‘OH, deer,” I muttered to myself as I sensed how these lovely creatures seem to almost outnumber us two-legged humans, who are all trying to corner them into taking selfies in the park that day. An estimated 1,200 sika deer romp the grounds of Nara Park every day in paramount freedom enjoying an almost rock-star status, brought about by their historical designation as messenger of the Gods for many centuries. According to a story handed down from more than a thousand years ago, Takemikazuchi, a Shinto God from Kasuga Shrine, descended from his world and appeared at Mount Mikasa riding a white deer. In the aftermath of World War II, the deer’s ‘divine’ distinction was replaced by a ‘national treasure’ designation, to ensure their protection while at the same time, tapering down their religious significance.

Holding a pack of ‘deer crackers’ seem to signal an invitation for them to approach me. Typifying the polite nature of this country, the deer appear to imitate the bowing-like gesture widely practiced by the Japanese people. Mere seconds into opening the pack, a trio of deer had already bent their heads beside my hips before raising it to expose their wide open mouths – in a final plea for me to feed them the crackers.

The Culturally and Historically-Rich Grounds of Nara

As the lawn covered gardens of Nara Park lead us to narrow pathways surrounded by bamboo and pine trees, we tramped and come across a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites clustered together inside this historic grounds. A total of eight landmarks encompasses the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara – most are within walking distance of each other.

As the morning dew mist over the grass, I smell the fresh leaves from the high rising trees. Rambling gingerly under the canopy of swaying greens, I realized how the current season is a month away from the onset of the autumn. I looked around at the teeming garden around me and wondered at the changes of the colors the impending fall season will bring. Walking further, we passed by a group of park buskers performing a catchy Japanese song that has a few onlookers banging their heads sideways and swinging their hips.

I stood and listened long enough to feel my head pounding up and down in slow unison to the song’s melody. Situated at the foot of Mount Wakakusa and established in the early 1300s, Nara Park is one of the oldest parks in Japan. Designated as one of the “Places of Scenic Beauty” by the country’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, a day’s meander over a large part of its 660 hectare property, provides you a combination of visual and historical incursion deep into the rich and fascinating culture of Japan.

Kōfuku-ji

Built in the 7th Century, this Buddhist Temple features a ‘five-storied pagoda’ that quickly attract your eyes upon approaching it. We arrived here by foot under gloomy skies and few patches of rain drops. The mood couldn’t be more muted but as I stare at this small marvel of Buddhist Architecture, I can’t help but notice the striking patterns and lines – while almost similar to other of its own kind, I feel a certain sacred vibe emitting from the all corners of its wall. Kimono-clad women passes by me and as a local family took a group portrait in front of the towering Pagoda, I noticed a hint of pride at the faces of the elders, suggesting a sense of opulence as they enjoy their own preserved culture persisting in this park.

Kasuga-taisha

At the doorsteps of this Shinto Shrine I briefly chatted with an English speaking Japanese man traveling with his family. I accidentally stepped on his foot and when I apologized, he asked me where I’m from. “I am living in the states but I do come home with my family as much as we can” he told me. “You enjoying your trip here so far?” he asked me. I said “Very much”.

“We have fascinating culture, even myself who is pure Japanese I am still amazed. What more for you from the Philippines?” I nodded in agreement and before I could expound at my own marveling at their rich culture, he excused himself to buy tickets to enter the shrine.

Built in 768 by the powerful regent Fujiwara family, it is highlighted by the many bronze lanterns that surrounds the path leading to the main shrine. While I sat at the one of the corridors and let myself get lost in my thoughts, a lone deer approached me as if trying to relay a message. Being a mile away from being superstitious, I found myself wanting to believe how the deer sensed that something was bothering my mind that moment.

After it sniffed my hands, I figured the female deer was just on a lookout for more crackers. I remember being clouded with uncertainties that morning, but as we walked towards another UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Kasugayama Primeval Forest, a burst of Zen-shot through my mind and in an instant, I just let the environment carry my consciousness and off it went with the flow of our surroundings. It seems like, the beautiful mesh-up of modernity and the olden past that still flourishes in Nara Park worked wonders into clearing my mind that day.

