jinian | Nara pics 1 (lunch and deer)

We met at 8:15 to leave in tour buses at 8:30, and actually left at about 8:45. We stopped once for restrooms and refreshment at the place of the Totoro bread, and once for lunch at 10:45. Too early, but the food was so good that we all had an appetite.

[Delicious and pretty!]

Front row, left to right: white rice, sweet-soy-sauce pickle of unidentifiable vegetable, sweet gelatin with malt sugar sprinkle (actually translucent, that sea-green color is all the plate), bowl for hot pot contents.

Middle row: tofu that tore almost like mozzarella with a delicious fresh flavor, salty-vinegary veggies and fried tofu strips, tuna and squid sashimi, udon to put into hot pot.

Back row: hot pot!

[And such fun]

Salmon and shrimp and lots of vegetables in there. You added the udon yourself and then put the cover back on so everything could cook. The foamy blue fuel ran out after about fifteen minutes, but everything stayed hot and tasty.

We parked in Nara about 12:30, and found out we had to be back at the bus by 3:30. Not enough time! Luckily they let us off at the main deer area.

[Spotty deer!]