I arrived in Nara and strangely expected it to be different from the rest of Japan. For some reason, the image of a city stuck in a time warp, with orange torii and serene wooden temples, cherry blossoms fluttering about, was what filled my head. A tea ceremony around every corner, humble thoughts in the hearts of all.
Jumping Jesus on a pogo stick, was I mistaken.
.... Boring gray concrete every where, harsh neon followed me like an irritated three-legged chihuahua. And just in case you didn't know why you had come to Nara, there were tchotchke shops every five feet....
That why I will never go to Kyoto/Nara. In 21 years here I have never left the expressway or train station: I keep the "dream" pure rather than subsume to reality.
