Our flight back to Tainan left at 2:00pm, so we had the morning free to do a bit more exploring. I noticed that we hadn't checked out the Shun Cheng City Gate, so after breakfast we decided to check it out. It was blocked off with safety tape but we still climbed up to check out the view. We then followed the old city wall (what was left of it) and happened upon a small disused stone "village" that was being restored. We had a marvellous time walking around the houses with their doors hanging off their frames and nature taking over. Two of the houses had been turned into makeshift museums honoring pop musicians who had grown up there.
We emerged at the northern end of the village and were walking down the road back to town when I noticed a sign in English that indicated there was a military museum at the end of a laneway. We walked down and sure enough there was a small museum dedicated to explaining the history of the area. Apparently the small stone "village" we had just visited used to be the officer's quarters for the Japanese military. When the Japanese surrendered Taiwan the local people took over, hence the famous pop singers. Two ladies who were volunteers at the museum came over and gave us some English brochures, and tried to explain a bit about the history in Mandarin. We couldn't communicate much, but I think they were just happy to have some Westerners come by and show an interest. They even asked us to sign the guestbook!
We wandered around the city a bit more before heading back to the hotel. We checked out and caught a taxi to the airport. The flight back to Tainan was short and sweet. Outside the airport we caught a taxi and I asked the driver to take us to the "kuai kaui haoche zhan" (fast fast train station). He laughed because I used the wrong term to describe the High Speed Rail, but he knew what I meant. At the station I bought our tickets and after that we just had to wait for the next train north to Taipei.
Mom and Simone had a great time on the bullet train. They couldn't believe how fast we were traveling, and how comfortable it was to ride. We arrived at Taipei Main Station at rush hour so we caught a cab to the hotel instead of trying to negotiate the MRT with luggage. The staff at the Dandy Hotel welcomed us back with big smiles and welcomes, and set up Mom and Simone with a lovely room on the top floor.
For dinner we tried a Thai place I had seen on the way home a few nights earlier. It had a photo menu and I was able to ask enough questions to be sure we were ordering something we liked. (For example, when I asked if something was noodles, the reply was "no". The waitress then pointed at the only noodle dish on the menu, which I had mistakenly thought was a vegetable dish. Go figure.) The chicken satay, egg rolls, "pad thai", and rice were excellent and we even had some left over.
I was exhausted so I caught a cab home right after dinner and collapsed into bed. I tell you, keeping up with my 75-year-old Mom is exhausting! but fun.
6.8.13
Day 12: Penghu
We had breakfast at the Munching Kitchen again. Our taxi driver arrived promptly at 8:00am. She was a lovely middle-aged woman who spoke only a limited amount of English. Her cab was like new and spotless - it even had a satellite TV built into the dashboard, which was tuned to a TV station playing Chinese pop music videos.
Our first stop of the day was the Penghu Wind Farm, located just north of Magong City. We were able to drive right up to the turbines and take pictures from below. They were so quiet and the movement of the turbine arms was mesmerizing.
From there we drove north a short distance. Our driver pulled off the main road and stopped in a village next to a small kitchen garden. She instructed us to get out of the taxi, and she took us to the "rock" wall surrounding the garden. It was actually made from large pieces of coral!
I won't go into huge amounts of detail about the day's tour. The highlights were the Erkan Village, the Matsu Temple with the underground turtle sanctuary, the West Fort tunnels, and Whale Cave Park. At lunchtime our driver asked if we wanted "xiao chi" or "canting" - we totally wanted canting, or a sit-down air-conditioned restaurant. She took us to Ching Shin Seafood in Xihu, which I'm guessing is quite famous for its food and funky seafood-themed decor. The menu was partially translated into English - probably why our driver took us there - and I was able to order two or three dishes for us. We were the only "whiteys" there and I'm willing to bet that Westerners didn't frequent the place.
Sadly, we had to be back at the hotel by 4:00pm. We said goodbye to our driver, Lily, and headed to our room to wash off the day's sweat. Mom and I had massage appointments at 5:00pm and Simone's appointment was 6:00pm. The "spa" itself was on the 9th floor of the hotel, in some repurposed hotel rooms. The owner of the spa was my masseue, and I should have guessed I was in for a pummeling when she told me she was quite powerful. An hour and a half later I was sore, bruised, and definitely not "relaxed" from my "relaxation massage." Hah. We compared experiences afterwards and I guess we all had the same treatment.
One thing that is culturally different about Taiwanese spa massages is ... where they massage you. We were all quite shocked when our masseuses pulled down our knickers and gave our bottoms a good rub-down. The masseuses also massaged our bellies and breasts. It was a little bit too intimate for my liking but I guess it's standard practice.
After a day of adventure and our "relaxation" massages, we were completely tapped out. It was an early night for us again.