Tōdai-ji

Once a part of the Seven Great Temples of Nara, this Buddhist Temple appear to be the biggest in Nara Park. Housed inside is the world’s biggest bronze statue of the Buddha, the Daibutsu or otherwise known as Vairocana. The vast grounds fronting the main temple are dotted with smaller shrines, belfries, towering gates and a lush garden that surrounds a snaking lake where glass-like waters remains tranquil still.

Inside the temple, I noticed a thick wooden post that has a hole near the bottom. I saw a line of visitors trying to crawl up through the tiny passageway that could barely fit a medium built body. I overheard an English speaking guide telling her guests that “anyone who passes through it shall be enlightened up until their succeeding life”. I thought about lining up and entering the hole myself but decided against it at the last minute.

Immersing at the Overwhelming History and Culture of Nara Park I always associate my traveling to freeing my mind of a bordered mentality. Discovering and learning new philosophies, while on the road has become a life-long journey for myself. A big part of it stems from educating myself of the worlds’ many culture, religion and history. Just by stringing my way from end to end of Nara Park’s significant grounds, I felt like I have covered a lot of grounds into attaining a decent amount of new knowledge.

As our legs starts to show signs of weariness, we persevered with more long walks at casual pace – while ogling at the passing sights and festivity occurring at the park. A couple of train rides afforded us to cover additional places included in the historic monuments list of Nara. Other than ticking off these places, the experience left me with more than a visual banquet.

Seeing with my own set of eyes, these old and sacred structures that stood almost similar to the originals that sprung up many centuries ago, elevates my continuing cultural discovery of the country of Japan into greater heights.

Nara is an hour away from Osaka by train. Travelers can avail of a single ticket day pass for trains and buses to explore Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara for a day or two.

Cebu Pacific, the largest airline in the Philippines, flies between Manila and Osaka five times weekly, with lowest year-round fares starting from PHP 6,399. Cebu Pacific also flies from Manila to Tokyo (Narita), Nagoya and Fukuoka, as well as from Cebu to Tokyo (Narita). Book its trademark lowest fares now through http://bit.ly/CEBOsakaflights or follow its Facebook or Twitter pages for the latest seat sales.

As the old saying goes; there’s always a first time. On this trip, it’s my turn to fly on a business class. When I started traveling, I told myself I will be fine even If I stand inside a plane, as long as I get to travel. Flying on a business class wasn’t in any realm of possibilities as I know I could not afford it. Good karma indeed comes knocking when I get invited to a media trip to Thailand. A bonus: we get to fly on a business class of Thai Airways. So yeah, I did took advantage of the unlimited wine.

It was almost to the year when I capped my first trip to Japan by spending days walking aimlessly around Tokyo—getting lost while discovering the character of its gigantic city spread over towering skyscrapers and spacious sidewalks filled with hastening crowd. A total of 12 days constituted my first foray into the Land of the Rising Sun, and yet, I still desire for more. Only India had me yearning for a return trip to the same country too soon—and in Japan I felt that same attraction quite hard to resist.

Present day and I found myself again being on the receiving end of the courteous greetings of “ohayou gozaimasu” from, probably, the most polite people on Earth. Whatever I learned from my first trip to Japan barely scratched the surface of the wondrous personality and culture of this country.

Aside from looking forward to downing more bowls of ramen—my curiosity grew threefold and is directed at the number of heritage sites situated in the cities of Osaka, Nara and Kyoto. Several hours of Shinkansen train ride away from Nagoya and Tokyo; two cities I had the chance to familiarize myself last year; these triumvirate of cities appear like a cultural triangle waiting for my curious and wandering soul to explore.

Counting Orange Torii Gates at Fushimi Inari-taisha

Depending on the pace of your strides, a few minutes of walking could lead you underneath dozens, or even hundreds, of Orange torii gates already. These mother of all shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto God of Rice, Foxes and Sake, spreads to an uphill trail leading to a mountain where pockets of shrines and temples situates.

Caught between trying to weed out the crowd from the frame of my camera, and staring in awe at the women adorned in kimono dresses, my interest was drawn to the messages scribbled in Japanese characters on each of the Torii gates. Setting aside my camera, I walked in a slower pace and just marveled at the lingering air brought upon by the presence of these vibrant Orange torii gates, which appears to stretch endlessly.

