Last night was a red-letter day(night) in Maikoness. I was riding south on Kawabata going to 99 to get some cheap food. Crossing the intersection of Shijo and Kawabata was a Maiko-san with an old man. Now, I think there is some chance this was a fake. Usually Maiko aren't so out in the open and she was smiling and walking kind of naturally. On the other hand, her outfit and make-up looked right and the guy she was with looked old and rich.
I continued south and was in the hanamachi south of Shijo (which one is that? Is that Shimabara or is it still Gion?) when I show three Maiko waiting outside of a tea house. I think they were the real deal, but I caught them in a strange, unguarded moment. They were laughing and one of them was kind of dancing and then the mama came out and got mad at them. This is the virture of riding a fast quiet bike with no light. They were amusing but I realized that being a Maiko isn't equivalent to being attractive.
On the way bag, with a big bag of groceries, I decided to take the back way through the real hanamachi. I always feel like I am intruding. I was dodging an old man when an absolutely beautiful, striking Maiko-possibly Geiko- walked around the corner wearing a blue kimono and giant geta that I heard before I saw. I realized the shocking grandeur and draw of these figure then. She said "Konbanwa" really assuredly as I dodged my bike around her and I wasn't sure if it was to me or the old man behind me, but I found myself kind of bowing while I was on my bike. She was the real god-damned deal.
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