Our first stop of the day was the Penghu Wind Farm, located just north of Magong City. We were able to drive right up to the turbines and take pictures from below. They were so quiet and the movement of the turbine arms was mesmerizing.
From there we drove north a short distance. Our driver pulled off the main road and stopped in a village next to a small kitchen garden. She instructed us to get out of the taxi, and she took us to the "rock" wall surrounding the garden. It was actually made from large pieces of coral!
I won't go into huge amounts of detail about the day's tour. The highlights were the Erkan Village, the Matsu Temple with the underground turtle sanctuary, the West Fort tunnels, and Whale Cave Park. At lunchtime our driver asked if we wanted "xiao chi" or "canting" - we totally wanted canting, or a sit-down air-conditioned restaurant. She took us to Ching Shin Seafood in Xihu, which I'm guessing is quite famous for its food and funky seafood-themed decor. The menu was partially translated into English - probably why our driver took us there - and I was able to order two or three dishes for us. We were the only "whiteys" there and I'm willing to bet that Westerners didn't frequent the place.
Sadly, we had to be back at the hotel by 4:00pm. We said goodbye to our driver, Lily, and headed to our room to wash off the day's sweat. Mom and I had massage appointments at 5:00pm and Simone's appointment was 6:00pm. The "spa" itself was on the 9th floor of the hotel, in some repurposed hotel rooms. The owner of the spa was my masseue, and I should have guessed I was in for a pummeling when she told me she was quite powerful. An hour and a half later I was sore, bruised, and definitely not "relaxed" from my "relaxation massage." Hah. We compared experiences afterwards and I guess we all had the same treatment.
One thing that is culturally different about Taiwanese spa massages is ... where they massage you. We were all quite shocked when our masseuses pulled down our knickers and gave our bottoms a good rub-down. The masseuses also massaged our bellies and breasts. It was a little bit too intimate for my liking but I guess it's standard practice.
After a day of adventure and our "relaxation" massages, we were completely tapped out. It was an early night for us again.
5.8.13
Day 11: Penghu
We caught a cab to the Tainan Airport at 5:45am on the advice of the hotel's front desk staff. We got to the airport around 6:25am, only to discover that the airport didn't actually open until 7:00am! So, we had to wait around until counter staff, baggage check, and security staff arrived. Funny.
The flight to Penghu was a quick 30-minute puddle jump. The views from the plane were amazing. The Taiwan Straights beflow were a gorgeous blue, and we could see numerous fishing vessels trolling for the day's catch. The islands of Penghu appeared to be mostly flat and verdant - heaven!
We caught a taxi from the airport to our hotel, the MF Penghu. It was around 9:00am so we had breakfast at the "Munching Kitchen" attached to the hotel. After that we walked around Magong (the main city on Penghu), checking out sites marked on the tourist map. Our favorite place was the historic alley leading from Huimin Road to the Four-Eyed Well. Next to the well was a traditional apothecary that we learned was over 100 years old. The proprietors kindly allowed us to take photos inside as they were preparing someone's "prescription". From there we walked to the City God Temple where we could see further evidence of Ghost Festival celebrations. We kept heading north, where we came across the Penghu Reclamation Hall. We would have liked to go in but it was closed. Our final stop that morning was the Bei Chen Market, a traditional "wet market" where you can buy fresh fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, and so on. Simone took quite a few photos of the foods on display.
Back at the hotel we had lunch at the Munching Kitchen. We still couldn't check into our room so we decided to look at the tour and spa packages available through the hotel. After much back-and-forth discussion with the front desk clerk we decided to hire a taxi to take us on a private tour of the connected northern islands the next day. We also booked massages at the spa.
Eventually we were able to check in to our room, which was smaller than I expected and had a somewhat outdated bathroom. Still, it was brighter and more modern than the Hotel Hwa Du. We freshened up and thought about what to do with the rest of the day. I needed a rest because I hadn't slept well on the cot at the Hotel Hwa Du and I was nursing a case of heat rash from the previous couple of days of walking. So, I stayed at the hotel while Mom and Simone went out and explored the harbour.
That evening we went out again and explored the city at night. Like many cities in Taiwan, Magong comes alive as soon as the sun sets. We checked out some of the touristy stores that were only open at night, but Magong is a pretty small city so pretty soon we decided to head back to the hotel. We picked up munchies at 7-11 and enjoyed a quiet night in front of the TV with salad, chips, and pop.
The flight to Penghu was a quick 30-minute puddle jump. The views from the plane were amazing. The Taiwan Straights beflow were a gorgeous blue, and we could see numerous fishing vessels trolling for the day's catch. The islands of Penghu appeared to be mostly flat and verdant - heaven!
