I cannot stress enough the importance of a good night’s sleep. I was so comfortable last night I missed my alarm, but not by much. Ohashi-san took me to his restaurant and I ate the best breakfast so far. With that in my belly I went wandering around Nara and found a lot more than last time I was here. I took a look at the giant bell, where a middle-aged Japanese man took the chance to excercise his English and tell me about it. I didn’t go in any of the many temples and shrines, saving them for when Tania and I return here after I’m finished walking.

    
One more meal at his restaurant and then I sadly had to leave Ohashi-san and Nara and head south. If you ever visit Nara I highly recommend the restaurant “Kotaro”. It’s on the road on the northern side of the women’s university and you’ll get the best food and service ever. I left with a bag of snickers, chocolate and delicious caramel from my gracious host.

So south? Yes. Last night we’d worked out a route that avoided the hills northeast of Nara. The old route 25 winds its way around the new one still visiting the villages that get by-passed by the traffic now. At around 4:30pm a small rain shower came through I figured I’d walked far enough. I’m sitting on the steps of a small local temple hoping that either someone turns up and opens the small building to the side that looks like the shelter on the henro trail, or no-one turns up and I can sleep right here on the deck.

Word of the day: ka-e-ru = frog

Distance today: 18km