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CITIESDAY47OCTOBER31STNARACITY,NARASODAIBUTSU-DENISDEFINITELYTHEBIGGESTJEWELINNARA’SCROWN,BUTIT’SONLYONEOFEIGHTCONTRIBUTINGBUILDINGSTHATENSUREDTHECITY’SENTRYONUNESCO’SWORLDHERITAGELIST.HOPEFULLYINTHENOTTOODISTANTFUTURE,KATYANDIWILLFINDOURSELVESLIVINGINEDINBURGH.THERE’SLOTSTOLIKEABOUTSCOTLAND’SCAPITAL,BUT,FORUS,THEBIGDRAWISTHEHUGEAMOUNTOFFREEENTERTAINMENTTHATCOMESFROMTHEAGEDBUILDINGS.WITHOUTEVENBOTHERINGTOLOOKUPTHESCREEDSOFINFORMATIONONYOURSURROUNDINGS,SIMPLYWALKINGALONGTHEMILLENNIA-OLDSTREETS ISAGODDAMNPLEASURE.SOITISINNARAWITHANALMOSTOVERWHELMINGAMOUNTOFTEMPLESANDSHRINESANDORNATEROOFSANDSOONANDSOFORTH.IT’SABRILLIANTARRAY,ESPECIALLYWHENTHESUNISSHINING–ANDIT’SNOWONDERIT’SABOXOFFICESMASHWITHSWARMSOFTOURISTSWHOARRIVEEVERYDAY.BUSLOADSOFRAUCOUSSCHOOLKIDSANDTIPSYPENSIONERSCROWDTHEANCIENTSTREETS,BUTTAKETHEMOUTOFIT,ANDNARAPARKWOULDSTILLBEBUSY,BUTNOTWITHHUMANS.TRADITIONALISTSBELIEVETHATTHEPROTECTED SIKADEERWHICHINFESTTHEPARKAREMESSENGERSOFTHEGODS.IFTHAT’STHECASE,THEONLYMESSAGEFROMTHEHEAVENSIS:“CRACKER!GIMMEACRACKER!”WECAN’TBECERTAIN,BUTTHATDOESN’TSEEMLIKEACORNERSTONEOFTHEBUDDHISTFAITH.WITHLEGIONSOFSQUEALINGCHILDRENBUYINGCRACKERSANDWAVINGTHEMUNDERTHEIRNOSES,THEEXCITABLEDEERHAVEBECOMESOMETHINGOFANUISANCE,LIKEGIANTFURRYPIGEONSNOTAFRAIDTOBITEANDBARGETHEIRWAYTOAMEAL.WHOKNOWSHOWMANYPEOPLEWEREGOREDBEFORETHEPARKTOOKUPTHEIRANNUALTRIMMINGOFTHEDEER’SANTLERS?WITHTHEBEASTSDEHORNED,WETHOUGHTIT’DBESAFE.WETHOUGHTWRONG.JUSTOUTSIDETHEPREPOSTEROUSLYHUGENANDAI-MONGATE,WITHASTRONGCURRENTOFKIDSFLOWINGALLAROUND,WEWEREJUSTSAYINGTHATWEWISHALLWILDLIFEPHOTOGRAPHYCOULDBELIKETHIS,THENSOMETHINGFLASHEDATMYSIDE,KATYSHOUTEDMYNAME,ITURNEDAND...(TOBECONTINUED)
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