We caught a taxi from the airport to our hotel, the MF Penghu. It was around 9:00am so we had breakfast at the "Munching Kitchen" attached to the hotel. After that we walked around Magong (the main city on Penghu), checking out sites marked on the tourist map. Our favorite place was the historic alley leading from Huimin Road to the Four-Eyed Well. Next to the well was a traditional apothecary that we learned was over 100 years old. The proprietors kindly allowed us to take photos inside as they were preparing someone's "prescription". From there we walked to the City God Temple where we could see further evidence of Ghost Festival celebrations. We kept heading north, where we came across the Penghu Reclamation Hall. We would have liked to go in but it was closed. Our final stop that morning was the Bei Chen Market, a traditional "wet market" where you can buy fresh fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, and so on. Simone took quite a few photos of the foods on display.
Back at the hotel we had lunch at the Munching Kitchen. We still couldn't check into our room so we decided to look at the tour and spa packages available through the hotel. After much back-and-forth discussion with the front desk clerk we decided to hire a taxi to take us on a private tour of the connected northern islands the next day. We also booked massages at the spa.
Eventually we were able to check in to our room, which was smaller than I expected and had a somewhat outdated bathroom. Still, it was brighter and more modern than the Hotel Hwa Du. We freshened up and thought about what to do with the rest of the day. I needed a rest because I hadn't slept well on the cot at the Hotel Hwa Du and I was nursing a case of heat rash from the previous couple of days of walking. So, I stayed at the hotel while Mom and Simone went out and explored the harbour.
That evening we went out again and explored the city at night. Like many cities in Taiwan, Magong comes alive as soon as the sun sets. We checked out some of the touristy stores that were only open at night, but Magong is a pretty small city so pretty soon we decided to head back to the hotel. We picked up munchies at 7-11 and enjoyed a quiet night in front of the TV with salad, chips, and pop.
4.8.13
Day 10: Tainan
The breakfast buffet at the Hotel Hwa Du was disappointing, as we expected. There was no cereal or yoghurt, and the only fruit available was some sliced watermelon. (Mom has to have her banana-a-day.) There was a small salad bar, but the rest of the options were hot Asian foods like congee, cellophane noodles, steamed veggies, and tofu. We all grabbed two or three complimentary cookies and rice snacks from the lobby on the way up to our room afterwards as a sort of breakfast replacement.
Shortly afterwards we caught a cab to Fort Zeelandia in the Anping District. We toured the museum and learned more about how badass General Koxinga laid seige to the fort and forced the Dutch to abandon their colonial rule of Taiwan. While we were at the fort we heard what sounded like gunfire, but turned out to be fireworks being set off at the nearby Anping Matsu Temple. So, we left the fort and walked down to the temple to check it out. The fireworks were over by the time we arrived, but a band was playing in the entrance to the temple and it looked like some traditional dancers were milling around. There were a large number of people wearing team uniforms and we thought that perhaps there was some kind of competition later in the day. (We learned later that it was the start of the Ghost Festival, which starts at the beginning of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.)
We sat on some plastic chairs set up inside the entrance to the temple and absorbed the amazing chaos and peace at the temple. I say "chaos and peace" because the temple was full of people praying, leaving offerings, and catching up on the latest gossip, while at the same time there was this amazingly spiritual atmosphere that was almost soporific. We wanted to stay longer but we were getting a lot of stares from the locals plus it was so hot that we were dripping with sweat. So, after about 30 minutes we decided to head outside and see what else Anping had to offer.
We got some much-needed beverages at the 7-11 across the street and then walked to the Anping Tree House. It's not a tree house in the western sense. It's actually an old merchant warehouse that was slowly "consumed" by a banyan tree. It was eventually abandoned because the locals thought it was too creepy. It was restored in the last few years and is now a big tourist draw. The first time I visited the Anping Tree House I only had my old point-and-shoot camera and it couldn't quite capture the shadows and colors. This time I had my big DSLR with me, so I spent a fair amount of time looking for good photos.
We visited the small museum in the building adjacent to the Anping Tree House, as well as the Zhu Ying Jiu Residence which has been transformed into a calligraphy museum.
From there we wandered back into the tight confines of old Yanping Street. We tried to find a restaurant with air conditioning but every place we checked out was full. We wandered through the Cultural Market (I don't know the real name) between Yanping and Anping, near Yunhe Road. When we exited onto Anping there was a dumpling and noodle restaurant that looked tempting but there were no seats inside and I couldn't read the Chinese menu.
We continued walking up the road a piece and I spotted the entrance to a restaurant I had researched the night before. The staff at the restaurant couldn't speak any English so they indicated they were going to get someone to help us order lunch. The "someone" turned out to be the owner, a lovely middle-aged woman. She led us to a table upstairs, got us set up with drinks, and then helped us choose something appropriate from the menu. I say "appropriate" because the restaurant specialized in gigantic portions - imagine pork cutlets that are bigger than the plate they're served on. Mom and Simone decided to share a bowl of pork donburi and I ordered a chicken sandwich. Even though we were sharing, it was still too much food. But, it hit the spot.
