Well, time to say goodbye to Kyoto! We packed everything up, and at checkout, we sent one of our suitcases ahead to the next hotel again. Honestly, for just 10-12 euros, it’s a lifesaver not having to lug a massive suitcase around. We grabbed our usual breakfast and hopped on the train right next to the hotel, heading to Kyoto Station. Once there, we took the Nara suburban train line. Good thing I bought that free pass the other day—it lets us take as many JR trains as we need for two days.
After about 50 minutes, we arrived in Nara—pretty close to Kyoto, as you can see. First things first, we dropped off our luggage at the hotel’s storage so we wouldn’t have to carry it around. The hotel was super close to the station, so it only took us two minutes. Then, we went back to the station because I had seen a tourist information office. I wanted to check something because the free pass I got included a voucher for several temple visits. Turns out, I was at the wrong office—the right one was near Horyu-ji Temple. So off we went! First, we took a train to get closer, and at the station, we asked again… still a 17-minute walk left. And let me tell you, that walk felt like a marathon under the scorching sun. Luckily, a lovely lady at the station suggested a game: we had to find five hidden Pokémon along the way. Olivia loved it!
After what felt like an eternity (and half-melting under the sun), we finally arrived at the temple—the oldest wooden structure in Japan. Pretty impressive! We even got to go inside, but of course, we had to take off our shoes first.
By the time we finished the visit, we were absolutely roasted, so we stopped for some amazing ice cream—vanilla for me and milk-flavored for Olivia. It was exactly what we needed to cool down. And as for walking back? No way. We took a bus. Then, another train back to Nara Station, and by the time we arrived, we were starving. We found an amazing little restaurant where you sit on tatami mats, barefoot. What a feast we had! Everything was absolutely delicious!
After that, we headed back to the hotel to rest a bit and wait for the heat to subside. Around 5 PM, we went out again to Nara Park, where we got to hang out with tons of deer! Even though they’re wild animals, they’re so used to people that they let you pet and even feed them. But be careful—if they figure out you’ve got food, they can get a bit aggressive. Blanca and I even got a little nibble (no harm done, though).
And just like that, it was time for dinner. We found a pretty affordable place near the station, and even though it was cheap, the food was fantastic. The total for all three of us? Just 27 euros!
All in all, a relaxed but super enjoyable day. And still, we must have walked about 15,000 steps today!