I’m going out of order today since I’ve only covered pre-trip thoughts and the first few days to date, but today I’m going to jump ahead to day 5 and passing through the Nara region. Because when I think back on the moments of the trip that feel out of this life, this is maybe the one that I go back to the most.
They set the stage with a walk up a long street lined with well kept, traditional looking homes. Like we’d gotten used to, every doorstep had an assortment of well manicured and cared for flowers and other plants.
Nothing over the top or showy, just pretty flowers. A little statue here or there. A pop of color in a post office box or bicycle.
(So many bicycles!! I could make a coffee table book out of just the picturesque little bicycle tableaus I saw on the streets while we walked.)
And the can lanterns. I love can lanterns. I love trying to wrap my head around a culture where people finish a beer and then pull out a knife and carve lines down the sides of the empty can. Then pull the strips out to puff into a lantern. Then get out thicker wire to wrap around it and walk it out to the front porch, twisting it at the top to make a hanging contraption, and finding the perfect spot to put it. All just to step back and look at it and take a little delight, and maybe offer some to others that wander by. I love being somewhere that this is a normal practice and it makes me forget why exactly I find myself running from one place to another in my own life instead of sitting still for a minute, taking a breath, and maybe even doing a little craft.
At the top of the hill, we reached a huge gateway into the neighborhood’s Buddhist temple, Taima-dera. According to what I’ve read about it since, Taima-dera is said to have been founded in 612 C.E. (A.D.) with some of the structures dating back almost as far, and is a sacred pilgrimage spot in certain sects of Buddhism. It’s a stunning property covered in greenery and dotted with thousand-year-old structures.
Some of us hung back at that first entry point to watch a mother bird swoop in and out feeding her babies.
As we approached the main buildings inside the grounds, there were paths that broke off in two directions, both behind garden walls. An older gentleman stationed out front pointed us in the right direction. We found ourselves winding through what felt like an ancient garden. This time of year everything is lush and green. There are different flowers everywhere. Footbridges and stones and weathered statues covered in green moss.
Snails meanered along rainspouts and shingles.
Everything smelled like flowers and earth and something so serene.
We got to the main building at our own pace. I’d been taking photographs and taking it all in and definitely was toward the back of our small group. There was a place for us to sit and remove our shoes. I saw a rack of slippers that were available to frequent visitors but we all just padded up in our sock feet to an upper level. We walked into a large but simple room with open windows that overlooked the grounds. There were long tables with a chair for each of us and the most beautiful vegan meal prepared with so much love. We sat and ate and talked and were offered the most incredible hospitality from this man, the groundskeeper of the gardens and the son of the 52nd generation temple priest, and his wife.
We left after a long, leisurely meal and tea. The man and his expecting wife and their little dog, Yuki, waved us goodbye. I hung back a split second and snapped this picture.
We found out later that the gentleman who was guiding us at the start of our walk to the “proper” path actually sent us the long way. Both doors led to the same place—the other way was the direct one. He’d just wanted us to see the garden before lunch. Sometimes it’s not about the destination.
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You can find lots of images from the trip and beyond on my photography site, Thousand Circles Images.
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You can find my complete guide to running trails on Disney World property RIGHT HERE.
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And while you’re here… <3 When I’m not traveling, I still have a camera in my hand around the parks and resorts at Walt Disney World. If you’re missing home (or love someone who is) and are looking for a way to bring the magic home, I’d love for you to check out my prints over at Thousand Circles Images.