After lunch we thought we might catch the free tourist shuttle to the Eternal Golden Castle. We got to the bus stop and discovered that we'd missed the shuttle and the next one wasn't for another hour. We had just decided to return to the hotel when a cab swung around the corner and pulled up next to the bus stop - convenient! So, off we went to the hotel.
We rested at the hotel for the remainder of the afternoon, then decided to try a local restaurant called My Steak Home for dinner. As far as I could tell from the online menu, you could pay NT$200 for all-you-can-eat salad bar, which suited us just fine. We got to the restaurant, got a table, and tried to order the salad bar but it became clear after some back and forth in Chinese that we couldn't order just the salad bar - we had to order some kind of meat and then we could get the salad bar for free. So that's what we did even though we were still stuffed from lunch.
After dinner we decided to go for a short walk up the street to digest our ginormous dinner. We met a "shop cat" at a scooter repair shop that was very friendly, but also very dirty - poor thing. The mechanic thought it was great that we liked his cat and offered to let us wash our hands inside, but from the looks of it the sink and soap would just make our hands dirtier.
Our flight left at 7:30am the next morning so we went back to the hotel, sorted out our luggage, and watched a bit of television before calling it a night.
Shortly afterwards we caught a cab to Fort Zeelandia in the Anping District. We toured the museum and learned more about how badass General Koxinga laid seige to the fort and forced the Dutch to abandon their colonial rule of Taiwan. While we were at the fort we heard what sounded like gunfire, but turned out to be fireworks being set off at the nearby Anping Matsu Temple. So, we left the fort and walked down to the temple to check it out. The fireworks were over by the time we arrived, but a band was playing in the entrance to the temple and it looked like some traditional dancers were milling around. There were a large number of people wearing team uniforms and we thought that perhaps there was some kind of competition later in the day. (We learned later that it was the start of the Ghost Festival, which starts at the beginning of the seventh month of the lunar calendar.)
We sat on some plastic chairs set up inside the entrance to the temple and absorbed the amazing chaos and peace at the temple. I say "chaos and peace" because the temple was full of people praying, leaving offerings, and catching up on the latest gossip, while at the same time there was this amazingly spiritual atmosphere that was almost soporific. We wanted to stay longer but we were getting a lot of stares from the locals plus it was so hot that we were dripping with sweat. So, after about 30 minutes we decided to head outside and see what else Anping had to offer.
We got some much-needed beverages at the 7-11 across the street and then walked to the Anping Tree House. It's not a tree house in the western sense. It's actually an old merchant warehouse that was slowly "consumed" by a banyan tree. It was eventually abandoned because the locals thought it was too creepy. It was restored in the last few years and is now a big tourist draw. The first time I visited the Anping Tree House I only had my old point-and-shoot camera and it couldn't quite capture the shadows and colors. This time I had my big DSLR with me, so I spent a fair amount of time looking for good photos.
We visited the small museum in the building adjacent to the Anping Tree House, as well as the Zhu Ying Jiu Residence which has been transformed into a calligraphy museum.
From there we wandered back into the tight confines of old Yanping Street. We tried to find a restaurant with air conditioning but every place we checked out was full. We wandered through the Cultural Market (I don't know the real name) between Yanping and Anping, near Yunhe Road. When we exited onto Anping there was a dumpling and noodle restaurant that looked tempting but there were no seats inside and I couldn't read the Chinese menu.
We continued walking up the road a piece and I spotted the entrance to a restaurant I had researched the night before. The staff at the restaurant couldn't speak any English so they indicated they were going to get someone to help us order lunch. The "someone" turned out to be the owner, a lovely middle-aged woman. She led us to a table upstairs, got us set up with drinks, and then helped us choose something appropriate from the menu. I say "appropriate" because the restaurant specialized in gigantic portions - imagine pork cutlets that are bigger than the plate they're served on. Mom and Simone decided to share a bowl of pork donburi and I ordered a chicken sandwich. Even though we were sharing, it was still too much food. But, it hit the spot.
After lunch we thought we might catch the free tourist shuttle to the Eternal Golden Castle. We got to the bus stop and discovered that we'd missed the shuttle and the next one wasn't for another hour. We had just decided to return to the hotel when a cab swung around the corner and pulled up next to the bus stop - convenient! So, off we went to the hotel.
We rested at the hotel for the remainder of the afternoon, then decided to try a local restaurant called My Steak Home for dinner. As far as I could tell from the online menu, you could pay NT$200 for all-you-can-eat salad bar, which suited us just fine. We got to the restaurant, got a table, and tried to order the salad bar but it became clear after some back and forth in Chinese that we couldn't order just the salad bar - we had to order some kind of meat and then we could get the salad bar for free. So that's what we did even though we were still stuffed from lunch.
