Hong Kong Day 1-2

We spent our first evening exploring the city close to our hotel.  Sidewalks were packed with people everywhere.  We have a great view from our room on the 24th floor of one of the main streets in Hong Kong.  (See second picture.) We enjoy watching traffic lights change and suddenly the intersections are swarming with people.  Just as quickly, they empty when the light changes and taxis and buses are flying through the intersections.  We took a ferry to Lamma Island on Saturday.  Duane and Vannie planned to go fishing but discovered it was a "tourist trap" where bait was tied to the fishing line (no hook)  and dropped into a large tank of hundreds of fish.  They got to feed the fish! :)  However, they really enjoyed sitting at an outdoor restaurant watching the activity in the fishing village.  They reported watching two accomplished elderly women stand to row their boats across the water.  Vivian and I hiked with two of her friends across the island from one fishing village to another, walking through markets selling fish and vegetables, and seeing amazing views of the ocean.  We saw a woman watering her organic garden with a double sprinkling can and enjoyed seeing philodendronleaves larger than my hand.   We ended the day with a harbor cruise at night and got to watch the fifteen minute light show with lasers flashing from sky scrapers from all over the city. Our pictures just don't do it justice!

Taiwan Day 6

We woke before six o'clock to watch the sun rise over the ocean. After running from room to room we finally figured out where the sun would actually come up,and got to see it break through in all its glory. Our next stop was the Hualien Mennonite Church. While looking at a city map, we saw "Mennonite Church" and "Mennonite Hospital" on the map. We realized it was just around the corner from our hotel so We stopped by and were given a tour of their beautiful new facility by the pastor and his wife Dr. and Mrs. Chen. Next stop was a clam farm and processing plant. The four of us hopped into the water and dug into the sand for clams. After digging several boxes of clams, we saved them and took them to a local restaurant in the evening where they graciously steamed them for us. You will see the results in the pictures. After a quick stop at a "Cow Resort" we headed to a tea farm. We understand now why hand picked tea is considered to be exquisite. We watched a line of women move skillfully down the row of tree plants and pluck the new tender leaves. Afterward we went inside for our own "tea ceremony" where we learned the correct way to prepare tea. Our tea will be much better after this! On the final leg of the trip today, the sun shown on the rice fields creating golden vistas of ripened grain. In the picture included, wind has flattened portions of this field of rice.

Taiwan Day 5

This morning we woke up to blue skies and sunshine  so before heading for the mountains, Vannie stopped by the ocean for us to see the transformation to beautiful shades of aqua and blue. We drove around hairpin curves with mirrors strategically placed  to let us know whether someone was headed our way from the other side of the curve.  For the next several hours we were treated to amazing views of waterfalls, gorges, canyons, tunnels and rivers in Taroko National Park.  We walked the Nine Turns Tunnel paved path and at the end of the walk saw the huge pile of rocks from a rockslide onto the path from recent years! In the evening we enjoyed a show with lots of cultural dances at the Ami Cultural Center. 

Taiwan Day 4

Today we spent the day traveling along the beautiful East Coast of Taiwan with it's unspoiled scenic view of the ocean.  We visited a harbor where men were sitting high on the harbor wall fishing.  The pictures of the ocean just can't give the true feel of being there and hearing and seeing the crashing waves and roaring surf!!  Pictures include rocks that have been carved out by the water and a bridge from the shore to a small island.  Standing at the top of the bridge we truly felt connected to the salty powerful sea and the water beneath us.

Food we enjoyed in China

The first photo is a platter of a variety of relishes that are often available at the breakfast buffet.  Every hotel serves a large breakfast that comes with the cost of the room.  You will also notice the bamboo steamers stacked high and these are used for keeping buns and dumplings hot for breakfast.  At other times these containers are used for Dim Sum, where a variety of small amounts of food are brought out in each container and everyone gets to sample many different steaming hot foods.  The second picture is a typical meal from a local restaurant.  Most restaurants have a live fish and reptile area where you are able to choose your upcoming meal. We have tried turtle, snake, and pigeon and when you don't think about what you are eating, it is very good.  You will notice in one picture, Duane is enjoying a bite of pigeon.  Next is a picture of the "Hot Pot" we had at a local fish farm where Vivian's father took us.  Tables are set up with gas fueled burners in the middle. We cooked the food in boiling water on our table.  We had the best fish we have ever eaten here!  And what a great open-air atmosphere too!   The last is a picture of a street vendor in Macau selling beef jerky which is a specialty there.  Vendors brought large sheets of jerky into the street, cutting off slices with a scissors for us to sample.  Excellent cuisine is available everywhere from fancy hotel restaurants to tiny sidewalk cafes.

Taiwan Days 1-3

Our first night in Kaohsiung we visited the Night Market (Pictures 1&2).  It was like a festival in full swing condensed into a small area with the smell of food cooking, vendors selling clothing and jewelry and all ages of people playing Bingo, ring toss, dart balloon popping etc.  We stayed until it closed at 1:00 a.m. when  suddenly everyone left.  The next day we took a tour of Kaohsiung in an all-day downpour, visiting various points of interest and ending the day with "hot pot" which you will see Vivian eating.  Our hotel overlooked the harbor and Duane enjoyed watching ships line up to come in.  Our tour guide said some ships must wait several days for their turn to enter the harbor.  The hallway next to our hotel room on the 52nd floor overlooked a huge banquet hall and I got a picture of the wedding reception from high above.  The next day we took the train to the east side of Taiwan.  We arrived at a hotel with a hot springs.  What a balm for weary muscles!  You can see sweet potatoes cooking in a special tub of boiling water at the hot springs.

China Trip Macau

Macau is definitely a favorite spot for tourists and we joined the crowds headed up the long stairs at "The Ruins of St Paul," a Catholic Church that burned to the ground except for the facade left after the fire.    We felt the strong Portuguese influence as we walked the streets in the "Old City" and visited the Mount Fortress and Macao Museum.  We sampled world famous beef jerky from street vendors and ate in a Portuguese Restaurant.  Many casinos and hotels in the area lit up the night time skies with glitzy neon lights.  A special treat was having dinner in the top of the revolving Macao Tower with an international buffet with everything imaginable to eat!  We were serenaded at our table by a Central American musical trio and joined them in singing "Top of the World."  What a memorable way to end our first week!  One of the turbo jet ferries in the harbor carried us back to Hong Kong to prepare for our trip to Taiwan.