Nara Weekend Trip

  

Hōryū-ji temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nara. The main gate is guarded by two wooden deities. We got there at a good time, because the two groups after us were students on a school trip to the temple. We grabbed lunch near the temple and tried persimmon ice cream. Japan loves their unique ice cream flavors.
 

In the evening we just walked around the area, especially in Nara Park. Nara has deer roaming around and will bow to you for a snack. It was later in the day so most deer weren't walking around. We were able to feed them on our previous trip to Nara. 

 

The next day we went to Yoshikien Garden. We weren't able to visit it last time. It has three sections: a pond area, a moss garden, and a tea ceremony area, and it's free to visit! From there, the Nara National  Museum is just across the street from it. But unbeknownst to us that day there was a marathon, and we had to walk down the street to an underpass where we could cross to the other side to reach the museum. After a couple hours in the museum, we walked around the area. In the evening we stopped by the same melonpan place we went to last time. We like getting their fresh hot melonpan with ice cream.