After dinner we decided to go for a short walk up the street to digest our ginormous dinner. We met a "shop cat" at a scooter repair shop that was very friendly, but also very dirty - poor thing. The mechanic thought it was great that we liked his cat and offered to let us wash our hands inside, but from the looks of it the sink and soap would just make our hands dirtier.
Our flight left at 7:30am the next morning so we went back to the hotel, sorted out our luggage, and watched a bit of television before calling it a night.
3.8.13
Day 9: Kaohsiung and Tainan
Once again we gorged on the delicious offerings at the breakfast buffet at the Hotel Dua. Afterwards we frittered about in the room for a bit, then decided to check out and head for the train station.
Our cab dropped us in front of the Kaohsiung Main Station just before 11am. After some twirling place, I spotted the line ups for "today's tickets" and bought us three tickets for the next train to Tainan - which happened to leave in 10 minutes. We hoofed it to Platform 4b and had just stashed our luggage when the train started moving.
The train ride to Tainan was quiet and uneventful. We arrived just after 11:30am and made our way to the taxi stand. We had another interesting taxi experience - this time, the cab's truck had a gigantic plastic container in it and there seemed to be no room for our suitcases. The driver managed to pack Mom and Simone's big pieces into the trunk. When I showed him my carry-on luggage he waved at me to put it on my lap. "Okay, then," I thought. We got into the cab and he started driving away before I could tell him where we were going. I told him the name of the hotel and the address in Mandarin but something was amiss. He pulled over and I showed him the English and Chinese versions of the hotel name and address, but he still seemed confused. I asked him if he understood and he hesitated so I suggested to Mom and Simone that we should get out and catch another cab. As soon as Mom opened her door the driver suddenly knew where the hotel was and motioned for us to stay inside. We decided to give it a try and see what happened.
When we got close to the hotel I figured out the issue: the hotel name and address was written in pinyin, but Tainan uses a different Romanization system for Chinese writing. "Wenxian" Road was actually "Wunshun" Road.
It was too early to check in at the Hotel Hwa Du so we caught a cab into town and did the "Temple Tour", as I like to think of it - Fort Provintia/Chihkan Tower, Tainan Grand Matsu Temple, Beiji Temple, Tiangong Temple (just glimpses), National Museum of Taiwanese Literature (outside only), and Tainan Confucius Temple. Sadly, the most interesting parts of the Confucius Temple were being restored so we could only explore the musical instrument and sacrificial implements displays.
The heat was getting to us by then so we caught a cab back to the Hwa Du Hotel and checked in. I'd booked us the "Oriental Suite," thinking that the king-sized bed and extra space would be a real splurge. You guessed it - the "king-sized" bed was just a large double. Thankfully I had ordered a rollaway bed just in case. Well, I was thankful until I saw that it was about as wide as my body, had no mattress, and the folding/support bar was located so conveniently that no matter how I shifted, it was always jabbing me in the middle of the back.
To be fair, the room was clean and in good nick. It just had a sad quality about it. Simone summed it up perfectly when she said that she could handle staying there two days, but she would become darkly depressed if she had to stay there any longer.
After settling in we talked about options for evening activities. I hesitated to suggest the Flower Night Market because I'd had such a bad experience there the last time I was in town. I was surprised when they jumped on the suggestion. The hotel had a free shuttle to the market between 7:30pm and 9:00pm. However, I knew from past experience that the market would be jammed solid with people by 7:00pm. So, we caught a cab there just after 6:30pm. It was a good thing that we got there so early, too - we had just enough time to make a slow lap around the outer perimeter and try some food before it became impossible to move independently of the crowd.
At a certain point night markets reach a maximum capacity and you lose all choice about where you go. You move forward with the crowd, turn with the crowd, and stop with the crowd. To exit the night market you have to thrash your arms and knock your body against other people until you force an opening and throw yourself out into traffic or onto the sidewalk. In the case of the Tainan Flower Market, you get spit out into a dark parking lot where vehicles are jostling to leave the market or get one of the precious parking spaces.
We were catching our breath in the parking lot when Simone noticed some people looking at us - two young "whiteys" in dress shirts and ties, and three Taiwanese guys in regular attire. We went over to say hello and learned that the two whiteys were Mormons. They were missionaries sent by the church to spread the word of God in Taiwan. One of the young men had been in Taiwan for two years and was heading home next week. The other young man had been in Taiwan for a year and still had a year left before he would return home. The three young Taiwanese men were clearly some local Christian friends. We chatted for a good 30 minutes then said our goodbye's and headed home.
