Day 16

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Today we spent the day in Nara, It was a really long train ride out there. But once we got there it was beautiful. First we went to Todai-ji Temple, it is the largest wooden structure in the WORLD! Even thou it is only two thirds of the original size due to earth quakes it is still the largest wooden structure ever. Inside this temple is the Daibutsu of Todai-Ji Temple. This is the "largest" bronze Buddha ever built. Thou some places in china say there bronze Buddha's are bigger. But do not be mistaken this is not the biggest one, just the largest bronze one, so they say. Standing next to the Daibutsu was awe inspiring, the sheer size of it was very impressive. There is a whole in the back of the temple in one of the pillars that is said to be the size on of Daibutsu's nostrils. It was small I never had a chance of getting through. It is said if you do squeeze through that in your next reincarnation you will receive enlightenment. A good number from our group made it through the hole thou. The deer in Nara reminded me of deer i saw when i was in Washington state. They walk right up to you, vendor's sell food that you can feed them. I didn't buy the food but some did, it was interesting. The difference here than in Washington was that here they were a lot more tame. They didn't care if you went near the little ones, while if you did in Washington state they would break up you and the babies as soon as they saw you. Next we went to Kasuga Taisha temple complex, this is one of the biggest Shinto shrine in Japan. It has over 3000 lanterns in it, 2000 stone and 1000 bronze. It was pretty neat to see it but after going to Todai-Ji temple it was nothing to compare. After we left me and some other people went up to Mos-burger for lunch, we saw other people there when we got there, clearly we weren't the only ones with the idea. I had a Mos-burger it was good, it has a cheese burger with something else on it, not sure but it was good, I had melon soda with it which was pretty oishii desu, well it all was oishii. This night professor Wallin gave us a curfew of 11 pm. As he didn't like how we were all coughing in the lecture and not really going to bed early, so he is helping us help our selves. Everyone is actually pretty happy about it, my roommate here in Kyoto, Doug, is psyched to check out the bath like professor Wallin suggested. I did it last night and it is pretty awesome. As the tubs here as twice as deep, if not more so, than the ones in the states. Well Goodnight everyone I am off for sleepy land, But Not until i can't Skype MY Allison. <3

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