Circling my back into the main temple, the Honden near the entrance, where I earlier performed the ritual of washing my hands and rinsing my mouth with the water from the purification fountain, I looked back at the centuries of history glowing beside me. The countless Orange torii gates, which gleams under the small speck of sunlight seeping through the cloudy skies, echoes an understanding to myself; that Japan’s history and its fascinating religious practices are all abundant and waiting for me to unearth.

Entering a parallel world into Ancient Kyoto

Sixteen of the 17 places listed under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site categorization of “Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto” are all found within Kyoto and, for my wandering cultural junky self, this fact screams of visual and learning orgasm.

Disregarding the heavy downpour and the threat of typhoon coming within hours, we trudged along the snaking bamboo forest path that leads to the Buddhist temple of Tenryū-ji and the same grounds that once served as the playground of ancient Japan’s noble class. Separating myself from my two friends, I wound up in a spot where the towering branches of bamboos stood, and thick enough to almost shelter me from the rain. In that instant, I felt entering a chasm taking me back to ancient Kyoto.

A glimpse of the centuries-old Kyoto would continue with our bus-hopping incursion into the other Zen-like places of importance within the city. Most of the time, we’d find ourselves walking through the foot of high-rise buildings into a busy stretch of sidewalk lined up with a fusion of modern and old establishments, and into the interior of a vast walled complex that hides lavish gardens and centuries-old temples and shrines.

Immediately after stepping inside, you feel transported back in time. As I amass a list of Kyoto’s other historic monuments under my belt, namely, the Jishō-ji (Temple of the Silver Pavilion), Nijo Castle, Rokuon-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion), Kiyomizu-dera (Pure Water Temple), Kyoto Imperial Palace, my cultural experience in Kyoto left me with longer list of sites to be explored. I felt the days we spent are still lacking to fully engross myself to the rich culture, history and traditions that prevails in the city. Once again, I find myself barely grazing on the cultural wealth this part of Japan has to offer.

And a Japanese song plays in the background

During our last night, while I was having dinner with my friend Gael in a small joint fit enough for a dozen diners and a small acoustic setup, a Japanese singer belted a string of haunting melodies. After our meal, I excused myself for a walk around the city that night. As I took medium hops over the pavement, I can still hear the Japanese ballad playing in my ears while the Kyoto city lights flicker with lively signage. As I continue my stroll with the cool air breezes through me, chased by endless thumping of footsteps, I once again feel the atmosphere that pulls me and leaves me emitting strong emotions. A thought came into my mind.

“I’m open to spending a long time here,” I muttered to myself. Teeming with culture, history, food and modernity that are all present in a fast-paced life surrounded by a Zen environment, the contrasts are presented in a myriad of beautiful ways.

I passed by a row of cabs parked on the sidewalk. I peeked inside and saw those seated behind the wheels are men of old age with gray hairs. A couple of them nodded with smiles as their gazed met mine. A life lived well in the Land of the Rising Sun, and even in their advancing age, their own society still finds good use of their skills—much like everything else is put to better use in this country. Much like what the tradition and culture that dates back many centuries ago are continued and preserved up to this day.

Travel Tip: Kyoto is an hour away from Osaka by train. Travelers can avail themselves of a single-ticket day pass for trains and buses to explore all of Kyoto’s Ancient Heritage Sites for a day or two.

Cebu Pacific, the largest airline in the Philippines, flies between Manila and Osaka five times weekly, with lowest year-round fares starting from PHP6,399. Cebu Pacific also flies from Manila to Tokyo (Narita), Nagoya and Fukuoka, as well as from Cebu to Tokyo (Narita). Book its trademark lowest fares now through Cebu Pacific's website or (+632)7020888, or follow its Facebook or Twitter pages for the latest seat sales.

“A rose-red city half as old as time,” poet John William Burgon has said of it in his 1845 Newdigate Prize winning poem Petra. Concealed from the rest of the world for many centuries before it was rediscovered by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812, the ancient city of Petra stands out for its rock-cut architecture where old settlements, royal tombs, temples, and palaces were directly hewn out of massive rock walls.

Established by the Arab Nabataeans as their capital city as early as 312 BC, Petra showcases the construction and engineering skills of the Nabateans as evidenced by their ancient water irrigation designs modern engineers studied with admiration and emulated by present-day urban planners. Situated at the slopes of the biblical Mount Hor and surrounded by the mountains of Wadi Aqaba, Petra gives the impression of a city that completely grew out of the rocky mountains.