Our cab dropped us in front of the Kaohsiung Main Station just before 11am. After some twirling place, I spotted the line ups for "today's tickets" and bought us three tickets for the next train to Tainan - which happened to leave in 10 minutes. We hoofed it to Platform 4b and had just stashed our luggage when the train started moving.
The train ride to Tainan was quiet and uneventful. We arrived just after 11:30am and made our way to the taxi stand. We had another interesting taxi experience - this time, the cab's truck had a gigantic plastic container in it and there seemed to be no room for our suitcases. The driver managed to pack Mom and Simone's big pieces into the trunk. When I showed him my carry-on luggage he waved at me to put it on my lap. "Okay, then," I thought. We got into the cab and he started driving away before I could tell him where we were going. I told him the name of the hotel and the address in Mandarin but something was amiss. He pulled over and I showed him the English and Chinese versions of the hotel name and address, but he still seemed confused. I asked him if he understood and he hesitated so I suggested to Mom and Simone that we should get out and catch another cab. As soon as Mom opened her door the driver suddenly knew where the hotel was and motioned for us to stay inside. We decided to give it a try and see what happened.
When we got close to the hotel I figured out the issue: the hotel name and address was written in pinyin, but Tainan uses a different Romanization system for Chinese writing. "Wenxian" Road was actually "Wunshun" Road.
It was too early to check in at the Hotel Hwa Du so we caught a cab into town and did the "Temple Tour", as I like to think of it - Fort Provintia/Chihkan Tower, Tainan Grand Matsu Temple, Beiji Temple, Tiangong Temple (just glimpses), National Museum of Taiwanese Literature (outside only), and Tainan Confucius Temple. Sadly, the most interesting parts of the Confucius Temple were being restored so we could only explore the musical instrument and sacrificial implements displays.
The heat was getting to us by then so we caught a cab back to the Hwa Du Hotel and checked in. I'd booked us the "Oriental Suite," thinking that the king-sized bed and extra space would be a real splurge. You guessed it - the "king-sized" bed was just a large double. Thankfully I had ordered a rollaway bed just in case. Well, I was thankful until I saw that it was about as wide as my body, had no mattress, and the folding/support bar was located so conveniently that no matter how I shifted, it was always jabbing me in the middle of the back.
To be fair, the room was clean and in good nick. It just had a sad quality about it. Simone summed it up perfectly when she said that she could handle staying there two days, but she would become darkly depressed if she had to stay there any longer.
After settling in we talked about options for evening activities. I hesitated to suggest the Flower Night Market because I'd had such a bad experience there the last time I was in town. I was surprised when they jumped on the suggestion. The hotel had a free shuttle to the market between 7:30pm and 9:00pm. However, I knew from past experience that the market would be jammed solid with people by 7:00pm. So, we caught a cab there just after 6:30pm. It was a good thing that we got there so early, too - we had just enough time to make a slow lap around the outer perimeter and try some food before it became impossible to move independently of the crowd.
At a certain point night markets reach a maximum capacity and you lose all choice about where you go. You move forward with the crowd, turn with the crowd, and stop with the crowd. To exit the night market you have to thrash your arms and knock your body against other people until you force an opening and throw yourself out into traffic or onto the sidewalk. In the case of the Tainan Flower Market, you get spit out into a dark parking lot where vehicles are jostling to leave the market or get one of the precious parking spaces.
We were catching our breath in the parking lot when Simone noticed some people looking at us - two young "whiteys" in dress shirts and ties, and three Taiwanese guys in regular attire. We went over to say hello and learned that the two whiteys were Mormons. They were missionaries sent by the church to spread the word of God in Taiwan. One of the young men had been in Taiwan for two years and was heading home next week. The other young man had been in Taiwan for a year and still had a year left before he would return home. The three young Taiwanese men were clearly some local Christian friends. We chatted for a good 30 minutes then said our goodbye's and headed home.
2.8.13
Day 8: Kaohsiung
We were absolutely spoiled by the breakfast buffet at the Hotel Dua. Imagine, if you will, an entire wall of hot food options including custom-made omelettes and my favorite - real bacon. (Bacon in Taiwan is usually a processed meat product that is shaped and colored to look like bacon, but isn't really bacon.) For the Asian clientele there were three different congee mixtures as well as a long table of congee "condiments" such as pork floss, fish flakes, pickled radish, nuts, etc. There was also your traditional cereal and yoghurt station, croissant and toast station, and fruit display. What got me was the gigantic salad bar. I don't know why, but it's really hard to find fresh salad in Taipei. When I saw that salad bar my brain shut out all other food options and I piled my plate high with different types of lettuces, frisee, radicchio, cucumber, carrot, pea greens, and so on. Yes, I was in salad heaven - for breakfast. Don't judge me.
