we took a day trip to nearby nara to check out the crazy deer population. it's illegal to kill them here - hundreds of years ago someone called them sacred so now they live alongside the citizens.

they've even gotten used to looking both ways before crossing the street

their population was almost down to zero after the war, but now their coming back strong!

they didn't mind sharing their space with us....


right: aurelia wanted to enjoy them at a distance, but i forced her to get up close and personal with some food

this little deer led the way to the big buddha hall

right: and what a buddha it was - humongous!

behind the buddha was this hole - if you sqeeze your whole body through it, you'll have good luck for your life. i don't think they considered the american ass when they made this hole...

tee hee

the ground was covered in deer poop, but deer are vegetarian so it's not like it's THAT dirty... back at the hotel, my little french friend didn't allow me on any of the furniture

aaaww deer and those orange gates... i can't get enough of those orange gates! (that's foreshadowing...)

in the middle of the forest were 2 vending machines... man the japanese really love their machines!

this one sat and posed for us for about 20 minutes.

aurelia captured an intimate moment between me and this studly buck

this deer bummed a dollar off me for a bottle of sodie pop...



top left: we fed the little baby deer some branches from the trees above them...




bottom left: ... but this deer preferred what was in my pants - who doesn't?

on our last day in kyoto we visited fushimi - the temple of the orange gates

i stopped in the restroom to use the toitey and woops - someone missed!

wheee!! look at all the fun orange gates!

gates within gates on top of gates made out of gates...

fushimi had a bamboo grove behind it so we looked around for pieces to steal

hey let's follow the gates and see where they go!

look at us! fancy free among the orange gates! why there are light orange gates and dark orange gates.... and pumpkin orange gates and other orange gates...

and hills.. with steps... that have gates... and gates... and a stone gate and then some more orange gates...

and orange gates leading to stone ... and orange gates... more orange gates... i'm getting tired... when will the orange gates end???

where are we?... where are we going?... where are these orange gates taking us?

aurelia almost passed out under the orange gates on the orange gate path leading from orange gates to more orange gates...

the orange gates have orange motorbikes... but we have no way out... the path is lined with orange gates... the path splits into two paths with orange gates... WHY ARE THERE SO MANY ORANGE GATES?! WHEN WILL THE ORANGE GATES END?! MOMMY!!! GET ME OUT OF THESE ORANGE GATES!!

aahhh the magical frog in front of the red gate... we're gunna be ok

so we hopped back on the fastest train in the world...

the sleeping businessmen like it when we take pictures of them and laugh and laaauuuggghhhh