We started our brisk walk from the wide walkway enveloped by small hills dotted with royal tombs and ancient settlements. The further we went the narrower the path leading to the Treasury becomes. I savored each step, stopping to appreciate the glistening colorful walls. Not long after, we reached the part where the canyon becomes slender and the famous Siq would start. The Siq is a mile-long narrow gorge that features stunning rock-wall formations gleaming of dramatic rose-red and glittering golden hues when kissed by the seeping sunlight.

The dreamlike sensation of walking along the Siq presents the appropriate antecedent before one rests their eyes on Petra’s most elaborate ruin, the Al Khazneh or “the Treasury.”

Magically cleaved directly into a sandstone cliff, the well-preserved condition of the Treasury serves a visual banquet that lingers in your sight and summons you to just stare longer. I stood there in sheer awe, mesmerized by the façade, when a local Bedouin tapped me on my shoulder asking if I wanted to ride his camel for a photograph.

The Treasury is anything but related to the ancient Nabataeans’ finances. The Al Khazneh was originally constructed as a tomb during King Aretas IV Philopatris’ reign in 1st Century AD. The term “Treasury” originated from a legend when Bedouins fired multiple rounds of ammunition at the urn placed on top of the Al Khazneh, hoping to break and spill out the gold coins they believed was hidden inside the urn. They later found out to be made of solid sandstone and stores no secreted treasure.

The history of Petra runs far back and in wild fashion. It witnessed numerous passing of kingdoms and sustained the reigns of many kings under the Nabataeans to the Romans until its decline during the Byzantine era.

As centuries of bygone history still stood before us, I stared at the surrounding cave walls and the amphitheater impressively sculpted into a solid hillside sandstone wall. I made an attempt to imagine what it was like during the glorious years of Petra. I closed my eyes to briefly summon a vision of a lively city, where wives are peeking out of their homes calling their husband workers to take a break from axing and grinding the thick sandstone walls carving new tombs and temples. I was dwelling deeper into my imagination when a young Bedouin boy tugged at my hand. “Two dollars for postcards,” he tells me, while showing a bundle of 10 postcards. I said, “Sure, but let’s take a selfie first.” He held my hand and dragged me to a spot where the sun shone.

After taking a self-portrait together, I handed a two-dollar bill to the young Bedouin when he asked me “one dollar more for my school,” grinning. I handed another dollar to him before he happily walked away. What is one dollar more anyway, in a place where the ancient Nabataeans gave more than they could, their artistry, craftsmanship, courage, and a lot more, to build a city that remains long after their kingdoms have gone forever.

As we conclude our jaunt to Petra and started our walk back, I stopped along the Siq and touched the face of the outer wall and wondered what if the walls could talk. Then I started my walk again, through the history concealed and engraved at every corner of the Lost City of Petra.

The landscape of Wadi Rum almost empties your soul of worldly worries. Looking at the immense rolling hills entwined with chiseled canyons and sand dunes blemished by camel footprints, one is reminded of the words of British archaeologist, military officer, and diplomat Thomas Edward Lawrence more famously known as Lawrence of Arabia, when he described Wadi Rum as “vast, echoing, and God-like.”

I find it a fitting side trip to our spiritual tour of the Holy Land. How else could I describe the colossal grandness of it all? Even in its barren environment almost devoid of plants and trees, the way Mother Nature sculpted a dramatic expanse of landscape that stretched as far as the eyes could see—it honors the fact that only God could fashion such magnificent creation.

Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, Wadi Rum is referred by many as the “quintessential desert” because of its extreme weather conditions, scorching during summer and violently cold every winter, the unforgiving elements and the peaceful exquisiteness of Wadi Rum makes it a testing but gratifying home to the Bedouins.

The Bedouins are descendants of these nomadic Arabs who inhabited the Syrian and Arabian deserts for many centuries. The name “Bedouins” originated from the Arabic term for “dessert dwellers.” Divided into various tribes, they thrive in the most challenging conditions of the deserts of the Middle East to North Africa and are known to live a low-key lifestyle herding goats and camels while owning a few set of possessions. Our guide Mohanned told us while still on the bus “These Bedouins have very few belongings, aside from few set of clothes, you can only see them with a tent, a 4x4 truck and a generator set – that’s it, all they ever need to exist in these sterile land”

During a tea session with a small group of Bedouins I learned from one of them about a Filipino who settled in Wadi Rum. “He lives here and married here, but too bad he went somewhere, you should have met him,” one of the Bedouins told us.

