Apparently, you don’t need to take the bus anymore since upon alighting from the train station, the park is just a bit of a walk (5 minutes tops). We got stuck in traffic STANDING for 20 minutes for nothing hehe.

LEFT The JR Yamatoji Line (above ground) vs. the RIGHT The Kintetsu Nara Line (subway). Both will get you to Nara in less than an hour.

Kap, who is such a dear, ran to get us deer crackers which sold for Y150 (70 php) per bundle by the entrance. Make sure you stock up as it gets gobbled up pretty quickly. And if you want to make friends with the herd. 😉

How so very cute. <3 The deers bow for food! Before taking the cracker from your hand, a deer will bow its head. Hold the cracker overhead and the deer will bow its head one time. Next, put the cracker behind your back to get the deer to bow a second time. It is said that having the deer bow three times is ideal. To do this, hold the cracker overhead one last time, getting that third bow, and then reward the deer with a cracker. Nara deer are said to have been protected as messengers of God for more than 1,200 years. Some people say that the Fujiwara clan nobles of the Heian Period (9th century) got off the palanquin and bowed down to the deer. And the deer, evolving from generation to generation, learned to bow back expecting for food. Huh! They are so very well trained.

Deer feeding at Nara is one encounter that I strongly suggest you take when in Japan. <3 The experience is unparalleled.

As we walked through the park, we noticed that the older deers are the more well-mannered among the lot. The younger deers rarely bow before taking their treat, and some younger ones would even get a little aggressive, nipping at clothing and trying to snatch the crackers out of our hands.

Here my Babyson & Bae were even able to “train” the older deers to stand & get their crackers.

We couldn’t get over the fact how friendly & interactive these animals were, sobrang sanay sa tao. They even crossed the streets & cars gave them free rein (pun intended hehe) over the roads. ;P

Originally the kids wanted to go back to Dotonbori for lunch, but I pleaded that since we were already in Nara, might as well stay a wee bit longer & see some action before heading back.

It’s really not scary to choose where to eat because Japan is, I think, a culinary paradise. Lahat ng kainan, masarap! You can never go wrong.

Our Taiwan encounter with chewy mochi donuts made us avid fans, so we were delighted to see a Mister Donuts store just a few doors down. Perfect dessert & sweet ending for our Nara adventure. <3

Their signature donut is called “pon-de-ring”, a very chewy sugar-coated donut very similar to mochi. Mister Donut has several flavors which includes strawberry, brown sugar and plain. Depending on the season, they offer limited edition flavor. In the past they had flavors such as green tea, orange, soy sauce, mango yogurt, sesame and more. How I wish we had these soft, chewy mochi donuts back home! :'(

As you can see, we try & take naps whenever we can in between stations, hohoho. The cold weather makes it inducive to hibernate & nap all day long, kung hindi nga lang sayang ang araw, ang sarap matulog ng matulog.

I like the idea of us being a single unit, but when it comes to shopping, it’s healthier for our marriage to go in different directions teehee. Bye Honey & Babyson, see you later! :-*

And now, girl time with my 2 accomplices.

Our shopping trip soon became a food trip since the girls didn’t like anything from the high-end department store. Masyado daw pang-mashonda ang mga paninda. Panalo ka this round Kap my Kap. 😉

Dotonbori comes alive at night, all the restaurants (and streets as you can tell) in the area are FULL to capacity! @_@ Parang araw-araw presta.

Thankful to our 2 superheroes who stood patiently in line & got us food to take home. Yummy dumplings again from Osaka Ohsho, and a sushi platter from Genrokuzushi – another wildly popular sushi place in the Dotonbori area.

Nothing beats good food & great company in the privacy of our apartment. We can take our time eating & talk about our fun & very memorable day while munching on our yummy treats. Now this is the life. #blessup

PS: My greatest Osaka find! PINEBERRIES or White strawberries, ¥3k/pack (15 pcs), a crossbreed of Pineapple & Strawberries, tastes exactly as it sounds. It’s sweeter & actually yummier than the regular variant, I miss!! :'((