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.