Nara, Japan

Walking among the cherry trees, along lantern-lined paths, we explored the temples and shrines in this ancient capital. The graceful lines of gray tile pagoda roofs against the cotton-candy-pink of the cherry blossoms stopped us in our tracks more than once. These stunning buildings are no longer for practicing Buddhist; crowded with tourists they lack the meditative atmosphere required by the devout. Still, the vast complex in Nara Park allowed us some insight on Buddhism and Japanese history.

Then there are the deer that roam the park. Standing waist high to an adult, these white spotted, white-tailed deer have lost all fear of humans. Not a trace of that former instinct remains. To them, humans are vending machines. Once considered messengers of the divine, they are now "national treasures" who greet visitors to the park; two in our party had different opinions about the deer.

"The deer ignore you if you don't have food and they really love you if you do." Skylar

"The deer in Nara are scary and I don't like them. One of the deer bit my butt because I wasn't opening the deer biscuits fast enough." Maya

We appreciated the warnings we received from friends about the deers' insistent nature and managed to navigate the park all day without incident until we bought the deer biscuits. Then we raced for the nearest bench to dispense treats to an adoring, antlered crowd.

For photos of Nara and the deer feeding frenzy, click here.