

We then spend the rest of the day walking around the temple grounds, visiting mini-temples nearby, and walking a *lot*. This day was pretty warm, too - Japan is definitely beginning to show signs of its latent sweltering summer heat. I drink almost three liters of liquids and still am really hot. Eventually, I have to take a break and sit down at every stop (bench, fence, etc.) just to take a quick break. Finally, late in the afternoon, we adjourn to a nearby museum (thankfully blessed with an air conditioner), where we are released to return to our houses whenever we like. Immediately after entering, I locate the nearest seat and collapse into its cushiony bliss. My body now hurts every time I move, I'm really thirsty, and I'm really hot. It's probably a combination of all the biking, all the walking, and not eating anything I feel. I spend almost half an hour in that seat, and attempt to make it through the museum in several legs. I proceed seat to seat, and liberally enjoy myself at the vending machines, when I passed one joining two halves of the museum. There was a bathroom nearby, and I let the cold water in the sink run over my arms for minutes until I feel I've cooled off.

By this time, even I admit I'm not doing so well, and worry a little about the possibility of heatstroke. I decide to head back to Kyoto, but slowly - there was no need to rush it, and I needed to take breaks often. I make it back to the station after telling my friends I was heading off, and get on board a train. I try to do a little of the vast quantity of homework I had piling up, but eventually I just pass out on the train ride back. I wake up before Kyoto station, get off, and get on board a bus. Alas, no seats, so I’m forced to hold onto a pole. As the bus sways around corners, my head and eyes loll about while I vainly struggle to hold on to it; I decide to utilize my Gaijin status to obtain a seat. I force my way into a seat, plop down, and drift in and out of consciousness as I half-sleep. Eventually, I get nearby my quadrant of the city, and exit at a random stop nearby a store. I go in, buy a two-liter thing of water and some CalorieMate to keep me going, which I consume while waiting for the bus to come. I'm still not hungry, but it's now been over 24 hours since my last meal and I'm somewhat alarmed, so I eat it anyway. With those items in my system, I'm doing a lot better and head home the rest of the way in the evening without incident. Thus concludes Nara.


~Danny

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Photos

Victory is mine!
I sport the victory crown. These fuzzy pink deer antlers are sold everywhere in Nara, so I figured I'd have to grab a pair.

Han Faces Rejection
The deer apparently did not really want to be in this picture. Observe Han's dismay.

Big 'Ol Gate
A *giant* wooden gate. For size comparison, look at the size of that Japanese schoolgroup standing on the steps.

Un-deerlike deer
Crazy deer wander through our crowd.

Tiny crawling hole
For size comparison, look at the shoulders on the dad. This hole is *really* freakin' small.

Tiny crawling hole
Alas, Kurt encounters difficulty.

Tiny crawling hole
Oomph. Have to take it diagonally to fit through.

Big Buddha House
Where a big Buddha is.

Prettyness
Pretty Nara hillside.

Comments

[GR]

Long Life
Clearly it was crawling through the hole in the pillar which saved you from the deadly deer bite fever. You are now immunized for life!

[Z]

nifty nara
gang of wily Japanese schoolgirls eh?