Real time: Saturday, July 17 0550 hours
The sun is out this morning. A very good sign.
Another good sign – yesterday the ATM machine, which had rejected me the day before, granted me cash. (After seeking assistance from the goddesses of the rice harvest.)
Yesterday, we went to Fushimi Inari Shrine a little ways out of town. According to my trusty French guidebook the Shrine is a 4KM path. Uphill. The path is paved and completely covered with vermillion Tory gates. The shrine (Shinto) is to one of the patron goddesses of the rice harvest. So, originally, rice farmers put up gates to insure a good growing season.
But now, people come to ask for more wealth. I asked for mosquito repellant and protection from Japanese encephalitis, as well as good luck with the ATM.
Big festival day today in Kyoto. I went to look at the “floats” yesterday while the teenage one went shopping. I plan on going to the parade this morning if I can get teenage person sprung into action soon enough.