Nara

We spent our Saturday visiting Nara, one of Japan's old capitals. It is home to historic temples, shrines, nice parks, and lots of sacred (to the Japanese) deer. This sign features some particularly angry deer!

Adam checking to see if he is enlightened. This is a small hole in a beam at the Todaji, the biggest wooden structure in Japan. If you make it through the hole, you are enlightened.

Going through...

Made it!

Jenna was interested, but wouldn't go through, even with Adam's example. Both kids were of interest to all the Japanese - check out the guy taking pictures of Jenna on his camera phone. The Japanese also let both kids cut the line. Benefits of being little and cute!

Here are Heather and Jenna with some of those sacred and nosy deer. You can buy deer cookies to feed them.

We thought Adam would be scared of the deer (just like the pigs!), but he was interested, then excited to feed them deer cookies. It probably helped that he was above their level.

Overcoming his fear and touching a deer nose.

Chris was approached several times by schoolgirls who interviewed him for their school assignments. I think it's because he's the tallest and blondest of all of us.

The family in front of the Todaji.