Japan '06

A beautiful sunny day today and it was probably in the mid-50`s. We took the subway and Kintetsu rail down to Nara - an ancient capital of Japan. Nara is home to the largest bronze Buddha in Japan at the temple Todai-ji. The temple complex was amazing - the Buddha was huge and there were several other large statues of protective gods/goddesses that were equally as interesting. We went to a few other sub-tenples of Todai-ji and went through a similar ritual - wafting the incense at the base of the temple, staring in awe at the shrine,　watching the Japanese pray and feeling like we`re intruding　on their religious moment. Nara`s temples　are located in a park that has tons of tame deer. The deer are insane- they come right up to you, go into stores, hunt down people with food. They are kind of like the American squirrel or pigeon. Anyway, we have lots of funny pictures were Bernd and the deer.

Tachchen Leute!
Japan is ganz schoen cool. Haben heute den groessten Budda der welt gesehen und natuerlich das groesste Holzhaus. Na die lustigen Tempel sind schon sehr interessant und riesig. Essen ist nicht so leicht. Ended irgendwie alles mit Fisch und der Supermarkt ist auch irgendwie 50% Fisch ob getrocknet　oder frisch. Aber wir hungern nicht. Allet jute.

A couple of observations about Japan so far
1. Heated toilet seats / beheizte Toiletten Brille
2. You can get by without any Japanese if you bow, smile, nod, and use sign language / wir quatschen mit Handen, Fussen, und nicken.
3. The cities are pretty grey / Die Stadte sind grau
4. The transportation system is complicated - 9 different companies operating train in Kyoto alone! / Offlichen Verkehr ist ueber completizert - 9 verschiedene Bahn Companies in Kyoto!
5. Japanese school girls really do giggle with their hands over their mouths. / Japanische Schule Madchen lachen nur hinter der Hand.

Places Visited:
1. Todai-ji Temple (Buddhist) - founded in 745 and contains the largest indoor bronze Buddha. Bernd crawled through a wooden post that brings good luck in life.
2. Nigatsu-do (sub temple of Todai-ji) - beautiful wooden terrace.
3. Sangatsu-do (sub temple of Todai-ji) - Nara's oldest structure.
4. Kasuga Grand Shrine (Shinto)- partially open, partially under reconstruction. Outside of the shrine are hundreds of beautiful stone lanterns.
5. Kofuku-ji Temple and Five Storey Pagoda - we didn't go inside of the temple, but focused on the five storey pagoda.