According to an old Japanese legend, the first deer arrived to Nara to protect the ancient capital, and ever since they've been considered as holy creatures, that is, until this very day. That's right, Nara used to be the capital of Japan in the olden days and was considered as the "southern capital" for a good while after. Today, it's one of the must-see destinations in Kansai region with an impressive amount of temples, shrines, ruins and surely the fabled deer. I know I've said it like a million times before, but the deer were not the only creatures roaming around the grounds of Nara Park: "Excuse me. May I ask you a question?". And there they were - a zillion school kids going around asking people questions for their "English adventure in Nara" (I believe that was the literal trip name). But hey, they were totally adorable trying to initiate a conversation in English in spite of being overly shy and giggly. The downside here being that the entries to some of the main temples were so jammed that we settled for a quick look on the outside rather than paying and waiting to be in the middle of that hassle. And in all honesty, it was probably a smart move. After traveling the Southeast Asia for months, we were sort of slowly getting to a point where seeing yet another temple or shrine just made us shiver. Well, at least the ones we had to pay for ;). 

The Golden Pavilion Temple (aka Kinkaku-ji or Rokuon-ji) was our last stop around Kyoto's outskirts after touring the Arashiyama district. Again, the milieu was drop-dead gorgeous against a forest and a mountainside, not to mention the beautiful gardens and the temple itself. In my previous post I was saying how I find the connection between the architectural- and the natural elements in some temple areas we visited fascinating, well, I did some research and found out that it was indeed a result of a well-planned combination: The classical age of Japanese gardening - a period that used to highlight the importance between the temple and its surroundings. Makes perfect sense.

What we loved most about Kyoto is that it was so easy to get around to and especially that it has so many fantastic places to visit nearby. Just like this one - Fushimi Inari Shrine. The single most impressive shrine complex we visited during the entire Asia trip! What makes it so amazing is the whole thing really from the forestry mountainside it's built on, to the endless torii path (gates) across it and the mystical memorials along the way. The entire way up (which is about 1h 30 walk) you follow a tori path and you're in the middle of nature at the same time...it's hard to put it in words, but it's something pretty spectacular. One of our favourite moments was somewhere near the top, when we came across this little fox altar with lots of candles and mini toriis. Aside from the echoing croak of nearby ravens, it was so quiet and the place looked a lot like some sort of sanctuary...it was kind of spooky, yet so intriguing. 

Bangkok certainly is one of those hot and hip topics that's on many traveller's lips. You cannot have been to Southeast Asia without passing through Bangkok- for most, it's the place to start and finish their trip. It's not only considered as the hub where people connect in and out of Asia, but it's also often the destination itself. And why wouldn't it be- this city is a grand combination of old and new! One moment you can catch couple of monks walking down the street in their orange gowns and the next you can dive into a super mall where you can shop till you drop. It really is a fascinating mix of ancient culture and the modern high-tech society, all in a one, widely spread out city. 

One of the things why Bangkok is so interesting is that it has so many different faces to it. It's divided in multiple districts that all represent their own unique style and population. First three nights we stayed around the old town district in a place called Lamphu Tree House*, which is a little hidden gem on a tiny alley next to a canal. It was just minutes away from the famous backpacker mecca Khao San Road, which actually is a cool place in the nighttime for tourists: Plenty of souvenir stalls, restaurants, street food, bars and so on. On a side note, what you can't much see here is local people (expect for the ones who work there)! Regardless, it's a fun place to hang out and grab a beer or two. And while you're at it, why not to taste some of that delicious Pad Thai they sell on the street food stalls- wallet-friendly (1$) and tasty!

Every country always brings certain images in mind. In my imagination the symbol of Vietnam has always been the traditional hat, also known as the conical hat, but I also used to think that it's a bit of the same as the French beret- nobody actually wears them. But boy was I wrong! Everyone wears them in Vietnam. And by everyone I mean the majority of older people. And that's enough for me to reinforce my symbol of this country :). 

From Siem Reap we had the first bus ride ahead of us and we boarded on the Mekong Express. 7 hours passed by relatively quickly and we arrived to the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh in the evening, on time still to catch a dinner on its bubbly riverside boulevard. 

Kids in Laos are so happy and genuine. Everywhere you go and whatever you are doing, there are always kids waving at you and yelling a loud "saibadeee" (hello in laotian) with big grins on their faces.  It makes you think how the people who have the least of things are the happiest of what they do have...an important lesson for all, I think.  

Nest stop in our agenda after Nong Khiaw was Luang Prabang - often advertised as the jewel of the Mekong. Luang Prabang is probably one of the nicest city in South East Asia and not without a reason; Buddhist temples and monasteries, low traffic, gorgeous colonial buildings and great scenery along the Mekong river and the Nam Ou river. Not to mention the little coffee places and restaurants where one can find the exact same atmosphere as in Paris ;). 

Also, one of the most known things about this town is the Buddhist ritual of collecting alms, where every morning a number of monks gather to the street to collect food that people offer them. It's certainly a thing to see and experience, but keeping in mind that it's not a show for tourists but a real religious event...

Hello Laos! Crossing the boarder from Thailand to Laos was quite straightforward without any hassle or scams. We arrived to Huay Xay, a place on the other side of the Mekong, and stayed there for the next two nights.