Plan was to do a day trip outside of Taipei to KeeLung. Took train - sort of like going from NYC to Millburn. About 50 minutes away. Arrived at train station near the harbor.
Found the info center grabbed a map and took off walking towards a giant statue up on a mountantop over looking the town.
Everywhere we go we stop into 7/11 to buy beverages (water) to walk with. It is very hot here and we had arrived in the heat of the day. We found a staircase that takes u up and around the mountain to the top. Once there the first thing I saw was a giant swatstika.
Anyway, once we got to the top we saw a giant bell
Lots of statues and some shade in which to sit and rest.
Views of harbor area below and ocean in distance
Leaving there we we looking for an old military fort. We walked and walked, sweat soaked but hydrated. We eventually found the fort. It's someting how in US we treat our historic forts with reverance. Here it seems to be an after thought. Most had never heard of it - we had to ask directions to find it. Once there it was overgrown and empty.
We walked through it and wound our way down the mountain. Once down we made our way back into town, found a 7/11 and refreshed ourselves and rested in front on 2 chairs and watched the scooters ride by. Motor scooters are an inexpensive form of transportation throughout SE Asia. Brads says what we saw is quite typical throughout this part of the world.
At this point we were starving as it was nearing 3pm and all we had eaten all day was breakfast at 10 before we left Taipei. This culture relies primarily on food stalls/night markets. We were exhausted and wanted to find a restaurant in which to sit, eat and cool off in air conditioning. We walked and walked for an hour until we found a little place to eat. We both had curried chicken rice and Brad also ordered an oyster omelette.
Oyster omelettes are just what they sound like - eggs, oysters, lettuce and some kind of gelatinous stuff with a sauce. Each place makes the sauce differently.
Rested and revived some we had to decide what to do. The only other activity choice was to wait around for 2 -3 hours to check out the night market there (food stalls). But since we had already eaten, couldn't find a decent place to just hang out, we decided to just get back on train to Taipei. We got back just after 6pm.
Back to room we booked room in Hualien for next 2 days. Showered off the sweat and grime of the day. Decided to stay close by for dinner - was now 8pm. First went to bus station to find where I will take bus back to airport next week. Seems there's 3 different bus terminals all within a very large area. After much ado and a bit of testiness we found it.
Went into a mall, found the food court and had a Korean meal. Afterwards we made our way via subway to an area called Snake Alley. Seems it years past it was the place to bring tourists to watch guys charm cobras, squeeze out their venom and mix into a cocktail that's supposed to make you virile. They then disembowl the critter and use the meat. It's also where the legal brothels once existed. We got there at 10pm so things were winding down. We did see snakes but no active charming going on. Also small sex toy shops were there - the shops, not the toys.
There is a night market on the cross streets of Snake Alley. Food there was really grossing me out to the point of making me feel nauseous. Lots of pig parts and fish stuff.
We ended up getting watermelon juice drinks, strolled through and got back to room by 11pm.
Betel nuts are some kind of acorn (for lack of a better description) that is wrapped in a leaf that is first covered with a lime paste. Lime as in the mineral, not the fruit.
People here chew it as some kind of stimulant - like some chew tobbaco. Brad had bought a small bag for $50 (about $US1.60) before I had arrived. He said they relax you, so I figured what the heck, I could use some relaxation. Popped one in my mouth and chewed on it. Nothing but a bit gross. Spit it out and brushed my teeth. Brad then pulled up a YouTube video that explained how to chew them. Seems you are first supposed to bite off the top and discard it - sort of like clipping a cigar with your teeth. Then you chew for a moment and spit out the green fluid. Oh no - I hadn't done that - I had swallowed it! Hope I don't die! Then you chew on it sort of like chewing tobbaco. The video implied it is a stimulant used by truck and taxi drivers to stay awake. That doesn't sound like it relaxes you. In either event, I felt nothing. Nothing at all. Guy on video said it made him feel flush - not me. Brad says he felt something very slightly. I think it's BS. Seems there are big political and social issues with the stuff in this country. Big money is involved - they get pretty young girls to sell it so some may think prostitution may be involved. Me? Tried it, survived it and won't bother again. Afterwards, I went and brushed my teeth and went to sleep.
End of a long day. Can't believe it has only been 3 days so far! Even Brad said I probably couldn't have done this just 1 year ago. And we're trying to take a relaxed pace. Even though we take subways everywhere we walk an incredible amount. Sitting up here in bed I feel the tightness in my legs. Once we leave here tomorrow I get to rest on the train for a few hours. We'll go explore Hualien later tomorrow after we check into our hotel...
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