It was pouring rain by the time we finished breakfast so we discussed our options for the morning. We decided to take advantage of the hotel's free self-serve laundry facilities and do a load or two of laundry. When we got to the laundry room we discovered that many other people had made the same call. We had to wait until a washing machine was available, then we had to "ponder life's vicissitudes" until the one dryer wasn't being monopolized by some woman who was using it to dry out her shoes. (It was during this time that I walked into the very clear, very heavy glass door between the hallway and the laundry room. I hit my head so hard that I saw stars and bent my glasses. I also executed a physical comedy routine worthy of the Three Stooges that involved me bouncing off the glass door and landing on my heiney. We all blamed the wet sneaker lady for closing the door because the sound of her shoes banging around in the drum of the dryer was quite loud.)
After our laundry was "done" (still damp but hanging in our room) we caught the MRT out to Sizihwan Station. Our plan was to walk to the former British Consulate building at Takao, then meander along the waterfront in the Yangcheng area of town. We started walking to the British Consulate building when we realized that it looked pretty non-commercial. In other words, we might not be able to find a place to eat for quite a while. We decided that food was a priority and stopped at a place called Fresh Brunch because it met all of our lunching criteria: seating was indoors, it was air-conditioned, there were proper tables and chairs, there was an English menu, and there was a restroom.
After our "fresh brunch" we walked - nay, hiked! - to the British Consulate. None of the guidebooks had mentioned that to get to the British Consulate by foot, you have to walk up a narrow and very steep path along Lane 30 Anchuan Street. It was a longer and sweatier experience than we anticipated, so when we got to the consulate we were determined to make the most of it.
Fortunately or unfortunately, there was a busload of elementary school students visiting the consulate at the same time. They were loud, excited, and all over the place. After a while I realized that the consulate itself wasn't particularly interesting. The interpretive signage only had limited English and there were no displays of historical papers, maps, photos, furniture, etc. The best part of the consulate was the excitement of the kids and the photo ops of the Kaohsiung Harbour below.
We walked back down the path and over the canal bridge to the wharf area, then walked along the water toward the Love River. Along the way we passed Banana Pier (meh) and the Pier 2 Art Center (cool!). At Love Pier we walked across what was probably supposed to be a bike-only bridge to the Qianjin area. We walked toward the information center (identified by a giant snake sculpture), which happened to be right next to the dock where you can buy tickets for a 30-minute interpretive boat ride along the Love River on a solar-powered boat. We were hot and tired but decided to give it a shot because it might be our only chance to explore the river by boat. It was great fun but the "interpretive" part of the tour was lost on us because the guide only spoke Mandarin. I couldn't catch enough of the words to provide any value, so we just sat back, enjoyed the water and wind, and took photos.
After the boat ride we agreed we were completely tapped out so we caught a cab back to the hotel. We spent two or three hours relaxing and catching up on things, then wandered out to the Liuhe Tourist Night Market to sample "xiao chi" (small eats). It was Mom and Simone's first night market visit in Taiwan and it was fantastic. The vendors were super friendly and the "dachang bao xiaochang" vendor even invited Mom behind the grill to pretend like she was tending the sausages so Simone could catch an action shot of her. It was really awesome. We snacked on dachang bao xiaochang (of course) and shrimp tempura. The other options were a bit too intimidating so we went back to the Pupu Cafe for dinner. Mom and Simone had "corn" chowder with puff pastry that turned out to be seafood chowder with whole shrimp that stared at you with black eyes when you pulled it from the bowl. I had "vegetable tempura" that turned out to be some kind of mashed and formed veggie pancake that was cut into strips and deep fried. So, our goal of having safe and familiar food at the Pupu Cafe was somewhat unsuccessful.
It was pouring rain by the time we finished breakfast so we discussed our options for the morning. We decided to take advantage of the hotel's free self-serve laundry facilities and do a load or two of laundry. When we got to the laundry room we discovered that many other people had made the same call. We had to wait until a washing machine was available, then we had to "ponder life's vicissitudes" until the one dryer wasn't being monopolized by some woman who was using it to dry out her shoes. (It was during this time that I walked into the very clear, very heavy glass door between the hallway and the laundry room. I hit my head so hard that I saw stars and bent my glasses. I also executed a physical comedy routine worthy of the Three Stooges that involved me bouncing off the glass door and landing on my heiney. We all blamed the wet sneaker lady for closing the door because the sound of her shoes banging around in the drum of the dryer was quite loud.)
After our laundry was "done" (still damp but hanging in our room) we caught the MRT out to Sizihwan Station. Our plan was to walk to the former British Consulate building at Takao, then meander along the waterfront in the Yangcheng area of town. We started walking to the British Consulate building when we realized that it looked pretty non-commercial. In other words, we might not be able to find a place to eat for quite a while. We decided that food was a priority and stopped at a place called Fresh Brunch because it met all of our lunching criteria: seating was indoors, it was air-conditioned, there were proper tables and chairs, there was an English menu, and there was a restroom.
