Ok, I am a believer. I've written about this before, but now am convinced that those yakiimo-vehicles are magical. Because how else do you explain that:
Biking home after an amazing if exhausting day wandering round Arashiyama you get a random thought along the lines of: "Would like some yakiimo, it's getting cold, wonder when the carts show up. Haven't heard any this year yet."
You next make a promise-to-self to run out no matter what you are wearing and and go buy one, no matter how much you've already eaten etc, the first time you hear the call.
Hear said sound a few hours later when trying to figure out what to stave off hunger with, at the exact moment when your movie (and therefore the surrounding noise) has ended so you can hear it passing by.
And then after jumping up, grabbing wallet, running downstairs and turning random way on the street because the calls have gone silent and the oven-on-wheels is nowhere in sight, you turn the corner and find the thing neatly parked, the cartman chatting with someone (and volunteering the information that the other is an old friend). Which means that you have had exactly the extra time to get there from the third floor.
Exchanging a few lines in the local language you often struggle with, this time coming out completely fluent, you receive a paper bag with the burning hot treat, bid the chaps goodnight and return home.
There you strain ears, but no more calls reach them. Seriously, if I didn't still feel the unbelievable heat starting from my tongue and going all the way to toes (yes, my toes actually got warm!!!) I'd suspect I imagined the whole thing... again.
Oh, did I mention the entire encounter took place around 22.30.. I mean, who on Earth normally wants food at that time for them to even have a reason to be going around?
Also full moon.
Also full moon.
Another learning from this is that the yakiimo are supposed to be eaten whole (without peeling, I mean). Or if they aren't, then should be - tried on a whim and won't ever go back! Trust the gut feeling, trust the impulse, trust the inner voice.
Talking of which, had another one today. The day was actually extremely nice and warm, so after a while of walking in Arashiyama got the idea that an ice-cream was in order. So made a stop at the first soft-ice stall on the street. But... thing didn't feel right. Yeah, it was a Rilakkuma-themed place, first of all, and also expensive, but more than that, it just felt like "No, not here." Which led to me finding the correct place a few buildings down the road, where a) they had vanilla-cookie-cream flavour b) the price was half of what it was in the first place c) the huge table in front was occupied by 5 women and 8 small dogs dressed in kimonos - yes, real dogs, one of the most syrreal things I've encountered lately and their interactions absolutely mesmerising to watch d) D, who I was with, found, talked-to-for-about-an-hour-in-a-mix of broken englishjapanesefrench, videoed a very kind tea plantation-owning couple, so a plantation-tour next spring sounds plausible e) amidst a super-busy tourist area we found a quietish empty bench to eat lunch on, f) that ice-cream was self-serve, meaning I could operate an ice-cream machine, how cool is that! g) when finally leaving stumbled upon 7 huge white dogs (after some googling, think the breed was the Great Pyreneese) joined on their majestic stroll by 4 people.
Cheers,
Hedi
