There was a former colleague from Narra in Palawan who always got drunk in bars with heavy narra accessories, a premium hardwood that is the national tree of the Philippines.
And two train rides away from Kyoto is Nara, Japan's first permanent capital that hosts a number of UNESCO-listed World Heritage Sites including the Kofuku-ji Temple that ws established in 669 as a wife's plea for her husband's recovery from an illness.
Our 3-day Kansai Railway Pass encountered a glitch for the first time as we entered Nara, perhaps because our prayer for protection from illness at the Kofuku-ji Temple was done in reverse order: offering incense, alerting the Buddha with a bell prior to our prayers, then going through the purification ritual that should have been the first procedure.
We intended to have this rectified at the Todai-ji Temple (circa 738 and also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) but none of us would fit through the nostril of the Nara Daibatsu (circa 743 and the world's largest bronze Buddha statue) so we invoked his protection against epidemics by earnestly praying amidst the curious throng for enlightenment, good luck, and health.
I needed to pee because a Japanese version of Angel Locsin played with some of the 1,400 bowing deers at Nara Park but an entrance fee is required to access the toilets of the Isuien Garden.
The Yoshikien Garden was more accommodating as not only does it have a free clean toilet, it also showcases traditional Japanese landscaping.
It was after that when the first bullshit lunch of paper-thin meat slices in huge plates hit us at the central bus station.
We were so disappointed and rueful that we decided to grant Balong's donburi craving before boarding the train back to Kyoto.
That was our revenge second lunch within a span of an hour: a centerpiece unadon with cold soba, a bowl each of gyudon and katsudon, and the wife's second dango, steamed and not grilled which she prefers.

\
Nara was short and sweet, and heavy too because of the double lunch.
Since we have time, we decided to lighten the next day's packed Kyoto itinerary by stopping at the Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine (circa 711) to count its estimated 10,00 torris,
We did not finish because I can't resist the sake shot offer by a cutie who can be Imee Marcos in her younger years before her days as a bullshit presidential sister.
There was a lot of traffic enforcers and and exclusive traditional teahouses but only saw two hurrying geishas.
I had my usual beer and highball.
Balong finished his doriyaki from Nara, Bulan shared his box of Papa Beard's from the Fushimi-Inari Station.