‘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.

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.

Savoring my first breath of air in the very birthplace of Jesus Christ, I instantly noticed the sudden shift of scenery as I stared out the window of our chartered bus. What arrested my attention was the fusion of colors representing the fertile lands dotting the countryside of Israel. The new topography that replaced the red desert dunes that dominated the landscape of Jordan provided a new visual spark for me to scrutinize. While I would miss the staggering golden tints characterizing the spectacular backdrops of Wadi Rum to Petra and to Amman, these fresh set of scenery added to the high I was feeling that moment. Coupled with a realization about how this trip is turning into notches more epic, I glazed at the backdrop with intent focus. Within moments away of tracking the path of Jesus Christ, an emotional air got through me – and knowing how extraordinary it is for anyone regardless of faith, to step into the very heart of the Holy Land – I felt all the good karma overwhelming me.

Our first stop was in Nazareth where we visited the Church of the Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel proclaimed to Mary, that she will conceive and give birth to a son she would name as “Yehoshua.” On the verge of bursting in tears, realizing how sacred the ground was on which I stood, I stared intently at the modern day Franciscan-built Basilica of the Annunciation intersecting below the ruins of the Byzantine-era and Crusader-era churches. I hear our guide Johnny pointing to the towering cupola of the Church of Annunciation and explaining how it was built on top of the original house of the Virgin Mary.

Afterward, we proceeded to Mount Tabor. Surrounded by sweeping views of Israel’s countryside and adorned with lush gardens, the peak of Tabor is known as the traditional site of the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ. Inside, we listened to Johnny as he read a few Bible verses that afforded us a moment of reflection. As someone who last read the Bible many years ago, the passages knifed through me, penetrating my soul.

We capped our long day by checking in at our hotel fronting Lake Tiberias or the Sea of Galilee. Dripping with joy and thirsty for strengthening my faith, I sat at the veranda of my room and further immersed myself in this fantastic voyage. Intently gazing ahead, I saw the deep blue waters glowing from the sparkling rays of the late-afternoon sun. A tinge of electricity crawled up my spine as I realized that this was the same body of water where the young Jesus Christ conducted a lot of his ministries.

After a fitting spiritual humdinger of a day 1 in Israel, Day 2 couldn’t be any more rewarding. We started the day by making our way to the Church of the Wedding Feast in Cana, where we also tasted a variety of local wine flavors before proceeding to Mount of Beatitudes where Jesus Christ preached the Sermon on the Mount. In a stroke of luck, a small group of Indonesian pilgrims were also traveling with a priest, so they invited us to join their mass. Even though the mass was officiated in Indonesian Bahasa, the spiritual connection among the attendees wasn’t lost in translation. "Peace be with you" was never uttered so sincerely before as we shook hands with our fellow pilgrims from Indonesia.

At Tabgha, during our visit to the Church of the Multiplication of Loaves and Fish, we met the two Filipina nuns belonging to the Benedictine Order: Sisters Kristeta Visperas and Aurea Monungolh as well as a cardinal from Zimbabwe who came with a busload of pilgrims from his country. Afterward, we continued to the Church of the Primacy of Peter, the place where Jesus asked Peter three times, “Peter, do you love me?” We capped the morning with a visit to the ancient city of Capernaum, where the ruins of the House of Peter and the Synagogue of Jesus still remain.

After feasting over St. Peter’s Fish we bonded over traditional Israeli dances and tunes aboard a Galilean boat as we enjoyed a sunny cruise over the Sea of Galilee. We ended the day renewing our baptismal vows at the Jordan River.

We finally hit the road to Jerusalem on our third day stopping first at Mount Carmel where we visited Carmel Church and the Cave of Elijah, where prophet Elijah prayed for rain summoning God to halt three and half years of famine and drought. Along the way we caught sight of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Hanging Gardens of Bahai and were impressed by the sweeping marvellous view of the city of Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea. After lunch, we made a side trip to Caesarea, an ancient city founded by Herod the Great in 25 BCE, where the ruins of a Roman theater, hippodrome, and water aqueduct still stand. By late afternoon, we experienced the first glow of the sunset reigning over the city of Jerusalem.

A day of many highlights comprised our fourth day in Israel. Touching the very spot where Mary delivered baby Jesus at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem proved to be the crowning moment for me that day. Notwithstanding entering Palestinian territory, I also experienced with my own eyes how the news could appear so differently from reality. “Even my 60 plus year old mother would feel safe taking this holy land trip” I thought to myself.

The rest of the day took us to Shepherds Field where Johnny led us to sing a few Christmas carols. Afterward, we ascended to Mount Olives and visited the traditional site where Jesus taught the Christ’s Prayer to his disciples, known as the Church of Pater Noster. Also on Mount Olives is the Dominus Flevit Church, the place where Jesus wept over Jerusalem. We end the day by walking down toward the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus drowned in sorrowful prayer prior to his betrayal of Judas and his arrest.

On the sixth day we finally started our "Via Dolorosa" or the "Way of the Cross" inside the Old City of Jerusalem. Even in silence, with almost nary of a word shared between us, as we concentrated on our prayers, I could feel the somberness and the overflowing spirituality lingering over us as we made our way through the snaking path from the gates of Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, covering all 14 stations of the Cross culminating at Christendom’s most sacred place; the location of Jesus Christ’s burial and resurrection.

On the more carefree days of my youth, reading this passage would not have made me feel anything extraordinary. But on that day, during those few minutes inside Jesus’ empty tomb, I felt every muscle in my body reacting to the sanctity of the place. Separated from my group during the queuing, I found myself entering the chamber with three other Western tourists. As they got lost in quiet contemplation and deep prayers, I hear myself choking up a bit and, for the first time, I finally relented and just let the tears flow freely down my cheeks.

Day 6: The Wailing Wall

Riding on a spiritual high brought by tracing the Way of the Cross, we spent our last day in Israel visiting the Wailing Wall, considered the holiest place of prayer of the Jews. The first seven layers made from meleke limestones, dates back to the reign of Herod the Great, making it the same set of stones Jesus laid eyes on during his time. Known today as a place of prayer, it was termed 'Wailing Wall' because of the practice of Jews to gather near this part of Old Jerusalem's wall to weep over the destructions of their temples, during the Byzantine Empire.

Putting a perfect bookend to the Israel chapter of our Holy Land trip was a jaunt to the oldest and lowest city in the world—Jericho City. In the Dead Sea, we floated all our worldly worries away as the buoyant waters of the Dead Sea carried us on our back.

This is a segment of our 12-day Holy Land Business famtour organized by Tala Travel in Israel and NITAS (Network of Independent Travel & Allied Services Philippines). For inquiries on how to avail of the “Holy Land Tour” in Egypt, Jordan, and Israel, email the NITAS consortium at afroasianworldevents@gmail.com and nitassecretariat@gmail.com