From the beginning... Nara, the old capital

        Yesterday I left Tokyo to begin the biggest risk I've taken in all my life. It took a bit longer to disengage myself from the city than I had thought it would... I had expected to leave on Wednesday night of last week, and put it off to finish my term papers. With one deadline of Saturday, and another for Monday, I must admit I took every last allowable minute. Keep in mind that during the same timeframe most of the close friends I've made since moving to Tokyo were leaving for home, some never to return, so I had to balance time between writing and seeing people off... I will miss them all !!!

        So I moved out of the homestay on Sunday evening, and then stayed with Atsushi Sunday night so that I could finish my last paper... I wrote all night and well into the day, and finished 22 pages by about 3 o'clock - the campus closes at 4:30! By the time the day was over, I was too burnt out to even think about making arrangements for the overnight bus trip to Nara. Another delay...

        Finally Tuesday I was ready. Made the reservation, spent the day chilling by myself and packing and repacking my backpack, each time a little lighter! Around 7:30 I headed into the city by train, to meet Antonio (heading back to Spain soon - safe travels, my friend!) for dinner before leaving on the bus at 11:15pm. I got to Shibuya station, one of the biggest craziest places in the city, kind of Times Square times 50, stepped off the train and emailed (by cellphone) to announce my arrival, and then realized in a whoosh that I had left my PACK on overhead rack in the train!!! OH MY GOD, how could a person be so OBLIVIOUS???

(you dont have to laugh quite so hard...)

        Panicking, I spent an hour tracking down the right office, and after another hour of waiting, my pack was found right where I had left it, only problem was that the train was now an hour away. No matter, I was happy to know it was still there!! I guess no one would steal something they could barely lift....

        By the time I got to the other end of Tokyo, picked up the pack, and made it back in to Shinjuku Station, I had 20 mins before the bus left. Antonio and I, having lost the opportunity for dinner, commemorated the event with a "combini-beer" while waiting on the sidewalk.

        I slept most of the ride and arrived in Nara at about 6:30 am, before ANYTHING was open. Well, 2 places were open. McDonald's and Starbucks. Those of you who know me will appreciate the irony of that fact. I ended up finding a 24hr internet & manga room, and spent ¥1000 for two hours and free coffee.

        So today has been full of temples and shika (sacred deer that overrun the place). I got chased by a pack of them when I stopped for a snack in the park. My first site was Kofuku-ji (ji means temple). There was an impressive 5-story pagoda, but the grounds were underconstruction for new landscaping or something, so not too pretty.


        In addition to Kofuku-ji, I saw the awesome and famed Todai-ji, home to the biggest Buddha in Japan, the Daibutsu (literally, big buddha - what an understatement!) The thing is so incredibly huge! The building that houses it is the largest wooden structure in the whole world, even at two thirds of its original size! (Pictures soon!)

        Later in the afternoon, I went to the Nara National Museum and was given a compulsory tour in English by the lonely old guy sitting behind the desk. He was very kind, but I think I knew more about some of the pieces in there than he did!! (And that's not a lot!)

        Spending the night in a cheap youth hostel (thats a whole other story!) and off for Koya-san early in the morning - really really have looked forward to this part of the trip for so long!

        Stay tuned! - Alicia