THE BOATHEMIAN

Today was a big festival here in Kamakura, surprised?…at any rate, its basically a fest where guys carry a super heavy shrine and then jump up and down with it, letting it rest on their shoulders, absorbing the pain, and eventually going into a trance, or other state of mind….the fest ends when the men fall and drop the shrine and can’t carry it anymore.
Around the festivities, there was a cool “catch a fish game with a tissue”….I was into that.

I caught a little black fish, and named it Ty.

I watched the men carrying the shrine and made the mistake of saying, “that doesnt look that hard”…a guy handed me a robe and said…why not you try?
i said ok cool
mistake #1
i got in the mix with all the men and tried to lift the shrine, once it was against my shoulder, they began to chant and i knew the jumping was about to start…
mistake #2
i tried to hold the beam with my own method of both hands, so it wouldnt hurt, but i guess that defeats the purpose and a “ref” or boss of the thing came over and made me put it on my bones,, then we jumped…we jumped three sets, by the third set i was dizzy and i thought i had shattered my collar bone,,,i limped away in a daze, like i was high on some club drug, the elders got a good laugh.
the american tried and had been defeated.
it was a good experience (i say this as i apply icy hot, and try to get feeling in my fingertips).
tomorrow ill just go for a bike ride.

im in the orange…