After our "fresh brunch" we walked - nay, hiked! - to the British Consulate. None of the guidebooks had mentioned that to get to the British Consulate by foot, you have to walk up a narrow and very steep path along Lane 30 Anchuan Street. It was a longer and sweatier experience than we anticipated, so when we got to the consulate we were determined to make the most of it.
Fortunately or unfortunately, there was a busload of elementary school students visiting the consulate at the same time. They were loud, excited, and all over the place. After a while I realized that the consulate itself wasn't particularly interesting. The interpretive signage only had limited English and there were no displays of historical papers, maps, photos, furniture, etc. The best part of the consulate was the excitement of the kids and the photo ops of the Kaohsiung Harbour below.
We walked back down the path and over the canal bridge to the wharf area, then walked along the water toward the Love River. Along the way we passed Banana Pier (meh) and the Pier 2 Art Center (cool!). At Love Pier we walked across what was probably supposed to be a bike-only bridge to the Qianjin area. We walked toward the information center (identified by a giant snake sculpture), which happened to be right next to the dock where you can buy tickets for a 30-minute interpretive boat ride along the Love River on a solar-powered boat. We were hot and tired but decided to give it a shot because it might be our only chance to explore the river by boat. It was great fun but the "interpretive" part of the tour was lost on us because the guide only spoke Mandarin. I couldn't catch enough of the words to provide any value, so we just sat back, enjoyed the water and wind, and took photos.
After the boat ride we agreed we were completely tapped out so we caught a cab back to the hotel. We spent two or three hours relaxing and catching up on things, then wandered out to the Liuhe Tourist Night Market to sample "xiao chi" (small eats). It was Mom and Simone's first night market visit in Taiwan and it was fantastic. The vendors were super friendly and the "dachang bao xiaochang" vendor even invited Mom behind the grill to pretend like she was tending the sausages so Simone could catch an action shot of her. It was really awesome. We snacked on dachang bao xiaochang (of course) and shrimp tempura. The other options were a bit too intimidating so we went back to the Pupu Cafe for dinner. Mom and Simone had "corn" chowder with puff pastry that turned out to be seafood chowder with whole shrimp that stared at you with black eyes when you pulled it from the bowl. I had "vegetable tempura" that turned out to be some kind of mashed and formed veggie pancake that was cut into strips and deep fried. So, our goal of having safe and familiar food at the Pupu Cafe was somewhat unsuccessful.
1.8.13
Day 7: Hualien and Kaohsiung
Our flight to Kaohsiung was scheduled for 2:30pm, so we had the morning free to enjoy a bit more time in Hualien. After breakfast Simone and I "rented" a couple of the bikes available from the hotel and rode up and down the 3 to 4km bike trail along the beach. We headed south first for about 10 minutes before turning and walking the bikes up a small switchback to the top of a hill where the county had built a viewpoint. From there we rode another 10 minutes south until we reached the end of the bike trail. Not wanting to risk riding on the road, we turned around and traced the bike trail back to the hotel. From there we rode north to Chisingtan Beach where the tour bus had dropped us off the night before. We carried on a little further until we started to feel the heat, then turned around and had a slow pedal back to the hotel.
At the hotel we found Mom in the room. She was resting up after having walked for 30 or so minutes along the bike trail and beach boardwalk. We all freshened up before doing a final pack and heading down to the lobby, where we waited for the hotel van to take us to the airport.
The flight to Kaohsiung was an hour long, but the time seemed to fly by. Before we knew it we were at Kaohsiung Airport and catching a cab to the Hotel Dua. I didn't realize that I had booked us into such a swanky hotel - it was all glass and dark wood and modern furniture. The gentleman at the front desk who checked us in offered us a free upgrade to a larger room, which we gladly accepted. We were absolutely astounded when we got to our room on the 13th floor - it was so large that it felt like a suite, and the bathroom was so luxe that when you approached the toilet the seat lifted automatically in greeting. We could not believe our circumstances.
After settling in to the room and freshening up, we were in great need of food. We'd missed lunch due to the airport transfer so we were all very hungry. We asked the gentleman at the front desk for a restaurant recommendation and he suggested we go to Master Fu's. Unfortunately, after walking in two different directions we could not find Master Fu's. We noticed a small cafe on the corner of Linsin and Liuhe called - don't laugh! - the Pupu Cafe. I asked if they had an English menu and they did - just one, mind you. We ordered a set meal that came with soup and salad and a drink. It was just what the doctor ordered.
That night, after returning to the hotel, we geeked out on the computer. We downloaded everyone's pictures to my computer and spent a good two hours going through the pictures, rotating shots, and uploading a few pictures to Facebook. It was the perfect end to a wonderful day.
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