Gion Matsuri part Ichi

It is Gion Matsuri time...the biggest festival in Kyoto.

There are a bunch of these hoko in the streets near our place. Tomorrow they will be in a huge parade (being pulled by hundreds of guys).

It's fun to walk around.

We paid to go see the inside of this one.
Upstairs in their store, we first got to see their valuables...

Then we crossed a little bridge to the top of the hoko.

The view from the top.



Purifying salt on the front beams.

Seeing kids in yukata makes me happy.

Through all the streets you can play games and buy street foods.

These ladies are saying, "oooooh!!!! Hashi wa jyozu desu ne! Sugoi jyozu!" Which kind of means, "wow, look at these little gaijin boys eating with chopsticks!"

This is a genius street food; cucumbers on sticks. You can dip them in salt or some miso sauce.

Pineapple and mango snacks!

Some homes/businesses show off their screens and valuables.
The hoko (it is said) are put together without using nails.
Seeing ladies in yukata make me happy.

Hugo in front of a row of machiya.

We're going back out tonight to have more fun. The boys will wear their jinbei....