Osaka, Nara and Himeji

This past weekend we took the train to Osaka.  The trains here are very nice but also very warm.  From Kakegawa it took about 2 and half hours to Osaka.  Then next day we took a bus tour to Nara, where we saw one of the oldest temples and the largest Buddha in Japan.  The deer run free on the grounds of the park and you can feed them.  They are about the size of a large dog so not to scary until you have the food in your hand and then swarm you.  Julia ended up throwing her food at them and as I tried to feed the smaller ones, a big one decided to nip me, just to show who was boss.  He was and I gave him the food.  They have people around that clean up the deer droppings so it is pretty clean.  Sunday we headed to Himeji to see Japan's largest castle.  Unfortunately, it is being renovated until 2015 so click the link to see what it should look like.  I guess we will have to return when it is done.

Waiting for the train

 View of Osaka at night

 This cool building has a hole in it.

 Which one do you want for dinner?

 Clock in the Osaka train station

 Deer at Nara

 Temple at Nara

 The largest Buddha in Japan

 People can put there prayers or wishes in these stone structures.

 Nambia:  Rows of streets with shops and restaurants.  We tried to eat here but there were long lines outside most places.

 Himeji Castle

 Check out the size of this place