After our brief interaction with some of the Bedouins we clambered over a small rocky hill to wait for the sunset. Mohannad gave us slices of watermelons swearing at its sweetness while we sat idly, with myself getting lost to my own thoughts again. As the sky slowly faded into crisp golden hues, a strong wind started blowing. I looked down below me and I saw the sands forming a mini tornado as it circled past to cover the lined footprints of camels. The otherworldly scenery reminded me of the movie The Martian, which was filmed against the very same backdrop I am staring in awe at.

For the first time I was able to mingle with everyone from the group. All 17 of us, being the only non-travel operator I instantly felt as one of them. Over a lighted bonfire, I listened attentively as they enthusiastically shared interesting and inspiration tidbits about the travel industry. On our second night, I felt a tint of joy knowing that apart from in the midst of creating a wonderful memory of Wadi Rum, a budding camaraderie among all of us has been brewing as well.

Exhausted from the long trip to Wadi Rum but with spirits filled to the brim with delight, we feasted at our luxurious Sun City Camp over a traditional Jordanian meal of Zarbs—a Bedouin barbecue of chicken and lamb marinated with various herbs and spices pre-heated in an underground oven for three to four hours. That night, as I walked toward our luxurious tent I caught a sight of the blanket of stars above me. Overwhelmingly countless and beautiful, I have never seen such sheer number appear so clearly in the nighttime skies before.

Day 2 of our 12-day Holy Land trip couldn’t have ended more wonderfully – ticking off Wadi Rum from my personal ‘bucket list’ was just one of the many highlights forming and a truly is, welcome gift handed to me by sheer good karma. I can’t acknowledge the travel Gods enough.

When I was a kid, I’ve gotten used to completing mosaic puzzles my parents love to buy for me. I guess, that’s where I started visualizing places as most of the pictures I solved where of mountains, oceans, cityscape and even world maps. This is the reason why upon learning that our first stop would be in a church featuring an ancient mosaic map of Jerusalem and its surrounding biblical places, my enthusiasm was further buoyed. 

According to its description, the Mosaic Map of Madaba dates back to the 6th century. It charts a total of 157 Biblical sites in the Holy Land including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. After it was completed, the mosaic is believed to have comprised of over 2 million tile pieces and was embedded to the floor of a Byzantine Church.

However, the years of Madaba being a highly populated city came to an abrupt halt following a devastating earthquake in 746. Soon, the citizens abandoned the city and much of the Byzantine-era structures was buried under a pile of rubble and Earth.

The mosaic map was unearthed in 1884—still attached to the original floor—after a Greek Orthodox Church was constructed on top of a ruins of a pre-6^th century Byzantine Church.  Illustrated from a bird’s eye view, the Madaba Map clearly charts ancient Jerusalem even mapping out the main streets and churches in the city. 

The mosaic map guided archaeologists in digging and discovering more ancient ruins particularly the remains of the Cardo Maximus and the New Church of Theotokos—also referred to as The Nea—, a church built in Jerusalem by Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in 1543 and was later destroyed by the invading Persians in 614.

Today, what's left of the Madaba Mosaic Map can be seen on the apse—a crescent recess roofed by a hemispherical arch—of the modern-day Church of Saint George. Other than the aforementioned Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Nea Church, other notable places that can still be viewed on the map are: the place of John the Baptist's Baptism, the old city of Jerusalem, Zion Gate, the Tower of David, Damascus Gate, the Golden Gate and the Cardo Maximus.

Since we alighted from our bus at a parking lot located almost 700 meters from the church of Saint George, we were gifted with an opportunity to explore a small part of Madaba. Doing so, we passed by streets filled with shops selling mosaic artworks, coffee and tea shops and through a small market place before reaching the Church. Madaba, as I learned later, is composed mainly of Christians who comprises a third of its population.  If you are doubting whether religious tolerance is present in Jordan, then Madaba will assure you that it does.

If only I am not part of a tour group—on a travel writing assignment—and have the freedom to exercise any whims of spontaneity, then I would have preferred spending a few days in Madaba, as I learned after my trip, the city keeps several more fascinating archaeological sites and ancient structures.

I guess, the more reasons to dream of another trip to Jordan someday.