tick tock...

Surprising Breezes East was kind of a mess today as we tried to pack and listen to commentary about the debt ceiling.

We made the boys help all day long.

(BTW Don't be too impressed. These guys complain about having to clear their own dishes from the table. )

All of the Legos must return stateside, apparently.

Max bundled up the recycled paper just as carefully as our neighbors do!

Alek and Hugo worked on this PsychoShaker for weeks in construction club at school. We can't take it home. May it live forever on blogspot.

Two nights ago we went to another matsuri at Shimogamo. Will you be upset if I show you another temple?

We met a bunch of school friends there.

This lady handed us a candle for Y200.

Then we walked in their river!

Here you can imagine the sound of all these people saying, 'Ooooh!!! It's so cold!!!" I was trying hard not to pee my pants.

Light 'er up.

It was a festive scene. We are very pure now.

Of course, we had the chance to buy more temple stuff. You could drink "God water" from the spring for Y10.

And if you wanted you could buy the cups it was served in. A bit of a racket.

Here, people are writing some kind of messages on these balsa wood feet.

Then they float them in the water.

Outside the temple we could buy masturi food. All those kids up there went crazy for these squid. Then they screamed and threw rocks for two hours.

After packing today, we took one more trip to Yodobashi camera for a couple of toys the kids have been saving up for. Then we went to our favorite kaiten sushi place for supper. This may be the last time we eat out together here, just the five of us. From now on, it's party party party! We are blessed with many new friends to say goodbye to.

I will leave you with this man.

Gion Matsuri Part Ni

We went to Gion Matsuri two more times this weekend. Saturday night we got together with friends. The boys wore jinbei and yukata. (Jinbei are the shorts outfits on the left; yukata on the right). The friends gave A&H these yukata as an end -of -year present.

Boys in jinbei are very cute!

We walked around the streets looking at hoko and yama.

We saw more kids in yukata!

"If only Mom would let me shoot, I would totally win that thing. "
We saw lots of street food. Like this ham.

Beer and kakigori....

Karaage....

Kakgori (snow cones; one of many)

Curry cheese fried dough.

We saw more valuables in people's houses and businesses:

And many cool hoko and yama.

The boys played this game; try to fish gel-marbles out of the water before the small net you are using that is actually made of tissue paper shreds. (Tip: Don't be greedy).

Doggie in a yukata....
Next morning (Sunday), we went back out to Oike street to see the parade.

It was hot.
We saw a lot of this. Guys pulling the hoko, which weighs several tons and is also loaded with a bunch of musicians playing the same screechie flute music/drum/tambourine movie over and over...

These pullers are about 4 hours in. It was about 35C that day.




The view down Oike as we crossed the street.
These things do not have axels. To turn them, first they lay down strips of bamboo on the street and roll the wheels on top. Then they pull it all sideways. After about four cycles of this, the thing finally turns 90 degrees. Watch in time lapse.

Here they lay down the strips.
Get ready...
Good pull, guys.
Three or four guys stand on the front and yell and point with their fans to tell the pullers to go.




Finally! 15 minutes later the thing is turned.
Here's a funny hoko.

Our friend P was in this puller crowd. He was instructed to show up at 8:30am and to wear white underwear.

After this, we walked home and sat in the air conditioning. And that was Gion Matsuri, 2011.