8th Day (Friday—11 April 2025) Cycle Along the Katsura River to the Ancient Capital of Nara

 Our group shared breakfast at the guesthouse, then were guided by Leo, Toshi, and Alex through busy Kyoto streets to the Katsura River bike path. The bike path was well marked and bypassed most road crossings. I ended with nearly 35 miles for the day, our longest so far. 

Toshi explaining our next adventure.

Tea. Many tea fields (right term?) in various stages or growth or harvest. Some were covered, I presume to protect the leaves. Most farms were small many gardens.

Restroom Stop

Scott Dressed to Rob a Seven Eleven. At 6'4", riding a large-frame Bike Friday, this Hawaiian's scarf is for sun protection. Toshi is pointing our our location on the trailside map.

Tea in the center on raised land, surrounded by fields that will be flooded in May to plant rice.

Lunch

Toshi's Mandatory Ice Cream Stop. They offered a choice of soft-serve vanilla or vanilla.

Holstein cows were behind in the barn. 

Alex viewing the oldest tree in Japan. However, when I looked it up, Google lists multiple "oldest" trees.

Todai-ji Temle.

Todaiji (東大寺, Tōdaiji, "Great Eastern Temple") is one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples and a landmark of Nara. The temple was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan and grew so powerful that the capital was moved away from Nara in 784 in order to lower the temple's influence on government affairs.

Until recently, Todaiji's main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), held the record as the world's largest wooden building, despite the fact that the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two thirds of the original temple hall's size. The massive building houses one of Japan's largest bronze statues of Buddha (Daibutsu). The 15 meters tall, seated Buddha represents Vairocana and is flanked by two Bodhisattvas.

Dog of the Day. Visiting Todai-ji Temle.

One touches this guy for good luck.

Shown below

Temple visitors encounter deer from the adjacent Nara Park, begging for shika senbei, special crackers for deer that are sold for around 200 yen. Most just give the crackers to the deer, but if one bows, the deer also bows and then is given the cracker. 

Note the warning is just for male deer. I wonder how many visitors check the sex of the deer.

We found a small craft brewery a few block from our guesthouse, perfect stop after the train ride back to Kyoto. We thought the No Drunk Cycling was just humorous, but the server was worried when after serving us, she spotted our bikes. Seems drunk cycling has been an issue and the businesses serving cyclists can be fined.

Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant. We ordered and shared. A few of the items are shown.