Timing

Today was the main, parade portion of the Gion Matsuri. Hundreds of people pull the giant floats around Kyoto. People from around the world come to watch. It's on a weekday so I had to work. The parade is from 9am to 1pm. I left for school around 7am. Today they were having teacher's conferences so my supervisor told me I could leave during lunch. I took off back for Kyoto and made it in at 1:30 when everyone was leaving the matsuri. I grabbed my camera and went down town but everything was over. There were so many foreign people that I got freaked out and came home. I fell asleep. I woke up around 7pm and was headed for the grocery store. My bike was lying on the floor of the bike room with the tire slit open. Nice. I went to walk and I noticed lots of police shutting down Kawabata Dori. Hundreds of men in white hapi coats were running northwards. I ran back for my camera. When I made it back to Kawabta, it was just normal traffic. I went to the grocery store and got some food. Matsuri was in the air, but I don't really know anyone to call and get up to something with....oh well, save that for Miyazaki. I was back in my apartment boiling noodles when a ruckus broke out. I bunch of people in white hapi were running down the street in fornt of my apartment. I tried to take some pictures. I came back in. A deep drum beat started. I went back to the balcony. White hapi coats were streaming by and the mikoshi appeared. It was big and golden. I took some video. I love the mikoshi. I love all mikoshis. I find it very hard to watch the matsuri and not participate. Nevertheless, it was nice. The mikoshi was followed by someone on a horse. That's a first for me. My timing is impeccable....ly bad.